The answer at a glance
2,400 m in 12 minutes
42.4mL/kg/min
Cooper's 1968 equation.
Level at 2,400 m
Fair
Good starts at 2,415 m (1.5 miles).
Men in the study
115
US Air Force, average age 22, r = 0.897.
Pooled validity
0.78
Walk/run tests across studies, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.83.
Key Takeaways
- Enter the distance you covered in 12 minutes. The calculator gives an estimated VO2 max from Cooper's 1968 equation, a fitness level from his Table 2, your average speed and pace, and a comparison with a Norwegian reference group.
- The equation came from 115 US Air Force men, average age 22, and the paper had no women[1]. It prints a correlation of 0.897 but no standard error, so no error range is shown.
- The fitness levels are Cooper's own, from the same men, and are not split by age or sex[1]. The age and sex distance tables found on many sites are not used, because no primary source for them could be traced.
- Accuracy varies by group. Across studies the pooled validity of 12-minute walk/run tests is 0.78[3], and in sedentary male students the equation read about 3.0 mL/kg/min above the lab value[4].
What the Cooper 12-Minute Run Test Is
You run or walk as far as you can in 12 minutes, then turn the distance into a VO2 max estimate.
Kenneth Cooper, then a major in the US Air Force, published the test in JAMA in 1968[1]. His aim was a field test that correlates well with a lab test, because a treadmill test with gas analysis is impractical for large groups.
The Cooper Institute describes it for apparently healthy, regularly active people[2]. If you are obese, inactive, or get joint pain when you run, it points to a walking test such as the Rockport 1-mile walk instead. That walk is in the VO2 Max Calculator.
Cooper Test Formula and Worked Example
VO2 max = (miles − 0.3138) ÷ 0.0278, which is the same line as (metres − 504.9) ÷ 44.73.
In miles (as Cooper printed it, turned around)
VO2 max = (miles − 0.3138) ÷ 0.0278
Cooper printed miles = 0.3138 + 0.0278 × VO2 max, r = 0.897, n = 115.
In metres (the form most sites print)
VO2 max = (metres − 504.9) ÷ 44.73
The same line with a 1,609 m mile. The two agree within 0.02 mL/kg/min.
Cooper regressed distance on VO2 max, rather than the reverse, because of the important role of motivation in field testing[1]. The calculator turns his line around so you can enter a distance and read a VO2 max.
2,400 m ÷ 1609.344 = 1.491 miles
(1.491 − 0.3138) ÷ 0.0278
| Distance in 12 minutes | Miles | VO2 max (mL/kg/min) |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000 m | 1.24 | 33.4 |
| 2,200 m | 1.37 | 37.9 |
| 2,400 m | 1.49 | 42.4 |
| 2,600 m | 1.62 | 46.8 |
| 2,800 m | 1.74 | 51.3 |
| 3,000 m | 1.86 | 55.8 |
| 3,200 m | 1.99 | 60.2 |
The equation is a straight line, so each extra 100 m adds about 2.2 mL/kg/min. That also means a result outside the tested range is still shown, with a warning, and never clamped.
Cooper Test Fitness Levels and Norms
Cooper's own table has five levels by distance. It is not split by age or sex.
| Level | Miles in 12 minutes | Starts at (m) | VO2 max (mL/kg/min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very poor | under 1.0 | any less | under 25.0 |
| Poor | 1.0 to 1.24 | 1,610 | 25.0 to 33.7 |
| Fair | 1.25 to 1.49 | 2,012 | 33.8 to 42.5 |
| Good | 1.50 to 1.74 | 2,415 | 42.6 to 51.5 |
| Excellent | 1.75 or more | 2,817 | 51.6 or more |
You will find age and sex tables of distances on many sites, often credited to Cooper's 1968 paper. The paper contains only the table above, and no primary source for the age and sex versions could be traced, so this page does not print them[1].
The Cooper Institute links to a calculator that grades by sex and age group, but its article prints no table[2]. This calculator compares you with HUNT3 instead, a lab-measured Norwegian group aged 20 to 90[5]. The means and standard deviations by decade are on the VO2 Max Calculator page.
How to Do the Cooper Test
A flat measured course, a steady pace and an honest count of laps matter more than anything else.
- Choose a flat, accurately measured course. Cooper used a hard-surface 1.0 mile course[1], and the Cooper Institute suggests a standard 400 m track, staying in lane 1[2].
- Pick mild weather. On Cooper's test days the temperature was 12 to 23 °C (54 to 74 °F) and humidity 54% to 93%[1]. Those are the study's conditions, not a safe range.
- Do not test straight after a meal. Cooper's men were tested no sooner than two hours after eating[1].
- Be hydrated and warm up for at least 5 minutes[2].
- Start at a pace you can hold. Starting much too fast is the common mistake, and it makes you slow down for the rest of the test[2]. Cooper told his men to run where possible and walk whenever necessary[1].
- Count laps to the nearest quarter, mark where you are when the 12 minutes end, and enter the distance. The table below turns laps into metres and miles.
- Cool down by walking slowly for 5 to 10 minutes[2].
| Laps | Metres | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1,600 | 0.994 |
| 4.5 | 1,800 | 1.118 |
| 5 | 2,000 | 1.243 |
| 5.5 | 2,200 | 1.367 |
| 6 | 2,400 | 1.491 |
| 6.5 | 2,600 | 1.616 |
| 7 | 2,800 | 1.740 |
| 7.5 | 3,000 | 1.864 |
| 8 | 3,200 | 1.988 |
| 8.5 | 3,400 | 2.113 |
| 9 | 3,600 | 2.237 |
| 9.5 | 3,800 | 2.361 |
The Cooper Institute prints its own version of this chart[2]. One row, 5.75 laps, shows 1.423 miles there, while 2,300 m is 1.429 miles, so this table uses the arithmetic.
Treadmill and retesting
The Cooper Institute says the test can be done on a treadmill when you have no track, except where results are used for hiring and the same method must be used each time[2].
Cooper described the test as a way to monitor changes in fitness[1]. No source for how often to retest was found, so none is given. Using the same course and conditions makes two results easier to compare.
Before a maximal effort
This is a hard test. If you have a heart or lung condition, take medicine that affects your heart rate, or have not exercised in a long time, get medical advice first.
How Accurate Is the Cooper Test?
Good for ranking and tracking, less certain for one person's exact VO2 max.
In Cooper's own study the correlation between 12-minute distance and treadmill VO2 max was 0.897 in 115 men[1]. He also reported a test and retest reliability of 0.976 in 149 junior high school boys.
A meta-analysis of 123 walk/run test studies gave a pooled validity of 0.78 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.83) for the 12-minute test[3]. Sex, age and VO2 max level did not seem to change the validity, and the authors stress that the score is an estimate and not a direct measure.
A study of 88 sedentary male university students in India found the equation read high. In the 58-student group it predicted 42.8 mL/kg/min against 39.8 measured, and the authors fitted their own line: VO2 max = 21.01 × km − 11.04[4]. At 2,400 m that line gives 39.4, against 42.4 from Cooper.
What this means for your number
The single-study line applies to one group and is shown only as a second opinion. If you are untrained, read the Cooper estimate as a possible overestimate. If you test on the same course, the change between two runs tells you more than the exact number.
Other Tests on This Site
If you do not have 12 minutes on a track, one of these fits better.
What This Calculator Does Not Cover
These were left out because they could not be tied to a source.
Age and sex distance tables
They circulate widely, but no primary source for them was traced. Cooper's own Table 2 and the HUNT3 comparison are used instead.
Fitness age and training advice
There is no sourced rule for turning a Cooper distance into a fitness age, and training tips need a source for each claim.
Weather, altitude and surface corrections
Percentages for heat, cold or altitude that appear on some pages were not tied to a study, so none are applied.
Other versions of the test
Swim, referee and other variants have their own tables and are not covered here.
A retest schedule
No source for the right gap between tests was found.
Values outside the study
Results are never clamped or hidden. If an estimate falls outside the usual range, the calculator shows it with a warning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & References
- A means of assessing maximal oxygen intake. Correlation between field and treadmill testing. Cooper KH. JAMA 203(3):201-204 (1968)
- 50 Years of the Cooper 12-Minute Run. Farrell SW. The Cooper Institute (2018)
- Criterion-Related Validity of the Distance- and Time-Based Walk/Run Field Tests for Estimating Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Mayorga-Vega D, Bocanegra-Parrilla R, Ornelas M, Viciana J. PLoS ONE 11(3):e0151671 (2016)
- Validity of Cooper's 12-minute run test for estimation of maximum oxygen uptake in male university students. Bandyopadhyay A. Biology of Sport 32(1):59-63 (2015)
- Aerobic capacity reference data in 3816 healthy men and women 20-90 years. Loe H, Rognmo Ø, Saltin B, Wisløff U. PLoS ONE 8(5):e64319. A correction to Table 2 was published in November 2013 (2013)
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Disclaimer: This tool is for informational and personal journaling purposes only. Results are estimates based on published formulas and may vary based on individual factors such as genetics, training history, and measurement technique.