Running test reference table
Cooper test table — 12-minute run norms by age and sex, with pace and VO₂ max
Cooper's 12-minute run distances for every age band from 13 up, for men and women, plus an even-pace table that turns a target distance into a 400 m lap time, pace per kilometre and the VO₂ max it implies.
Men — distance in 12 minutes
| Age | Excellent | Above average | Average | Below average | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13–14 | ≥ 2,700 m | 2,400–2,699 m | 2,200–2,399 m | 2,100–2,199 m | < 2,100 m |
| 15–16 | ≥ 2,800 m | 2,500–2,799 m | 2,300–2,499 m | 2,200–2,299 m | < 2,200 m |
| 17–19 | ≥ 3,000 m | 2,700–2,999 m | 2,500–2,699 m | 2,300–2,499 m | < 2,300 m |
| 20–29 | ≥ 2,800 m | 2,400–2,799 m | 2,200–2,399 m | 1,600–2,199 m | < 1,600 m |
| 30–39 | ≥ 2,700 m | 2,300–2,699 m | 1,900–2,299 m | 1,500–1,899 m | < 1,500 m |
| 40–49 | ≥ 2,500 m | 2,100–2,499 m | 1,700–2,099 m | 1,400–1,699 m | < 1,400 m |
| 50+ | ≥ 2,400 m | 2,000–2,399 m | 1,600–1,999 m | 1,300–1,599 m | < 1,300 m |
Women — distance in 12 minutes
| Age | Excellent | Above average | Average | Below average | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13–14 | ≥ 2,000 m | 1,900–1,999 m | 1,600–1,899 m | 1,500–1,599 m | < 1,500 m |
| 15–16 | ≥ 2,100 m | 2,000–2,099 m | 1,700–1,999 m | 1,600–1,699 m | < 1,600 m |
| 17–19 | ≥ 2,300 m | 2,100–2,299 m | 1,800–2,099 m | 1,700–1,799 m | < 1,700 m |
| 20–29 | ≥ 2,700 m | 2,200–2,699 m | 1,800–2,199 m | 1,500–1,799 m | < 1,500 m |
| 30–39 | ≥ 2,500 m | 2,000–2,499 m | 1,700–1,999 m | 1,400–1,699 m | < 1,400 m |
| 40–49 | ≥ 2,300 m | 1,900–2,299 m | 1,500–1,899 m | 1,200–1,499 m | < 1,200 m |
| 50+ | ≥ 2,200 m | 1,700–2,199 m | 1,400–1,699 m | 1,100–1,399 m | < 1,100 m |
Even-pace table — lap times and VO₂ max
| Distance | 400 m lap | Pace / km | Speed | VO₂ max (ml/kg/min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,500 m | 3:12 | 8:00 | 7.5 km/h | 22.2 |
| 1,600 m | 3:00 | 7:30 | 8.0 km/h | 24.5 |
| 1,700 m | 2:49 | 7:04 | 8.5 km/h | 26.7 |
| 1,800 m | 2:40 | 6:40 | 9.0 km/h | 29.0 |
| 1,900 m | 2:32 | 6:19 | 9.5 km/h | 31.2 |
| 2,000 m | 2:24 | 6:00 | 10.0 km/h | 33.4 |
| 2,100 m | 2:17 | 5:43 | 10.5 km/h | 35.7 |
| 2,200 m | 2:11 | 5:27 | 11.0 km/h | 37.9 |
| 2,300 m | 2:05 | 5:13 | 11.5 km/h | 40.1 |
| 2,400 m | 2:00 | 5:00 | 12.0 km/h | 42.4 |
| 2,500 m | 1:55 | 4:48 | 12.5 km/h | 44.6 |
| 2,600 m | 1:51 | 4:37 | 13.0 km/h | 46.8 |
| 2,700 m | 1:47 | 4:27 | 13.5 km/h | 49.1 |
| 2,800 m | 1:43 | 4:17 | 14.0 km/h | 51.3 |
| 2,900 m | 1:39 | 4:08 | 14.5 km/h | 53.5 |
| 3,000 m | 1:36 | 4:00 | 15.0 km/h | 55.8 |
| 3,100 m | 1:33 | 3:52 | 15.5 km/h | 58.0 |
| 3,200 m | 1:30 | 3:45 | 16.0 km/h | 60.3 |
| 3,300 m | 1:27 | 3:38 | 16.5 km/h | 62.5 |
| 3,400 m | 1:25 | 3:32 | 17.0 km/h | 64.7 |
| 3,500 m | 1:22 | 3:26 | 17.5 km/h | 67.0 |
| 3,600 m | 1:20 | 3:20 | 18.0 km/h | 69.2 |
How to read the Cooper test table
Find your sex and age band, then the column your distance falls in; thresholds are inclusive minimums, so 2,400 m for a man of 25 is above average, not average. The even-pace table works the other way: pick the distance you are aiming for and it gives the lap time to hold from the first lap, because the commonest way to fail a Cooper test is going out too fast.
The coach can build the interval and tempo weeks that move a 12-minute distance, and re-test you on the grid.
How is VO₂ max calculated from the Cooper test?
VO₂ max ≈ (distance in metres − 504.9) ÷ 44.73. A 2,400 m run gives about 42.4 ml/kg/min. The formula is a population fit, so treat it as an estimate within a few points.
Where do these norms come from?
From Kenneth Cooper's published tables. Bands under 20 come from his school-age tables and are stricter than the adult ones; nothing is published below age 13, so the table starts there.