The VDOT chart translates a single fitness number into exact training paces. Once you know your VDOT — calculated from any recent race result — you look across the corresponding row to find the right pace for every type of workout. No guesswork, no “effort-based” approximation: the paces are fixed targets derived from your current fitness.
How to Find Your VDOT
Run a race — any distance from a mile to a marathon — and record your time. Find that time in the race performance column for the appropriate distance, then read the VDOT score to the left. If you have results from multiple distances, use the one that produces the highest VDOT score, since that reflects your best current fitness.
For reference, common benchmarks:
- 20-minute 5K ≈ VDOT 48
- 40-minute 10K ≈ VDOT 50
- 1:30 half marathon ≈ VDOT 52
- 3:10 marathon ≈ VDOT 50
How to Read the Chart
Each row shows one VDOT score and the corresponding training paces for three zones:
- Easy (E): The range for all easy runs, recovery runs, and long runs. Stay within this band — the lower end for warm-ups and cool-downs, the upper end for long runs.
- Marathon (M): Goal marathon race pace. Used in marathon-specific long runs and progression runs. Only relevant if you’re training for a marathon.
- Threshold (T): Tempo run and cruise interval pace. Corresponds to 83–88% of VO2 max — “comfortably hard.” This is the single pace used in all threshold sessions.
Interval (I) and Repetition (R) paces are not shown here because they vary more significantly with fitness and are best looked up individually using the VDOT calculator.
VDOT Training Pace Chart
| VDOT | 10K Equiv. | Easy Pace (min/mi) | Marathon Pace (min/mi) | Threshold Pace (min/mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 63:46 | 12:05–12:25 | 11:02 | 10:18 |
| 32 | 60:26 | 11:30–11:50 | 10:29 | 9:47 |
| 34 | 57:26 | 11:00–11:20 | 10:00 | 9:20 |
| 36 | 54:44 | 10:30–10:50 | 9:33 | 8:55 |
| 38 | 52:17 | 10:05–10:25 | 9:08 | 8:33 |
| 40 | 50:03 | 9:40–10:00 | 8:46 | 8:12 |
| 42 | 48:01 | 9:20–9:40 | 8:25 | 7:52 |
| 44 | 46:09 | 8:55–9:15 | 8:06 | 7:33 |
| 46 | 44:25 | 8:40–9:00 | 7:48 | 7:17 |
| 48 | 42:50 | 8:20–8:40 | 7:32 | 7:02 |
| 50 | 41:21 | 8:05–8:25 | 7:17 | 6:51 |
| 52 | 39:59 | 7:50–8:10 | 7:02 | 6:38 |
| 54 | 38:42 | 7:35–7:55 | 6:49 | 6:26 |
| 56 | 37:31 | 7:20–7:40 | 6:37 | 6:15 |
| 58 | 36:24 | 7:10–7:30 | 6:25 | 6:04 |
| 60 | 35:22 | 6:55–7:15 | 6:14 | 5:54 |
How to Use These Paces
Easy pace: This is a range, not a single target. Run the lower end of the range for warm-ups, cool-downs, and recovery days. Run closer to the upper end for long runs. Both ends produce aerobic adaptation; the key is staying out of the moderate zone in between, which adds fatigue without targeting a specific system.
Marathon pace: Only applies if you’re training for a marathon. Use it for the final miles of your long run when building race-specific endurance, or for dedicated marathon-pace progression runs. It should feel controlled and sustainable, not hard.
Threshold pace: A single target, not a range. Tempo runs and cruise intervals both run at exactly this pace. If it starts to feel easy during a session, the correct response is to finish the session at the prescribed pace — not to speed up. Confirm improvement in a race first.
When to Update Your VDOT
Recalculate after every race. If a new race gives a higher VDOT than your current one, update all your training paces immediately — your fitness has legitimately improved. If a race gives a lower VDOT due to poor conditions or a bad day, keep your existing score unless multiple poor races suggest a real fitness decline.
Do not update based on how workouts feel. A tempo run that starts to feel easier is a promising sign, but it’s not confirmation of a higher VDOT until a race validates it.
Calculate Your VDOT from Any Race Result
Enter a recent race time to get your VDOT score and exact training paces for all five zones — including Interval and Repetition paces not shown in the chart above.
Use the VDOT Calculator →