One number. Your training paces.
Enter a recent race result. We compute your VDOT (Daniels’ fitness score) and the four training paces every coach uses to build a plan.
Your VDOT is 39. Train at the paces below to match this fitness.
VDOT is a single number that captures aerobic fitness, introduced by coach Jack Daniels in his book Daniels’ Running Formula. It’s derived from race performance and used to assign training paces. A 30:00 10K runner has a VDOT of about 50; a 35:00 10K is roughly VDOT 41.
Race times at each VDOT level across the four standard distances.
| VDOT | 5K | 10K | Half | Marathon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 30:40 | 1:03:46 | 2:21:04 | 4:49:17 |
| 35 | 26:22 | 54:44 | 2:01:19 | 4:09:06 |
| 40 | 23:09 | 48:05 | 1:46:27 | 3:38:26 |
| 45 | 20:39 | 42:53 | 1:34:53 | 3:14:06 |
| 50 | 18:40 | 38:42 | 1:25:40 | 2:54:23 |
| 55 | 17:03 | 35:22 | 1:18:09 | 2:38:00 |
| 60 | 15:44 | 32:35 | 1:11:50 | 2:24:18 |
| 65 | 14:36 | 30:16 | 1:06:24 | 2:12:50 |
| 70 | 13:36 | 28:17 | 1:01:42 | 2:03:00 |
Most weekly running (~80%) should be at Easy pace. Add 1 weekly Threshold session (tempo runs of 20-40 min), 1 Interval session (5×3-5 min hard with equal recovery), and 1-2 long runs. Marathon pace work belongs in race-specific blocks 6-12 weeks out.
The formulas and ranges above are grounded in the following peer-reviewed literature.
Original VDOT formulation. The tables map any race performance to a single VDOT score and corresponding training paces.
View bookModern reference. Our VDOT-to-pace conversions and the 5-pace prescription (E/M/T/I/R) follow this edition's tables.
View bookVO₂ max is a lab measurement of oxygen uptake. VDOT is an estimate of fitness derived from race times. They correlate, but VDOT also captures running economy — two runners with the same VO₂ max can have different VDOTs because of efficiency.
No — wait for a representative race. A bad-weather marathon or a hot 10K will lower your apparent VDOT. Use the best race time from the last 2-3 months as your reference.
Yes. We use the published VDOT table from Daniels’ Running Formula (4th ed.), interpolated between the 5-VDOT row spacing. For races shorter than 5K or longer than marathon, accuracy degrades.
VDOT paces are calculated, not lived. Adjust by feel within ±10 sec/km. If everything feels too fast, your race may have been a peak or you might be tired; if too slow, you may have improved since the race.