Available on PACE 2, PACE 3, PACE Pro, APEX Pro 1, APEX 2, APEX 2 Pro, VERTIX, VERTIX 2, VERTIX 2S
The COROS Running Fitness Test is designed to assess your Threshold Pace, Threshold Heart Rate, and Maximum Heart Rate through a challenging structured workout. Completing a Running Fitness Test ensures your training data like Base Fitness, Training Load, and intensity zones are accurate and aligned with your current fitness level, preventing undertraining or overtraining.
For most athletes, every 12 to 16 weeks is an ideal cadence to take the test, or whenever a significant change in fitness may have occurred, such as after a training block or returning from a break.
How to Take the Running Fitness Test
Before taking the test, make sure you are well rested and able to perform the test on flat terrain, avoiding hills as much as possible. You will also need to know your approximate 10k race time, so your watch can guide you through each phase of the test with the correct pace range.
After selecting your 10k race time, you can preview the test details. If you find the pace ranges too aggressive or too conservative, consider going back and selecting a different 10k time.
The test is divided into distinct phases, with each phase evaluating a key aspect of your fitness:
| Phase | Duration | Details |
| Warm Up | 5 minutes | Optional; this phase can be skipped by pressing the Back button to advance to the next phase. |
| Threshold Evaluation | 25 minutes | This steady, hard but controlled effort helps determine your Threshold Pace and Threshold Heart Rate (the heart rate at this effort level). These metrics are crucial for setting accurate intensity zones. The pace you run at for this phase should be challenging, but leave you with just enough effort to increase your effort for the phases to follow. |
| Maximum Heart Rate | 2-3 x 3 minutes | These shorter sections push your effort, allowing the test to estimate your Maximum Heart Rate, which fine-tunes your training zones. The test is only looking at your HR during these phases, so even if you are unable to hit the assigned pace zone, as long as your effort increases from the 25 minute phase and reaches a certain frequency (90% of your Heart Rate Reserve) you will still be able to receive an updated Max HR evaluation. |
| Cool Down | 5 minutes | Optional; this phase can be skipped by pressing the Back button to complete the test. |
Understand Your Test Results
After completing the test, you will see your results directly on the watch screen. If a change in fitness was detected, you will also see a new Threshold Pace and pace zones, Threshold Heart Rate and heart rate zones, Running Fitness score, and Race Predictor times in your COROS app.
Your Base Fitness may have a noticeable increase or decrease shortly after taking the test, indicating EvoLab is recalibrating to your new intensity zones. Training Load is calculated based on the intensity zones you hit during workouts, which in turn affects your Base Fitness score. After the test, your workouts may earn more or less Training Load than they previously were due to your new zones. Keeping your zones up to date ensures precise tracking, helping you train smarter and optimize performance.
To maintain accurate training metrics like Base Fitness and intensity zones, we recommend taking this test every 12 to 16 weeks or after significant changes in your fitness. If you have any questions, COROS Coaches are available at coach@coros.com to help interpret your results and guide your training.
FAQs
A third 3-minute phase may be added if your effort during the first two 3-minute phases is lower than anticipated. This can happen if one of two scenarios occurs:
- If your heart rate is steadily climbing during the first two phases of the test, and has not yet slowed its acceleration.
- Your heart rate does not reach the required frequency (90% of your Heart Rate Reserve, or roughly 90% of your maximum heart rate). To calculate your Heart Rate Reserve, subtract your Resting HR from your Maximum HR.
- For example, an athlete whose Resting HR is 50 and Max HR is 190 would need to reach at least 176 bpm during these 3-minute phases (Resting HR + (Max HR - Resting HR) x 90%).
Both of these scenarios indicate you are capable of completing an additional 3-minute phase, giving you more time to push your effort even further.
If you are unable to sustain the target pace for these phases, don't worry -- the test is looking at your heart rate rather than your pace for this stage. As long as your effort has increased from the 25-minute phase, you're on the right track. If you find that the effort is too much to maintain during the harder 3-minute phases, you can stop anytime. You are still able to receive your threshold heart rate and threshold pace result from the 25 minute phase of the test, even if you are unable to complete the 3-minute phases.
If no results are shown after completing the test, the test may have failed for the following reasons:
- During the 25 minute phase, your heart rate was lower than 65% of your Heart Rate Reserve.
- The test was paused.
- Running on terrain with too much elevation gain, causing slower pace or higher heart rate.
- Inconsistent pace or heart rate data. Try to maintain a steady effort for each phase of the test.