Free VMA Calculator

VMA, or maximum aerobic speed, is a key indicator in running. VMA is the speed at which oxygen consumption reaches a level close to the body’s maximum capacity.

In practice, the maximum aerobic speed (VMA ) serves several purposes:

• determine a running pace
• create a training plan
• control the intensity more precisely.

Free VMA Calculator

[pa_tool slug="vma-calculator"]

A tool designed to estimate and then analyze

A good VMA calculator is not intended to replace a laboratory test.

This remains the most accurate method for measuring:

• maximum oxygen consumption,
• the respiratory system,
• the body's response to a stress test.

On the other hand, this free VMA calculator provides an initial estimate in an easy-to-use format, based on a field test conducted on flat ground, on an athletic track, or at a stadium. The test can also be performed on a properly calibrated treadmill.

The approach chosen for this type of tool is based on simple yet robust methods:

• Cooper test,
• Cooper half-test,
• Vameval Test,
• Review by Luc Léger,
• Distance covered + running time.

Each method has a different advantage.

The Cooper test and the half-Cooper test are based on the distance covered in 12 minutes or 6 minutes. The VMA test (Vameval type) uses the maximum speed achieved. The Luc Léger test is based on an audible signal and a stepwise progression.

A useful result for training + VMA chart

The value of such a calculation tool lies not only in the final figure; it must be used in conjunction with a VMA chart.

VMA Chart

Each percentage corresponds to a specific pace, running speed, split time, and training regimen:

• Basic endurance: 60–70% of maximum aerobic speed
• Active/aerobic endurance: 75–80% of maximum aerobic speed (MAS)
• Threshold / pace: 85–88% of VMA
• 10K pace: 90–95% of VMA
• Speed / Repetitions: 100–105% of maximum aerobic speed
• Sprints / neuromuscular: 110–120% of VMA

This data helps you create a well-rounded training plan: VMA sessions, endurance sessions, half-marathon pace, marathon pace, anaerobic threshold training, building the ability to sustain effort, or improving your endurance index.

% VMA	Primary use	Sensation / area	Examples of sessions
60 %	Recovery	Very easy	30- to 50-minute recovery run
65 %	Low basic endurance	Easy	40-minute jog to 1 hour and 15 minutes
70 %	Basic endurance	Ease of breathing	45-minute to 1.5-hour jog
75 %	Active endurance	Comfortable yet structured	continuous output, long blocks
80 %	Aerobic threshold	Moderate	3 × 10 min, 2 × 15 min
85 %	Marathon pace / low threshold	Supported	20 to 40 minutes, either continuously or in intervals
90 %	Threshold / half-pace	Difficult to control	3 × 8 min, 2 × 12 min
95 %	10K pace / Long-distance VMA	Difficult	5 × 1,000 m, 6 × 800 m
100 %	VMA	Very difficult	10 × 400 m, 8 × 500 m
105 %	Short VMA	Very intense	12 × 200 m, 10 × 300 m
110% and above	Speed / Anaerobic	At his best on the court	10 to 15 seconds, 100 to 150 meters

Below is a table showing the target pace (in minutes per kilometer) for a given VMA speed and the corresponding percentage:

VMA (km/h)

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

85%

88%

90%

95%

100%

105%

110%

115%

120%

5.0

8:00 p.m.

6:28 p.m.

5:09 p.m.

4:00 PM

3:00 PM

2:07 p.m.

1:38 PM

1:20 PM

12:38

12:00

11:26

10:55

10:26

10:00 a.m.

5.5

6:11 PM

4:47 p.m.

3:35 PM

2:33 PM

1:38 PM

12:50

12:24

12:07

11:29

10:55

10:23

9:55 a.m.

9:29 a.m.

9:05 a.m.

6.0

4:40 p.m.

3:23 PM

2:17 PM

1:20 PM

12:30

11:46

11:22

11:07

10:32

10:00 a.m.

9:31 a.m.

9:05 a.m.

8:42 a.m.

8:20 a.m.

6.5

3:23 PM

2:12 PM

1:11 PM

12:18

11:32

10:52

10:29

10:15

9:43 a.m.

9:14 a.m.

8:47 a.m.

8:23 a.m.

8:02 a.m.

7:42 a.m.

7.0

2:17 PM

1:11 PM

12:15

11:26

10:43

10:05

9:44 a.m.

9:31 a.m.

9:01 a.m.

8:34 a.m.

8:10 a.m.

7:48 a.m.

7:27 a.m.

7:09 a.m.

7.5

1:20 PM

12:18

11:26

10:40

10:00 a.m.

9:25 a.m.

9:05 a.m.

8:53 a.m.

8:25 a.m.

8:00 a.m.

7:37 a.m.

7:16 a.m.

6:57 a.m.

6:40 a.m.

8.0

12:30

11:32

10:43

10:00 a.m.

9:22 a.m.

8:49 a.m.

8:31 a.m.

8:20 a.m.

7:54 a.m.

7:30 a.m.

7:09 a.m.

6:49 a.m.

6:31 a.m.

6:15 a.m.

8.5

11:46

10:52

10:05

9:25 a.m.

8:49 a.m.

8:18 a.m.

8:01 a.m.

7:51 a.m.

7:26 a.m.

7:04 a.m.

6:43 a.m.

6:25 a.m.

6:08 a.m.

5:53 a.m.

9.0

11:07

10:15

9:31 a.m.

8:53 a.m.

8:20 a.m.

7:51 a.m.

7:35 a.m.

7:24 a.m.

7:01 a.m.

6:40 a.m.

6:21

6:04 a.m.

5:48 a.m.

5:33 a.m.

9.5

10:32

9:43 a.m.

9:01 a.m.

8:25 a.m.

7:54 a.m.

7:26 a.m.

7:11 a.m.

7:01 a.m.

6:39 a.m.

6:19

6:01 a.m.

5:44 a.m.

5:30 a.m.

5:16 a.m.

10.0

10:00 a.m.

9:14 a.m.

8:34 a.m.

8:00 a.m.

7:30 a.m.

7:04 a.m.

6:49 a.m.

6:40 a.m.

6:19

6:00 a.m.

5:43 a.m.

5:27

5:13

5:00 a.m.

10.5

9:31 a.m.

8:47 a.m.

8:10 a.m.

7:37 a.m.

7:09 a.m.

6:43 a.m.

6:30 a.m.

6:21

6:01 a.m.

5:43 a.m.

5:27

5:12

4:58

4:46

11.0

9:05 a.m.

8:23 a.m.

7:48 a.m.

7:16 a.m.

6:49 a.m.

6:25 a.m.

6:12 a.m.

6:04 a.m.

5:44 a.m.

5:27

5:12

4:58

4:45 a.m.

4:33

11.5

8:42 a.m.

8:02 a.m.

7:27 a.m.

6:57 a.m.

6:31 a.m.

6:08 a.m.

5:56 a.m.

5:48 a.m.

5:30 a.m.

5:13

4:58

4:45 a.m.

4:32

4:21

12.0

8:20 a.m.

7:42 a.m.

7:09 a.m.

6:40 a.m.

6:15 a.m.

5:53 a.m.

5:41 a.m.

5:33 a.m.

5:16 a.m.

5:00 a.m.

4:46

4:33

4:21

4:10

12.5

8:00 a.m.

7:23 a.m.

6:51 a.m.

6:24

6:00 a.m.

5:39

5:27

5:20 a.m.

5:03 a.m.

4:48 a.m.

4:34

4:22

4:10

4:00 a.m.

13.0

7:42 a.m.

7:06 a.m.

6:36 a.m.

6:09 a.m.

5:46 a.m.

5:26 a.m.

5:15 a.m.

5:08 a.m.

4:51

4:37

4:24

4:12

4:01

3:51

13.5

7:24 a.m.

6:50 a.m.

6:21

5:56 a.m.

5:33 a.m.

5:14 a.m.

5:03 a.m.

4:56 a.m.

4:41

4:27

4:14

4:02

3:52

3:42

14.0

7:09 a.m.

6:36 a.m.

6:07 a.m.

5:43 a.m.

5:21

5:03 a.m.

4:52 a.m.

4:46

4:31

4:17

4:05

3:54

3:44

3:34

14.5

6:54 a.m.

6:22 a.m.

5:55 a.m.

5:31 a.m.

5:10 a.m.

4:52 a.m.

4:42 a.m.

4:36

4:21

4:08

3:56 a.m.

3:46

3:36

3:27

15.0

6:40 a.m.

6:09 a.m.

5:43 a.m.

5:20 a.m.

5:00 a.m.

4:42 a.m.

4:33

4:27

4:13

4:00 a.m.

3:49

3:38

3:29

3:20

15.5

6:27 a.m.

5:57 a.m.

5:32 a.m.

5:10 a.m.

4:50 a.m.

4:33

4:24

4:18

4:04

3:52

3:41

3:31

3:22

3:14

16.0

6:15 a.m.

5:46 a.m.

5:21

5:00 a.m.

4:41

4:25

4:16

4:10

3:57

3:45 a.m.

3:34

3:25 a.m.

3:16

3:08

16.5

6:04 a.m.

5:36 a.m.

5:12

4:51

4:33

4:17

4:08

4:02

3:50 a.m.

3:38

3:28

3:18

3:10

3:02

17.0

5:53 a.m.

5:26 a.m.

5:03 a.m.

4:42 a.m.

4:25

4:09

4:01

3:55 a.m.

3:43

3:32

3:22

3:13

3:04

2:56

17.5

5:43 a.m.

5:16 a.m.

4:54

4:34

4:17

4:02

3:54

3:49

3:37

3:26

3:16

3:07

2:59

2:51

18.0

5:33 a.m.

5:08 a.m.

4:46

4:27

4:10

3:55 a.m.

3:47

3:42

3:31

3:20

3:10

3:02

2:54

2:47

18.5

5:24

4:59 a.m.

4:38

4:19

4:03

3:49

3:41

3:36

3:25 a.m.

3:15 a.m.

3:05

2:57

2:49

2:42

19.0

5:16 a.m.

4:51

4:31

4:13

3:57

3:43

3:35

3:31

3:19

3:09

3:00 a.m.

2:52

2:45 a.m.

2:38

19.5

5:08 a.m.

4:44

4:24

4:06

3:51

3:37

3:30 a.m.

3:25 a.m.

3:14

3:05

2:56

2:48

2:41

2:34

20.0

5:00 a.m.

4:37

4:17

4:00 a.m.

3:45 a.m.

3:32

3:25 a.m.

3:20

3:09

3:00 a.m.

2:51

2:44

2:37

2:30 a.m.

20.5

4:53 a.m.

4:30 a.m.

4:11

3:54

3:40 a.m.

3:27

3:20

3:15 a.m.

3:05

2:56

2:47

2:40 a.m.

2:33

2:26

21.0

4:46

4:24

4:05

3:49

3:34

3:22

3:15 a.m.

3:10

3:00 a.m.

2:51

2:43

2:36

2:29

2:23

21.5

4:39

4:18

3:59 a.m.

3:43

3:29

3:17

3:10

3:06

2:56

2:47

2:39

2:32

2:26

2:20

22.0

4:33

4:12

3:54

3:38

3:25 a.m.

3:13

3:06

3:02

2:52

2:44

2:36

2:29

2:22

2:16

22.5

4:27

4:06

3:49

3:33

3:20

3:08

3:02

2:58

2:48

2:40 a.m.

2:32

2:25 a.m.

2:19

2:13

23.0

4:21

4:01

3:44

3:29

3:16

3:04

2:58

2:54

2:45 a.m.

2:37

2:29

2:22

2:16

2:10

23.5

4:15 a.m.

3:56 a.m.

3:39

3:24

3:11

3:00 a.m.

2:54

2:50 a.m.

2:41

2:33

2:26

2:19

2:13

2:08

24.0

4:10

3:51

3:34

3:20

3:08

2:56

2:50 a.m.

2:47

2:38

2:30 a.m.

2:23

2:16

2:10

2:05

24.5

4:05

3:46

3:30 a.m.

3:16

3:04

2:53

2:47

2:43

2:35

2:27

2:20

2:14

2:08

2:02

25.0

4:00 a.m.

3:42

3:26

3:12

3:00 a.m.

2:49

2:44

2:40 a.m.

2:32

2:24

2:17

2:11

2:05

2:00 a.m.

25.5

3:55 a.m.

3:37

3:22

3:08

2:56

2:46

2:40 a.m.

2:37

2:29

2:21

2:14

2:08

2:03

1:58

26.0

3:51

3:33

3:18

3:05

2:53

2:43

2:37

2:34

2:26

2:18

2:12

2:06

2:00 a.m.

1:55 a.m.

26.5

3:46

3:29

3:14

3:01

2:50 a.m.

2:40 a.m.

2:34

2:31

2:23

2:16

2:09

2:03

1:58

1:53

27.0

3:42

3:25 a.m.

3:10

2:58

2:47

2:37

2:32

2:28

2:20

2:13

2:07

2:01

1:56

1:51

27.5

3:38

3:21

3:07

2:55 a.m.

2:44

2:34

2:29

2:25 a.m.

2:18

2:11

2:05

1:59

1:54

1:49

28.0

3:34

3:18

3:04

2:51

2:41

2:31

2:26

2:23

2:15 a.m.

2:09

2:02

1:57

1:52

1:47

28.5

3:31

3:14

3:00 a.m.

2:48

2:38

2:29

2:24

2:20

2:13

2:06

2:00 a.m.

1:55 a.m.

1:50 a.m.

1:45 a.m.

29.0

3:27

3:11

2:57

2:46

2:35

2:26

2:21

2:18

2:11

2:04

1:58

1:53

1:48

1:43

29.5

3:23

3:08

2:54

2:43

2:33

2:24

2:19

2:16

2:08

2:02

1:56

1:51

1:46

1:42

30.0

3:20

3:05

2:51

2:40 a.m.

2:30 a.m.

2:21

2:16

2:13

2:06

2:00 a.m.

1:54

1:49

1:44

1:40 a.m.

In this sense, VMA remains a key metric for runners who want to optimize their training, improve their performance, and track their VMA progress over several weeks or months.

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