How do I do a MAS test without a track?

Pick a flat road or path with no traffic lights or crossings, and start your GPS watch for 6 minutes. Note the distance at the end. GPS is off by a few per cent: 30 m of error over 1,500 m is 0.3 km/h. Redo the test at the same place next time, to compare like with like.

How should I pace the test?

Start slightly below what you think you can hold, then speed up in the last minute. A start that is too fast is paid for from the fourth minute and drags the result down. If you had to slow down sharply or walk, redo the test another week, more evenly.

What warm-up before a MAS test?

15 to 20 minutes of easy jogging, then 3 or 4 progressive strides of 15 to 20 seconds, and 2 to 3 minutes of walking or jogging before starting the test. Without a warm-up, the first minutes cost too much and the MAS comes out too low.

Can I do the test on a treadmill?

Yes, with a 1% incline: with no wind and a belt moving under your feet, treadmill running costs slightly less energy than outdoors, and 1% roughly makes up for it. Raise the speed by 0.5 km/h every minute; the speed of the last full stage is your MAS.

I am a beginner: should I do a MAS test?

Not until you can run 30 minutes without stopping: an all-out test brings nothing at first and tires you for no reason. Run by feel, able to talk. In an Endu plan, the test is only scheduled for runners who already run regularly.

How often should I redo the test?

Every two to three months is enough: MAS improves slowly, and an all-out test replaces a quality session. A recent 5K or 10K time gives the same information without a test: the MAS calculator converts it.

MAS test: protocols and calculator

How to run a MAS test on your own, with or without a track: 6 minutes all out, Cooper test, 1,500 m. The calculator gives your MAS and paces.

Updated 9 October 2026

In short

The simplest MAS test: 6 minutes all out after a 20-minute warm-up, then the distance in metres divided by 100. 1,200 m gives 12 km/h, 1,500 m 15 km/h, 1,800 m 18 km/h. A flat road and a GPS watch are enough, give or take a few tenths of a km/h.

MAS — maximal aerobic speed — is the speed at which you consume the most oxygen, and the reference for all your training paces. Measuring it takes no lab: flat ground, a stopwatch and a way to measure distance are enough.

It is the test Endu schedules at the start of a plan when you do not know your MAS. The calculator also reads the Cooper test (12 minutes) and a distance of 1,000 to 3,000 m run all out.

An all-out test is a maximal effort. If in any doubt about your health — heart history, unusual pain or breathlessness, a return after a long break — ask a doctor first.

Distance covered in 6 minutes (m)

All-out test on a track or flat ground, after a full warm-up

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6-minute test: distance, MAS and paces

Distance in 6 min	MAS	Threshold	Easy
1,000 m	10.0 km/h	6:49 – 7:14	8:34 – 10:00
1,100 m	11.0 km/h	6:12 – 6:34	7:48 – 9:05
1,200 m	12.0 km/h	5:41 – 6:01	7:09 – 8:20
1,300 m	13.0 km/h	5:15 – 5:34	6:36 – 7:42
1,400 m	14.0 km/h	4:52 – 5:10	6:07 – 7:09
1,500 m	15.0 km/h	4:33 – 4:49	5:43 – 6:40
1,600 m	16.0 km/h	4:16 – 4:31	5:21 – 6:15
1,700 m	17.0 km/h	4:01 – 4:15	5:03 – 5:53
1,800 m	18.0 km/h	3:47 – 4:01	4:46 – 5:33
1,900 m	19.0 km/h	3:35 – 3:48	4:31 – 5:16
2,000 m	20.0 km/h	3:25 – 3:37	4:17 – 5:00

Paces in min/km. Threshold: 83 to 88% of MAS; easy: 60 to 70%.

How it is computed

6-minute test (half-Cooper): the average speed held for 6 all-out minutes is your MAS, because runners can hold their MAS for about 4 to 8 minutes. Six minutes is a tenth of an hour: the distance in metres divided by 100 gives km/h directly.

Cooper test (12 minutes): it is run below MAS, at about 95 to 98% depending on the distance covered. The calculator reads it like a race, with the %MAS table our plans use for a race time. The usual shortcut — distance divided by 200 — gives your average speed, not your MAS: it under-estimates it by 3 to 5%.

Multi-stage tests (VAMEVAL, Léger-Boucher): a beep sets a speed that rises at every stage (VAMEVAL: start at 8 km/h, +0.5 km/h per minute, cones every 20 m on a track). Your MAS is the speed of the last completed stage: no calculation needed. These are the tests of clubs and PE classes; they need a track, cones and the soundtrack.

The Luc Léger shuttle test (20 m back and forth) estimates VO2max, not running MAS: the turns slow you down, and the last stage speed is lower than your track MAS. Do not use it as is to set your paces.

The plans built from this number

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Now the plan that goes with it

These numbers are exactly the ones Endu uses to build a full preparation: phases, volume, detailed sessions, exported to your watch. 14-day trial, cancel any time.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I do a MAS test without a track?: Pick a flat road or path with no traffic lights or crossings, and start your GPS watch for 6 minutes. Note the distance at the end. GPS is off by a few per cent: 30 m of error over 1,500 m is 0.3 km/h. Redo the test at the same place next time, to compare like with like.
How should I pace the test?: Start slightly below what you think you can hold, then speed up in the last minute. A start that is too fast is paid for from the fourth minute and drags the result down. If you had to slow down sharply or walk, redo the test another week, more evenly.
What warm-up before a MAS test?: 15 to 20 minutes of easy jogging, then 3 or 4 progressive strides of 15 to 20 seconds, and 2 to 3 minutes of walking or jogging before starting the test. Without a warm-up, the first minutes cost too much and the MAS comes out too low.
Can I do the test on a treadmill?: Yes, with a 1% incline: with no wind and a belt moving under your feet, treadmill running costs slightly less energy than outdoors, and 1% roughly makes up for it. Raise the speed by 0.5 km/h every minute; the speed of the last full stage is your MAS.
I am a beginner: should I do a MAS test?: Not until you can run 30 minutes without stopping: an all-out test brings nothing at first and tires you for no reason. Run by feel, able to talk. In an Endu plan, the test is only scheduled for runners who already run regularly.
How often should I redo the test?: Every two to three months is enough: MAS improves slowly, and an all-out test replaces a quality session. A recent 5K or 10K time gives the same information without a test: the MAS calculator converts it.