VDOT Calculator - Daniels Training Paces from a Race

VDOT: one race result, five training paces

A 5K in 19:56, a 10K in 41:20 and a half marathon in 1:31:31 describe the same runner. All three give a VDOT of 50.0, and that single number sets every training pace: easy runs at 8:14-9:04 per mile, threshold at 6:51, intervals at 6:18 (94 s per 400 m) and repetitions at 87 s per 400 m. The calculator takes one recent race or time trial from 1500 m to 50 km, works out your VDOT with the Daniels and Gilbert equations and prints the E, M, T, I and R paces per mile, per kilometer and per lap of a track.

From a race result to a training week

1
Race distance - pick the distance you actually raced or ran flat out alone, from 1500 m and the mile up to the marathon. A result from the last four to six weeks on a flat course works best; a 5K, 10K or half marathon gives the most reliable number.
2
Your own distance - for anything off the list choose "Other distance", type the length (for example 6.2) and say whether it is in miles or kilometers. Anything from 1500 m to 50 km is accepted.
3
Hours, minutes, seconds - type the finishing time. A 5K needs only minutes and seconds. You may also type the whole time in minutes, such as 105 for a 1:45 half marathon, as long as the hours box stays empty.
4
Read the result - the red tile shows your VDOT and the average pace of the race. The three smaller tiles give the easy, threshold and interval paces, and the table below adds marathon and repetition pace with the time for each 400 m lap.

VDOT paces, heart rate zones or a pace from feel

Three common ways to decide how fast a workout should be. The table compares them on the points that decide whether a plan works week after week.

What matters	VDOT paces	Heart rate zones	Pace from feel
Input needed	one race time	max and resting heart rate	nothing
Short repeats of 200-400 m	exact lap times	heart rate is still rising when the rep ends	usually too fast
Heat, hills, wind	needs adjusting	adjusts by itself	adjusts by itself
Easy days kept easy	yes, with a slow band	yes	often drifts to medium
Tracks fitness gains	after each new race	slowly, through pace at the same pulse	hard to see
Best for	track sessions and races on flat roads	hot days, trails, long easy runs	recovery jogs

Most runners end up mixing them: VDOT paces on the track and on flat tempo days, a heart rate cap on easy runs in summer. The training heart rate calculator gives the zones for that second half.

The two equations and three results checked by hand

Jack Daniels and Jimmy Gilbert fitted two curves to laboratory data. The first gives the oxygen cost of running at speed v in meters per minute; the second gives the share of VO2max a runner can hold for t minutes.

VO2 = -4.60 + 0.182258 v + 0.000104 v2
share = 0.8 + 0.1894393 e-0.012778 t + 0.2989558 e-0.1932605 t
VDOT = VO2 / share

5K in 19:56. t = 19.93 min, v = 5000 / 19.93 = 250.8 m/min. VO2 = -4.60 + 45.72 + 6.54 = 47.66. The share for 19.93 min is 0.953, so VDOT = 47.66 / 0.953 = 50.0.

Half marathon in 1:50:54. t = 110.9 min, v = 190.2 m/min, VO2 = 33.84, share = 0.846, VDOT = 40.0. Threshold pace at 88% of 40 is 8:12 per mile.

10K in 35:22. t = 35.37 min, v = 282.8 m/min, VO2 = 55.25, share = 0.921, VDOT = 60.0. Repetition pace equals the mile time the same VDOT predicts, 4:57, which is 74 s per 400 m.

Training paces run the first equation backwards: easy is the speed at 62-70% of VDOT, threshold at 88%, interval at 97.5%. Marathon and repetition paces come from the race times the model predicts for the marathon and the mile. These settings reproduce the published Daniels tables to the second for VDOT 30 to 70.

Paces per mile for VDOT 30 to 70

Each row starts from the 5K time in the first column, and every pace is the calculator's own output. Easy pace is a band; the slower end suits recovery days and long runs.

VDOT	5K	E per mile	M	T	I per 400 m	R per 400 m
30	30:41	12:19-13:30	11:03	10:18	142 s	137 s
35	27:00	10:56-12:01	9:47	9:08	125 s	120 s
40	24:06	9:50-10:49	8:45	8:12	113 s	106 s
45	21:49	8:58-9:52	7:57	7:27	102 s	96 s
50	19:56	8:14-9:04	7:16	6:51	94 s	87 s
55	18:22	7:37-8:24	6:42	6:20	87 s	80 s
60	17:03	7:07-7:50	6:14	5:54	81 s	74 s
70	14:56	6:17-6:55	5:28	5:13	72 s	65 s

Habits that push the paces off target

Using a goal time instead of a real result. A 5K of 24:06 gives threshold at 8:12 per mile; typing the hoped-for 22:30 moves it to 7:41, half a minute faster than your body is ready for. Train at today's VDOT and race your way to the next one.

Taking the result from a hot or hilly race. A slow day pulls VDOT down and every pace with it. The weather pace adjustment calculator shows how much the heat cost, so you can judge whether to trust the number.

Running every easy day at the fast end of E. At VDOT 40 the band is 9:50-10:49 per mile. Most of the week belongs in the middle or the slow half; the fast end is for days when you feel fresh.

Turning repetitions into intervals. R pace at VDOT 50 is 87 s per 400 m with a full recovery; I pace is 94 s with a jog of about the same length as the rep. Short rests on R make it a different, harder workout.

Using a mile time for marathon training. A 7:00 mile gives VDOT 40.7, a marathon pace of 8:38 per mile. Short races lean on speed, and a runner built for the mile often cannot hold that over 26.2 miles; for marathon paces start from a 10K or a half.

What runners ask about VDOT

Is VDOT the same as VO2max?

No. VDOT is the VO2max that would explain your race time if your running economy were average. Two runners with the same lab VO2max can have VDOT values several points apart, because the more economical one runs faster on the same oxygen. For a laboratory-style estimate see the VO2max calculator.

What is a good VDOT?

A 5K of 30:41 is VDOT 30, where the published tables begin. 40 (a 24:06 5K) is a solid recreational runner, 50 (19:56) places well in local races, 60 (17:03) is a strong club runner and world record holders sit in the mid 80s.

How often should I update my VDOT?

After each race or time trial. Without a race, Daniels suggests raising the training VDOT by about 1 point after four to six weeks of steady work. A jump from 40 to 42.6 (a 1:45 half marathon) is real progress, yet threshold pace would drop from 8:12 to 7:47 per mile at once, which is a big step for the legs.

Why does a marathon time give a lower VDOT than my 5K?

The marathon needs fuel, high weekly mileage and muscles that last for hours, and the equations only see the oxygen side. A 4:00:00 marathon gives VDOT 37.9, while the same runner may have a 25:00 5K, which is 38.3. The gap grows when long runs are missing from training.

Can I use a treadmill result?

Yes, if the belt is set to a 1% incline, which roughly offsets the missing air resistance at running speeds. Belts are not always calibrated, so a 5K on a track or a certified road course remains the safer input.

Related tools

Half Marathon Splits Calculator

Mile-by-mile splits for the half marathon your VDOT points to, even or with a negative split - See calculator

Tanda Marathon Predictor

A marathon time from 8 weeks of training volume and pace, to check against the M pace above - See calculator

Running Pace Calculator

Pace and speed of any run, with race predictions from the Riegel formula - See calculator

Interval Training Calculator

Rest periods and a rep-by-rep plan for the I and R sessions above - See calculator

Weather Pace Adjustment Calculator

How much heat, humidity and wind slow a given pace - See calculator

Training Heart Rate Calculator

Five heart rate zones from age and resting pulse - See calculator

VO2max Calculator

Aerobic capacity from the Cooper test, the Rockport walk or age - See calculator