The 12 minute run is one of the oldest and most widely used tests of cardiovascular fitness ever devised. Designed by ‘The Father of Aerobics’, Dr Ken Cooper in 1968 for US military use, the aim of the test is to cover as much distance as possible in 12 minutes. Now you can try this challenge in Bodybook.

The key to success is to get used to running at your fastest possible steady pace for the whole 12 minutes. This is because the test was cleverly designed to focus on endurance rather than speed. Start with a sprint and you won’t last long! Pacing, therefore is a key part of your strategy as you’ll want to know how fast to run to hit your desired 12 minute target.

Here’s a few apps to help you get off to the best possible start:

12 Minute Run iPhone App by Jarrod Robinson

This app is useful if you want to test yourself in the great outdoors, as it uses the iPhone GPS to measure your distance over the 12 minutes. As a nice bonus, it also calculates a VO2 score and a rating based on your age and gender.

TreadCalc iPhone App by Ruppworks

Treadmillistas can use this to calculate the best speed setting for a target pace and distance – For example, the screenshot is set to a 12 minute target of 2,300 metres. To achieve this the treadmill speed calculated is 11.5 km/hr.

Pace Keeper Android App by AndroidMaster

This app is for those who like to run outside but still want to get the speed and pace feedback found on a typical treadmill display