The half Cooper test: run as far as you can in 6 minutes, and your vVO₂max in km/h is the distance in metres divided by 100. 31 minutes with the warm-up, nothing more than a track and a stopwatch, and a good first test.
| Target | Zone | Time | vVO₂max 14 km/h | vVO₂max 16 km/h | vVO₂max 18 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95–105% | 5VO₂max | 6 min | 4:31/km–4:05/km 1330–1470 m per rep | 3:57/km–3:34/km 1520–1680 m per rep | 3:31/km–3:10/km 1710–1890 m per rep |
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Do the test from your watch, guided block by block. Then enter your new reference speed and every session follows.
This test doesn't make you fitter: it measures. It gives you your vVO₂max, the speed at which you reach your maximal oxygen uptake, also called maximal aerobic speed, which anchors every session set as a % of it. The idea is simple: you can hold that speed for roughly 4 to 7 minutes, so your average speed over 6 minutes flat out sits very close to it. The calculation is just a conversion: distance in metres divided by 100 gives your average speed in km/h. The limit is your profile: if you can hold vVO₂max for longer than 6 minutes, the test slightly overestimates it; if for less, it underestimates it.
Any healthy runner, including for a first test: all you need is a track and a stopwatch. It does ask you to pace yourself, though, since you choose the speed. If you always go off too fast, the VAMEVAL sets the pace for you. Don't mix it up with the Cooper test, twice as long, which estimates your VO₂max rather than your vVO₂max.
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, so two results compare. Once your vVO₂max is updated, every pace set as a % of it moves too.
10′ 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 line warm, not tired.
6′ at 95–105% vVO₂max
6 minutes, as far as you can, at an even pace. On a 400 m track, count your laps and note how far into the last one you got: at 16 km/h you cover exactly 4 laps, one every 90 seconds. Don't start faster than a pace you can hold, and lift over the last minute if you have anything left. On the road, pick a flat route, knowing that GPS is less accurate than a track.
10′ at 55–65% vVO₂max
10 minutes of very easy running at 55–65% of vVO₂max, starting with a few steps of walking rather than stopping dead. Then the maths: your vVO₂max in km/h is your distance in metres divided by 100. 1,600 m gives 16 km/h.
The first two minutes feel almost easy: that's the trap. From the third it gets hard, and the last one is maximal. Guide: 9 to 10 out of 10 at the end. If you finish with another lap in your legs, your result underestimates your vVO₂max.
Over 6 minutes, a first lap that's too quick costs you dearly on the last ones. Start at the pace you think you can hold, check your time at the end of the first lap, and adjust. Your lap split is a better guide than your watch's live pace.
A GPS watch can be out by a few tens of metres over 6 minutes, especially near buildings or trees. And 50 metres out means 0.5 km/h on or off your vVO₂max. On a track, count laps: more reliable than any watch.
After a maximal effort, stopping suddenly can leave you light-headed. Keep walking for a minute or two before the cool-down.
A half Cooper result, a VAMEVAL result and a Cooper estimate don't come from the same calculation. To track your progress, stick with one test.
A short version of the Cooper test (12 minutes, JAMA 1968), widely used in France in school PE and in athletics and football clubs. No original scientific publication was found for the 6-minute version. Its principle rests on how long you can hold vVO₂max, roughly 4 to 7 minutes depending on the runner: running 6 minutes flat out means running close to that speed. The formula is just the conversion of distance into average speed. The 95–105% range, the warm-up and the cool-down are Wattson choices; during the test those targets are only guides. Bottom line: a simple, widespread test whose accuracy depends mostly on your pacing.
Divide the distance you covered, in metres, by 100: that's your vVO₂max in km/h. 1,600 m gives 16 km/h, 1,400 m gives 14 km/h. It is simply your average speed over the 6 minutes. On a track, count your full laps, then add how far you got into the last one.
Because most runners can hold their vVO₂max for between 4 and 7 minutes. Running 6 minutes flat out therefore puts you very close to that speed, and your average speed gives a good estimate of it. If you can hold it for longer than most, the test overestimates it slightly; if for less, it underestimates it.
The half Cooper needs only a track and a stopwatch, but you have to pace it yourself. The VAMEVAL sets the pace stage by stage, which makes it more reliable if you tend to go off too fast. Both measure your vVO₂max; stick with the same one from test to test to track your progress.
The Cooper test lasts 12 minutes and estimates your VO₂max from the distance; your vVO₂max then comes from a second calculation. The half Cooper lasts 6 minutes and gives your vVO₂max directly, since you run at roughly that speed. For setting your paces, the 6-minute test is more direct.
Yes, on a flat route with no stops or tight turns. GPS is less accurate than a track: a few tens of metres out is enough to shift your vVO₂max. Then always repeat it on the same route, so your results compare.
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