Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
VDOT is a measure devised by coach Jack Daniels that turns a race performance into one number representing your current running fitness. From your VDOT, you can read off the right paces for easy runs, marathon pace, threshold (tempo), interval and repetition work. It accounts for both your VO2 max and your running economy, so two runners with the same VO2 max but different efficiency can have different VDOT scores.
- Derived from a race time
- Maps to all your training paces
- Combines VO2 max and running economy
- Track it over a season to measure progress
In practice
VDOT (a training methodology developed by exercise scientist and coach Jack Daniels) estimates a runner's current aerobic fitness from a recent race performance, then derives a full set of training paces (easy, threshold, interval, repetition) calibrated specifically to that fitness level — it's one of the most widely used systems for translating a single race result into a complete, physiologically grounded training plan.
FAQ
How is VDOT calculated?
From a recent race time at a known distance, using Jack Daniels' published tables or formulas that estimate a runner's current aerobic fitness level, from which specific training paces are then derived.
How often should VDOT be recalculated?
After any new race performance that represents a genuine fitness change (particularly a new personal best), recalculating VDOT keeps training paces accurately calibrated to current ability rather than relying on an outdated fitness estimate.