The Twelve-Minute Run-Walk: A Test of Cardiorespiratory Fitness of Adolescent Boys

It was the problem of this investigation to evaluate the distance covered in 12 min. as an indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness, and to compare it with the 600-yd. run-walk in this regard. All of the subjects (153 grade 9 boys) successfully completed a test-retest of the 12-min. run-walk which yielded a correlation coefficient of .94, indicating that this is a highly reliable measure. Nine of the subjects also performed a maximum oxygen intake test and the 600-yd. run-walk test. Maximum oxygen intake was correlated with the 12-min. run-walk (r = .90) and with the 600-yd. run-walk (r = .62). It was concluded that the distance covered during the 12-min. run-walk was a highly reliable and valid indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness and that it was to be preferred to the 600-yd. run-walk in this regard.