VDOT Calculator (Jack Daniels)
Compute your Jack Daniels VDOT score from a recent race time. VDOT is a single-number proxy for current running fitness.
Result
VDOT
44.5
Approximate level: Trained. From 5km in 22:00.
- Race velocity227.3 m/min (13.64 km/h)
- Estimated VO₂42.2 ml/kg/min
- % of VO₂max used94.7%
Step-by-step
- Race velocity v = 5,000 m ÷ 22.00 min = 227.3 m/min.
- % VO₂max = 0.8 + 0.1894393·e^(−0.012778·t) + 0.2989558·e^(−0.1932605·t) = 0.9473 (94.7%).
- VO₂ at race = −4.60 + 0.182258·v + 0.000104·v² = 42.19 ml/kg/min.
- VDOT = VO₂ ÷ %VO₂max = 42.19 ÷ 0.947 = 44.5.
How to use this calculator
- Enter a recent all-out race distance and time.
- Use a hard race effort (5K, 10K) for the most accurate read; longer races bias VDOT downward.
- Read the VDOT number; use it with Daniels' tables to set training paces.
About this calculator
VDOT, defined by Jack Daniels in "Daniels' Running Formula", is a single number that estimates a runner's current aerobic fitness. It is computed from a recent race performance using a velocity-to-VO₂ regression and an exponential model of the fraction of VO₂max sustained at race effort. The number maps to training-pace tables that prescribe easy, threshold, interval, and repetition paces.
Frequently asked
It is an estimate of your VO₂max corrected for the fraction of VO₂max you can sustain at race effort. Two runners with the same VDOT should have similar performances at all distances under similar conditions.
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