2.4 km / 1.5 mile run test
The 2.4 km (1.5 mile) run test asks you to cover a fixed distance as fast as you can. Your time in minutes converts to an estimated VO2 max: VO2 max = 483 ÷ time + 3.5.
How to run it
What you need
- A 400 m track (6 laps = 2.4 km) or a flat, measured route
- A timer (the VO2 Maximizer app times the run and measures the distance)
Step by step
- Warm up for 10 minutes.
- Run 2.4 km (or 1.5 miles = 2.414 km) as fast as you can at an even pace.
- Stop the timer at the finish and note your time in minutes and seconds.
Let VO2 Maximizer play the cues and score it ↗
The formula
VO2 max = 483 ÷ time (minutes) + 3.5A Cooper-derived equation, used for both the 2.4 km and the 1.5 mile version. Time in decimal minutes, e.g. 10:30 = 10.5.
2.4 km test VO2 max calculator
Also on its own page: 2.4 km test calculator.
Norms by age and sex
The time for 2.4 km (min:sec) that matches each percentile of the FRIEND reference values. Read across to your age band: at the 50th percentile you are exactly average for your age and sex.
| Percentile | 20–29 | 30–39 | 40–49 | 50–59 | 60–69 | 70–79 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90th | 8:54 | 9:30 | 10:30 | 12:19 | 14:41 | 18:30 |
| 70th | 10:11 | 11:37 | 13:14 | 15:47 | 19:10 | 23:41 |
| 50th | 11:32 | 13:46 | 15:26 | 18:39 | 23:07 | 28:15 |
| 30th | 13:32 | 16:29 | 18:26 | 22:09 | 27:55 | 34:15 |
| 10th | 19:05 | 22:28 | 24:54 | 30:46 | 38:20 | 47:49 |
| Percentile | 20–29 | 30–39 | 40–49 | 50–59 | 60–69 | 70–79 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90th | 11:02 | 12:51 | 14:12 | 17:04 | 20:18 | 25:02 |
| 70th | 12:49 | 16:12 | 18:22 | 21:06 | 25:50 | 30:46 |
| 50th | 15:03 | 19:29 | 21:34 | 24:39 | 30:23 | 35:31 |
| 30th | 18:18 | 23:13 | 25:50 | 28:45 | 35:47 | 40:56 |
| 10th | 25:50 | 30:46 | 34:45 | 36:52 | 48:18 | 54:53 |
Computed from the FRIEND treadmill percentiles (Kaminsky et al., 2022) with the formula above. A field-test estimate is not a lab measurement; see all values on the VO2 max norms page.
Records
The 1.5-mile run (2,414 meters) is a military and police selection test, not a track event, so there is no ratified world record. The credible ceiling comes from elite track running over 2 miles (3,219 m): Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s 2-mile world best of 7:54.10 (Paris 2023) projects to about 5:55 over 1.5 miles. Within the test itself, Navy SEAL candidates aim for under 9:00, the Luke Air Force Base unit record sits at 8:10 (2014, AFIMSC), and the USAF “excellent” threshold for young males is roughly 8:30.
The full list, with sources, is in 1.5 Mile Run Test Records: Fastest Times and Military Standards.
Articles about the 2.4 km test
1.5 Mile Run Training: 12-Week Plan to Cut Your Time
The 12-week 1.5 mile run training plan that cut my time by 47 seconds: mile-pace intervals, threshold tempos, base hours, and race-day pacing.
Read the guide ↗1.5 Mile Run Test Alternatives: Cooper, Balke, Beep, Yoyo Ranked
Cooper, Balke, beep, Yoyo, and lab tests all replace the 1.5-mile run. Here is which of the alternatives I trust most, and when I use each one.
Read the guide ↗What Your 1.5 Mile Run VO2 Max Score Actually Means
Just ran a 1.5 mile test? Here is what your time translates to in VO2 max, where you sit on the percentile chart, and what to do with the number.
Read the guide ↗Is the 1.5-Mile Run Test Outdated? (2026 Update)
The 1.5-mile run is the one field test where the outdated question is live: the 2026 USAF PFA brought a 2-mile run and HAMR shuttle alongside it.
Read the guide ↗How to Run a 1.5-Mile Test (Step-by-Step Guide)
Setup, pacing, and weight-corrected VO2 max math for the 1.5-mile run test used by the Air Force, Navy, FBI Academy, and most police academies.
Read the guide ↗1.5 Mile Run Test Records: Fastest Times and Military Standards
The fastest 1.5-mile run times ever recorded, the USAF and Navy SEAL standards, and the VO2 max the elite times actually predict.
Read the guide ↗Frequently asked questions
Is the 1.5 mile test the same as the 2.4 km test?
Nearly. 1.5 miles is 2.414 km, so the two are used interchangeably and share the same equation.