Cooper test

VO2max from a 12-minute run, rated against the published norms

42.4
VO2max, ml/kg/min
Cooper formula: (d − 504.9) / 44.73
Above average
Rating for age 30-39
This is an indirect estimate. It assumes you ran evenly and went all out. The spread against direct gas analysis is roughly 10–15%, and it widens the worse your pacing was. For tracking progress, repeating the test under the same conditions matters more than chasing an exact absolute number.
Cooper test norms, metres in 12 minutes
AgeExcellentAbove averageAverageBelow averagePoor
13-14>27002400–27002200–23992100–2199<2100
15-16>28002500–28002300–24992200–2299<2200
17-19>30002700–30002500–26992300–2499<2300
20-29>28002400–28002200–23991600–2199<1600
30-39 — your age group>27002300–27001900–22991500–1899<1500
40-49>25002100–25001700–20991400–1699<1400
50+>24002000–24001600–19991300–1599<1300

Cooper table (1968). Your age row is highlighted; the numbers change with the selected sex.

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What is the Cooper test?

The Cooper test is a 12-minute run at the fastest pace you can hold, devised in 1968 by US Air Force physician Kenneth Cooper to gauge aerobic fitness without a laboratory. It measures one thing: how many metres you cover in twelve minutes. An empirical formula turns that distance into an estimate of VO2max, the headline measure of endurance. A separate four-exercise circuit also carries the Cooper name; this page is about the original running version.

How to run the test and read the result

You need a marked track (or any flat loop of known length) and a stopwatch. Warm up for 10–15 minutes. Then run for 12 minutes, holding an even pace: the classic mistake is going out too hard and walking the last four minutes, which drags the result down. Measure the distance to the nearest ten metres and enter it along with your age and sex. Run the test on fresh legs, not after a hard session, and skip it if you are ill or the weather is hot.

What the method gives you

  • No equipment needed — a track and a stopwatch are enough
  • Published norms by age and sex, not just an abstract number
  • Easy to repeat every 6–8 weeks to see how fitness is trending
  • VO2max accuracy of roughly 10–15% — worse than a lab, fine for tracking progress

Frequently asked questions about the Cooper test

How accurate is the Cooper test for VO2max?

It typically differs from a direct laboratory measurement by 10–15%. The formula was derived on military personnel and assumes even pacing and a genuine maximal effort: go out too fast and blow up, and the result understates you. Treat the absolute number as a ballpark, but treat the change in your own result between tests as a reliable signal.

How does the running test differ from the four-exercise Cooper test?

They are two different tests that share a name. The original 1968 Cooper test is the 12-minute run, and it measures aerobic endurance and VO2max. The four-exercise circuit (push-ups, squats, sit-ups, jump squats) measures muscular endurance and says nothing about VO2max. This calculator is for the running version.

How often is it worth repeating the test?

Every 6–8 weeks. Aerobic adaptations simply do not show up faster than that, so testing more often measures the weather and how you slept rather than your fitness. Repeat under matching conditions — same track, similar temperature and wind, same time of day, the same rest the day before. Otherwise the gap between two tests tells you more about conditions than about training.