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Cooper 12-minute run
How to measure cooper 12-minute run correctly, the published reference values (Cooper KH, "A means of assessing maximal oxygen intake" (JAMA 1968); formula as published.), and what your own number does — and does not — say.
How to measure it
Warm up, then run (or run/walk) as far as you can in 12 minutes on a flat, measured course. Convert the distance to metres.
Published reference
VO2max (ml/kg/min) = (distance in metres − 504.9) ÷ 44.73. Example: 2400 m gives (2400 − 504.9) ÷ 44.73 ≈ 42.4.
Source: Cooper KH, "A means of assessing maximal oxygen intake" (JAMA 1968); formula as published. · checked 2026-09-03
Your number
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The test assumes a maximal effort. The formula was derived on young men; treat the result as an estimate.
Reference values describe populations, not you. Your own trend — same test, same method, month after month — is the comparison that actually matters.
Frequently asked questions
How is cooper 12-minute run measured?
Warm up, then run (or run/walk) as far as you can in 12 minutes on a flat, measured course. Convert the distance to metres.
What is a good cooper 12-minute run result?
VO2max (ml/kg/min) = (distance in metres − 504.9) ÷ 44.73. Example: 2400 m gives (2400 − 504.9) ÷ 44.73 ≈ 42.4.
What if my cooper 12-minute run result is outside the reference?
The test assumes a maximal effort. The formula was derived on young men; treat the result as an estimate. A single number outside a population reference is a data point, not a diagnosis — but symptoms are always a clinician's business.
Resting heart rate
American Heart Association
Push-ups
American College of Sports Medicine test description; Cooper Institute FITNESSGRAM
Plank hold
McGill SM, "Core training: evidence translating to better performance" (2010)
Grip strength
JAMAR test protocol; population reference values as reviewed in published handgrip normative studies
VO2max estimates
Kline GM et al., "Estimation of VO2max from a one-mile track walk" (Med Sci Sports Exerc 1987); Cooper 1968
The trend beats the table
TempoLife stores your resting heart rate and workouts over time, so re-tests read as a trend, not a verdict.