VDOT / Training Pace Calculator
Enter a recent race result to get your Daniels & Gilbert VDOT and suggested training paces for each intensity zone.
VDOT
Suggested training paces
| Easy | 5:08 /km |
| Marathon | 4:26 /km |
| Threshold | 4:16 /km |
| Interval | 3:55 /km |
| Repetition | 3:42 /km |
This estimate uses a generic formula. Connect your Strava/Whoop/Garmin data for a version personalised to your actual training.
Get early accessWhat VDOT is
VDOT is a fitness score developed by exercise physiologist Jack Daniels and statistician Jimmy Gilbert. It condenses a race result into a single number representing the oxygen consumption you sustained during that effort, which makes it possible to compare fitness across different race distances and to derive training paces from a single data point.
How it is calculated
From your race distance and time, the calculator estimates the VO2 required to hold that pace using the Daniels & Gilbert velocity to VO2 regression, then estimates the percentage of VO2 max you could sustain for that duration. Dividing the first by the second gives VDOT. From VDOT, the calculator then works out suggested paces for five training zones: Easy, Marathon, Threshold, Interval, and Repetition, each targeting a set percentage of your VDOT corresponding to the intensity of that zone.
Why runners use it
Instead of guessing training paces or using generic pace charts, VDOT ties every training pace directly to your current, demonstrated fitness. It updates automatically as your race results improve, so your Easy runs and Interval sessions stay matched to where your fitness actually is.