Going out too fast
The most common mistake. Over 12 minutes, a few seconds gained on the first lap cost you tens of seconds on the last ones. Start at the pace you think you can hold, check your lap times, and save the push for the end.
RunningRunning fitness testsBeginner 37 min
Cooper test (12 minutes): estimate your VO₂max
The Cooper test: run as far as you can in 12 minutes, and the distance gives an estimate of your VO₂max, then of your vVO₂max. 37 minutes with the warm-up, a track and a stopwatch, open to any runner who can keep going for 12 minutes.
Session profile4 blocks
At a glance
- Duration
- 37 min
- Main target
- 90–98%vVO₂max5 Z5 · VO₂max
- Time at target
- 12 min
- Estimated load
- 42
- Structure
- 12′ at 90–98% vVO₂max
- Level
- Beginner
- Equipment
- Track (optional) · GPS watch
The session in detail
vVO₂max
Time in zone
- Z120 min
- Z25 min
- Z512 min
What the targets mean
| Target | Zone | Time | vVO₂max 14 km/h | vVO₂max 16 km/h | vVO₂max 18 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90–98% | 5VO₂max | 12 min | 4:46/km–4:22/km | 4:10/km–3:50/km | 3:42/km–3:24/km |
Put this session on your watch
Do the test from your watch, guided block by block. Then enter your new reference speed and every session follows.
What this session is for
This test doesn't make you fitter: it measures. It estimates your VO₂max, your maximal oxygen uptake, from the distance you cover in 12 minutes. Over that time you run a little below your vVO₂max, and your distance mostly reflects your aerobic capacity: that is the link Kenneth Cooper established in 1968. A vVO₂max can then be worked out from VO₂max, but it's an estimate of an estimate: to set your paces, a direct test is more accurate. The Cooper test remains an excellent way to track your fitness from one test to the next.
Who it's for
Any healthy runner who can run for 12 minutes without stopping. It asks you to pace an effort long enough for a fast start to cost you dearly. If your aim is to set your session paces, the half Cooper test or the VAMEVAL give you your vVO₂max more directly.
When to do it
At the end of a training cycle, or every 4 to 8 weeks: a common guideline. Do it fresh, after one or two easy days, never the day after a hard session, and avoid heat and strong wind. Repeat it in the same place, in the same shoes: comparing your distance from one test to the next is the simplest way to track your fitness, without even doing the maths.
How to do it
Warm-up
15 min10′ at 60–65% vVO₂max + 5′ at 66–72% vVO₂max
10 minutes of easy running at 60–65% of vVO₂max, then 5 minutes a little brisker, at 66–72%. Add two or three short strides if you like: you want to reach the start warm, not tired.
Test
12 min12′ at 90–98% vVO₂max
12 minutes, as far as you can, at an even pace. Aim for 90 to 98% of your vVO₂max: at 16 km/h, from 4:10 to 3:50/km, or 2,880 to 3,136 m. On a 400 m track, count your laps and note how far into the last one you got. Keep a little in hand for the first 8 minutes, then build over the last 2.
Cool-down
10 min10′ at 55–65% vVO₂max
10 minutes of very easy running at 55–65% of vVO₂max, starting with a few steps of walking. Then the maths: VO₂max (ml/kg/min) = (distance in m − 504.9) ÷ 44.73. 2,800 m gives about 51.3 ml/kg/min. For a vVO₂max estimate, divide by 3.5: about 14.7 km/h.
How it should feel
Sustained but steady for 8 minutes, then very hard over the last 4. Guide: 9 out of 10 at the end. If your last lap is your fastest by a distance, you were probably too cautious early on.
Common mistakes
Treating the estimated vVO₂max as a measured one
The vVO₂max from a Cooper test goes through two calculations: VO₂max, then the average energy cost of running, which varies from runner to runner. It may be some way off your true value. To set your paces, prefer a direct test.
Confusing average speed with vVO₂max
Your average speed over the 12 minutes, the distance divided by 200, is lower than your vVO₂max: you run a little below it for that long. 2,800 m is a 14 km/h average, for an estimated vVO₂max of around 14.7 km/h.
Trusting GPS
On the road, a GPS watch can be out by tens of metres over 12 minutes. On a track, count laps: more reliable, and what the protocol intends.
When to skip it
Before you start
- Being able to run 12 minutes without stopping, and 15 minutes easy without difficulty.
- An athletics track or, failing that, a measured flat route.
Skip it if
- You have pain or a recent injury.
- You did a hard session yesterday.
- You are ill, coming back from a break, or unsure about your health: get medical advice before a maximal effort.
Origin and evidence
Level of evidence
Good evidenceLevel 4 of 5
Kenneth Cooper (JAMA 1968;203(3):201-204): in 115 US Air Force men, the distance covered in 12 minutes correlated at about 0.90 with VO₂max measured in the laboratory. The equation (d − 504.9) ÷ 44.73 is the regression commonly attributed to this study. Going from VO₂max to vVO₂max relies on an average energy cost of running, which varies from runner to runner. The 90–98% range during the test, the warm-up and the cool-down are Wattson choices; during the test those targets are only guides. Bottom line: a reference field test, good evidence for estimating a group's VO₂max, less precise for an individual.
Sources
- Cooper K. H., JAMA 1968;203(3):201-204
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate VO₂max from the Cooper test?
With the equation attributed to Cooper: VO₂max (ml/kg/min) = (distance in metres − 504.9) ÷ 44.73. 2,800 m gives about 51.3 ml/kg/min, 3,000 m about 55.8. It's an estimate: the relationship was established on a group, and your true VO₂max may differ.
How do you get from a Cooper test to vVO₂max?
Divide your VO₂max by 3.5, the average oxygen cost of running, about 3.5 ml/kg/min per km/h. 51.3 ml/kg/min gives a vVO₂max of about 14.7 km/h. It's an estimate of an estimate, because that cost varies from runner to runner: to set your paces, a direct test is more reliable.
What is a good Cooper test distance?
There's no good distance in absolute terms: it depends on your vVO₂max. At 14 km/h, expect 2,520 to 2,744 m; at 16 km/h, 2,880 to 3,136 m; at 18 km/h, 3,240 to 3,528 m. The most useful comparison is with your own previous test, on the same track.
Cooper test or half Cooper test?
The Cooper test estimates your VO₂max and is good for tracking your fitness; the vVO₂max it gives needs one more calculation. The half Cooper gives your vVO₂max directly, the reference for your paces. If your aim is to set your sessions, choose the second, then stick with the same test each time.
How often should you redo the Cooper test?
Every 4 to 8 weeks, or at the end of a training cycle: a common guideline, not a rule drawn from studies. Repeat it in the same conditions, same track, same time of day, same shoes, so your distances compare.
Related sessions
Take it up a level with Wattson
An intuitive workout editor to build cycling and running sessions in no time, then sync them to your watch or bike computer: Wahoo, Garmin, Suunto or Coros.
Try this session