UTILS.
100% in-browser
📈

VDOT & Equivalent Race-Time Calculator

Get your VDOT fitness score from one race and see equivalent predicted times for the mile, 3K, 5K, 10K, 15K, half and marathon with the Daniels/Gilbert model.

Daniels/Gilbert equivalent times; a performance guide, not medical advice.

About this tool

The VDOT & Equivalent Race-Time Calculator takes one race result and predicts your equivalent finish times across the common racing distances, using the Daniels/Gilbert VDOT model. It first computes your VDOT fitness score, then finds the time at each other distance that yields the same VDOT. Everything is computed locally in your browser.

VDOT is derived from the race distance D (metres) and time t (minutes): v = D ÷ t; VO₂ = −4.60 + 0.182258·v + 0.000104·v²; %VO₂max = 0.8 + 0.1894393·e^(−0.012778·t) + 0.2989558·e^(−0.1932605·t); VDOT = VO₂ ÷ %VO₂max. To predict another distance, the tool searches for the time whose VDOT matches yours: because VDOT falls as the time for a fixed distance grows, it solves this by bisection between 1 and 600 minutes for each target.

Equivalent times are shown for the mile, 3K, 5K, 10K, 15K, half marathon and marathon, alongside your VDOT number. This is the Daniels/Gilbert equivalence — distinct from the simpler Riegel exponent predictor — and assumes comparable fitness, pacing and course conditions across distances. Use it to set realistic goals and spot which distances suit your current form. It is a performance guide, not medical advice.

Frequently asked questions

How does it predict other distances?
It computes your VDOT from the race you enter, then for each target distance searches numerically (by bisection) for the finish time that produces the same VDOT. Matching VDOT is the definition of an equivalent performance in Daniels' model.
Which distances are predicted?
The mile, 3K, 5K, 10K, 15K, half marathon and marathon, plus your VDOT number itself. Enter any of these — or a custom metre distance — as your input race.
How is this different from Riegel's formula?
Riegel uses a single fatigue exponent (time scales with distance^1.06). The Daniels/Gilbert model uses a VO₂-based curve fit that bends differently across distances, so its predictions, especially the marathon, can differ from a Riegel predictor.
Why don't my real times match exactly?
The model assumes equal fitness, even pacing and similar conditions at every distance. In practice endurance, speed, terrain and training bias you toward some distances, so treat the equivalents as targets rather than guarantees.

More tools