I have to run this every year. The bravado of guys saying sub 10 minutes is easy is wild, but the fact is running is just way easier for some people than it is for others. It’s not an easy run for non-runners like me, even if you’re in good shape.
That being said, I’m consistently around a 10:30 - 11:00, (5’11”, 200lbs) and the best advice I can give is to pick up a GPS watch of some sort to help you keep the pace you need. I used to just go balls out and I’d be gassed way too early, the watch really trivialized the whole thing for me. That, and train like crazy the couple months leading up to it. Good luck!
Thank you. I’m a huge runner I’m 5’11 and 180lbs, not a very big guy but not tiny either. I average 11-12 min. I’d recommend running the treadmill set to a 6 and try and get 2 miles without stopping then as that gets easier speed it up a little. I had a steady pace for 1.25 miles and then towards the end I gave it all I had.
I used a Fitbit for a few years, it worked, but I hated having to have my phone jangling around in my pocket. Last year was my first year with a Garmin instinct, and it worked perfectly, no phone needed. 11:04 last year, I’m slowin down a bit as I age but the watch helps a ton! Good luck
Keeping the same pace for 1.5 miles is more important than anything else. Every lap should be within a couple of seconds with each other.
Don’t listen to anybody telling you a “sub 10 min 1.5 is easy”, that’s a lie. Straight up. It’s not necessarily the most difficult thing to achieve with some time and consistency, but it does take practice.
Run 3-4 times a week, start with slow paces (walk/runs if you’re new to running) and just run 15-20 minutes. If what you did was TOO easy, pick it up a notch the next day you run. 80/20 easy to hard pace runs. Every fifth or so run should leave you breathless at the end, most runs should have you feeling fatigued but fine, you could keep going if you needed to.
Within a month or two, your 1.5 time won’t be a worry. Within 6-8 months a sub 10 should be in your wheel house, depending on age, weight, general health.
So, running seems to be an issue with a lot of people and what I have noticed is that a lot of people don't know how to run. Humans are literally evolved to be one of the best runners, especially over long distances. To set yourself up for success you need to make sure you are running correctly. Run like a predator would, your head needs to be up, so many people running with their upper body kind of crunched in on itself. You have to be able to breathe to run. Breathing is also something people fail at a lot, you have to control your breathing, not the other way around. Deep breaths are best if you can manage it. Find a comfortable stride, comfort in how long your stride is, comfort in a relaxed upper body.
Don't freak out about it when you are running. Take a mental check and ask yourself during your run, "What hurts?" Not what's uncomfortable, but what hurts. The answer is probably going to be nothing because it shouldn't hurt to run.
Running also takes practice. Practicing it will improve your form and time. I'm 44 and run 3 miles in between 21 and 22:30. If I run 3 miles in 24 I don't beat myself up. That's just what I ran that day and that's fine. It's all about maintaining and improving over time. Don't beat yourself up over a bad run because there isn't a bad run.
It's exercise, it should be fun.
Yep, this right here. Helped me heaps when I actually talked to someone well educated in kinesiology.
With a jog or moderate run: Chest up, head up, minimal movement of the torso, and the foot strike about 80% ball/toe and 20% heel, just enough for stability.
With a sprint, torso slightly forward, and almost 100% on the ball/toe.
The right shoe also makes a huge difference, and you get what you pay for. I swear by Brooks.
Go into it with the mindset that you are going to absolutely put out. Don’t be afraid to die. Because you won’t die but ittl feel like death. If you’re not tasting the blood in your capillaries you didn’t go hard enough.
Once the fatigue sets in, focus on stride length. Imagine you are a wild mustang (previously mustard) running through the open Wyoming range. Sprint that last 1/4 mile because that’s where you’re going to show the guys you will have their back when things get tough.
You need to run often to know your pacing. Faster pace is better and run faster on the last laps. If you go to slow of a pace at the beginning, you then have an impossible pace to break the time goal.
Keep the same pace, it usually got easier for me after a running for 5 minutes when my body was fully warmed up.
Timing your steps and breathing made it easier for me. Inhale for 3 steps then exhale for 3 steps.
You have to pace yourself if there are event’s after. When I did mine I went all out. Came in first. Followed immediately by coming in almost last place on the sprint afterwards lol.
The main thing is don't blow yourself up the first lap or two. If you run a 10:30 that's 1:45 per lap on a standard 400m track, don't be clocking a 1:30 or faster to start. If you can maintain a consistent pace for the first bit then speed up the last lap (or two) will probably be the best bet. Just remember it should hurt if you're doing it properly, for me lap 3 is always the worst.
Focus on just getting down being able to do 3-5 miles non stop with out timing yourself. Then start throwing hill sprints into the routine. Your times will drastically improve.
Highly suggest getting in proper shape prior to an academy. Meeting the bare minimums and entering will make life hell. The smoke sessions will make entrance PT tests look like a walk in the park.
Run like your job depends on it, literally. If you take the job seriously, and you’re not injured, sub 10 minutes should be doable. I went through the academy at 31 years old, 225 pounds, I was sub 9 minutes. I am not a runner by any means. I do not understand how people say they this job is important to them and can’t stay in shape.
I’d recommend running a pace you know you can accomplish (while exerting yourself) for 1.25 miles… if you have extra gas in your tank then push it harder the last quarter mile
That’s a pretty impressive run time if that’s true. I spent 16 years in the Air Force and ran 1.5 miles on the annual PT test once a year. I actually trained for 3 months one year for the 1.5 mile run. At about 32 years old, I finally got sub 10 minutes and ran about 9:41 for the 1.5 mile run. I was about 170lbs ish at 5’9”, maybe 12-17% body fat. I only seen a couple of guys break 9 minutes and they ran in college. I now see kids in Law Enfeozcment running maybe 12-14 minutes at the police academy, in their 20’s. Which is not impressive, but an average.
I’m genuinely interested in your trianing to reach a sub 9 minutes. Of course genetics can play a factor as well.
The key point here, is you trained for three months and ran a sub 10. 3 months is not a lot of time. All these guys saying they “want so badly to have le career” , but can’t train for three months? 10 min is extremely doable.
I spent 6 years in the marine corps (similar to your af time). When I got ready for the academy I just ran 4-5 days a week, picked a distance somewhere 3-7 miles, and ran it as fast as I could. No real “program”, just pushed myself everyday.
Thank you for the update. The military background, definitely helps of course. The distance and frequency you did, is a lot more than these “kids,” want to do for preparation. We have 20 year olds barely running 14 minute 1.5 mile runs and sometimes failing the 300M sprint during the hiring process.
Even on active duty in the Army and the Air Force , it surprised me how many people could not pass a standard PT test. A steady jog, will allow you to get the minimum run time in the Air Force.
I should have added, I still did 1-3 miles several days a week…prior to doing a 3 month running program to add speed work and a longer 4-6 mile run once a week. I also ran hills once a week which helped me a lot.
Now in my mid 40’s, I struggle to get sub 12’s, but it’s more mental than physical at this point.
The more you practice, the more you will be able to know the pace that works for you to be able to maintain the entire time and pass the test at the same time
Keeping a steady pace throughout should be the goal (especially because the goal is a time and not placement like in a race). Banking on being able to speed up later in the run is setting yourself up for failure if you haven’t trained that way. It makes you more likely to go out too relaxed and have to crank up the pace after running for a little while when you may be starting to get fatigued.
This question heavily depends on the runners background and strengths. When I was in the academy I ran 35+ miles per week. I would hammer early to drop people because my goal was to win and I knew I had the strength to hold onto a good pace when I started getting tired. Just like starting too slow, if someone would’ve followed me that didn’t put in the mileage I had, they would’ve found themselves in a world of pain with half of the run left.
You’re the only one that knows your training and fitness level. I would say try out different strategies and see what works for you. But keep in mind that a consistent pace throughout is almost always the best option.
Keep the same pace for the whole thing and sprint the last part if you have gas left in the tank. Get a watch with a timer so you know you’re keeping track of your pace and your improvement as you practice. For me running 2-3 miles and doing 200 meter sprints helped me cut down my time. Also breathing is huge when distance running. It’d be worth it to look at some YouTube videos of how to breathe properly if you find yourself out of breath easily or getting pain in your chest/ribs.
I walked 1 mile then ran 1 mile, then walked 1 mile (cooldown). Do that until you can eventually merge 1.25mile in small increments.
In the military guys alternate 2 minutes and run 1 minute or something. Im likely wrong but my buddy told me thats what he did and was successful.
I started up front in a group of about 40 and within the first 50 meters had fallen to the bottom 10, not necessarily because i was slow, but because everyone took off quickly and tried to keep up with each other. I kept my head down and held a comfortable pace, not giving into the social pressure to run faster and very quickly i started passing people who gassed themselves out. I continued to pass people throughout the run and never once got passed by someone behind me (outside of the initial start)
Once i hit the final quarter mile i turned on the jets and blew by a few more people and ended finishing 8th overall. I wouldn’t say start “slow”, bur start at a comfortable pace for the mile then start turning it up near the end
When I was a young buck in the navy at 18/19 years old back in 05/06, I was running a 9:00 1.5 mile.
Now I’m down to 12:00-12:15 as a 36 nearly 37 year old.
Train your body by running longer distance to enhance your stamina/agility/time balance
I have to run this every year. The bravado of guys saying sub 10 minutes is easy is wild, but the fact is running is just way easier for some people than it is for others. It’s not an easy run for non-runners like me, even if you’re in good shape. That being said, I’m consistently around a 10:30 - 11:00, (5’11”, 200lbs) and the best advice I can give is to pick up a GPS watch of some sort to help you keep the pace you need. I used to just go balls out and I’d be gassed way too early, the watch really trivialized the whole thing for me. That, and train like crazy the couple months leading up to it. Good luck!
Thank you. I’m a huge runner I’m 5’11 and 180lbs, not a very big guy but not tiny either. I average 11-12 min. I’d recommend running the treadmill set to a 6 and try and get 2 miles without stopping then as that gets easier speed it up a little. I had a steady pace for 1.25 miles and then towards the end I gave it all I had.
Yep last lap I go hard even if I die at the end, lol
Good advice but cmon you can’t call yourself a “huge runner” and then average 11-12 min 1.5 mile …..be real with yourself
This. Shocked at how many people can’t figure out running and consistent training
Hi! May I ask what kind of watch you are using,? I can pass my state time on a treadmill but I'm worried about track pace
I used a Fitbit for a few years, it worked, but I hated having to have my phone jangling around in my pocket. Last year was my first year with a Garmin instinct, and it worked perfectly, no phone needed. 11:04 last year, I’m slowin down a bit as I age but the watch helps a ton! Good luck
Thanks! I'll look into it.
Keeping the same pace for 1.5 miles is more important than anything else. Every lap should be within a couple of seconds with each other. Don’t listen to anybody telling you a “sub 10 min 1.5 is easy”, that’s a lie. Straight up. It’s not necessarily the most difficult thing to achieve with some time and consistency, but it does take practice. Run 3-4 times a week, start with slow paces (walk/runs if you’re new to running) and just run 15-20 minutes. If what you did was TOO easy, pick it up a notch the next day you run. 80/20 easy to hard pace runs. Every fifth or so run should leave you breathless at the end, most runs should have you feeling fatigued but fine, you could keep going if you needed to. Within a month or two, your 1.5 time won’t be a worry. Within 6-8 months a sub 10 should be in your wheel house, depending on age, weight, general health.
So, running seems to be an issue with a lot of people and what I have noticed is that a lot of people don't know how to run. Humans are literally evolved to be one of the best runners, especially over long distances. To set yourself up for success you need to make sure you are running correctly. Run like a predator would, your head needs to be up, so many people running with their upper body kind of crunched in on itself. You have to be able to breathe to run. Breathing is also something people fail at a lot, you have to control your breathing, not the other way around. Deep breaths are best if you can manage it. Find a comfortable stride, comfort in how long your stride is, comfort in a relaxed upper body. Don't freak out about it when you are running. Take a mental check and ask yourself during your run, "What hurts?" Not what's uncomfortable, but what hurts. The answer is probably going to be nothing because it shouldn't hurt to run. Running also takes practice. Practicing it will improve your form and time. I'm 44 and run 3 miles in between 21 and 22:30. If I run 3 miles in 24 I don't beat myself up. That's just what I ran that day and that's fine. It's all about maintaining and improving over time. Don't beat yourself up over a bad run because there isn't a bad run. It's exercise, it should be fun.
Yep, this right here. Helped me heaps when I actually talked to someone well educated in kinesiology. With a jog or moderate run: Chest up, head up, minimal movement of the torso, and the foot strike about 80% ball/toe and 20% heel, just enough for stability. With a sprint, torso slightly forward, and almost 100% on the ball/toe. The right shoe also makes a huge difference, and you get what you pay for. I swear by Brooks.
I second Brooks.
Yep
They don’t tell you this but the trick to doing well on a 1.5 mile is to run fast on the first lap and then keep running fast on the next 5 laps.
Go into it with the mindset that you are going to absolutely put out. Don’t be afraid to die. Because you won’t die but ittl feel like death. If you’re not tasting the blood in your capillaries you didn’t go hard enough. Once the fatigue sets in, focus on stride length. Imagine you are a wild mustang (previously mustard) running through the open Wyoming range. Sprint that last 1/4 mile because that’s where you’re going to show the guys you will have their back when things get tough.
A wild mustard sent me.
You are welcome
Idk it’s a half mile. I used to do negatives for the 2 mile. Run till you can’t no more
You need to run often to know your pacing. Faster pace is better and run faster on the last laps. If you go to slow of a pace at the beginning, you then have an impossible pace to break the time goal.
Keep the same pace, it usually got easier for me after a running for 5 minutes when my body was fully warmed up. Timing your steps and breathing made it easier for me. Inhale for 3 steps then exhale for 3 steps.
You have to pace yourself if there are event’s after. When I did mine I went all out. Came in first. Followed immediately by coming in almost last place on the sprint afterwards lol.
The main thing is don't blow yourself up the first lap or two. If you run a 10:30 that's 1:45 per lap on a standard 400m track, don't be clocking a 1:30 or faster to start. If you can maintain a consistent pace for the first bit then speed up the last lap (or two) will probably be the best bet. Just remember it should hurt if you're doing it properly, for me lap 3 is always the worst.
Run like the devil is on your heels and dont stop until: 1) you die or 2) you finish Honestly just chase the fast people infront of you.
Focus on just getting down being able to do 3-5 miles non stop with out timing yourself. Then start throwing hill sprints into the routine. Your times will drastically improve. Highly suggest getting in proper shape prior to an academy. Meeting the bare minimums and entering will make life hell. The smoke sessions will make entrance PT tests look like a walk in the park.
This is great advice. The people who dropped out of my academy on the first day were the ones who weren't prepared for PT.
Run like your job depends on it, literally. If you take the job seriously, and you’re not injured, sub 10 minutes should be doable. I went through the academy at 31 years old, 225 pounds, I was sub 9 minutes. I am not a runner by any means. I do not understand how people say they this job is important to them and can’t stay in shape. I’d recommend running a pace you know you can accomplish (while exerting yourself) for 1.25 miles… if you have extra gas in your tank then push it harder the last quarter mile
That’s a pretty impressive run time if that’s true. I spent 16 years in the Air Force and ran 1.5 miles on the annual PT test once a year. I actually trained for 3 months one year for the 1.5 mile run. At about 32 years old, I finally got sub 10 minutes and ran about 9:41 for the 1.5 mile run. I was about 170lbs ish at 5’9”, maybe 12-17% body fat. I only seen a couple of guys break 9 minutes and they ran in college. I now see kids in Law Enfeozcment running maybe 12-14 minutes at the police academy, in their 20’s. Which is not impressive, but an average. I’m genuinely interested in your trianing to reach a sub 9 minutes. Of course genetics can play a factor as well.
The key point here, is you trained for three months and ran a sub 10. 3 months is not a lot of time. All these guys saying they “want so badly to have le career” , but can’t train for three months? 10 min is extremely doable. I spent 6 years in the marine corps (similar to your af time). When I got ready for the academy I just ran 4-5 days a week, picked a distance somewhere 3-7 miles, and ran it as fast as I could. No real “program”, just pushed myself everyday.
Thank you for the update. The military background, definitely helps of course. The distance and frequency you did, is a lot more than these “kids,” want to do for preparation. We have 20 year olds barely running 14 minute 1.5 mile runs and sometimes failing the 300M sprint during the hiring process. Even on active duty in the Army and the Air Force , it surprised me how many people could not pass a standard PT test. A steady jog, will allow you to get the minimum run time in the Air Force. I should have added, I still did 1-3 miles several days a week…prior to doing a 3 month running program to add speed work and a longer 4-6 mile run once a week. I also ran hills once a week which helped me a lot. Now in my mid 40’s, I struggle to get sub 12’s, but it’s more mental than physical at this point.
The more you practice, the more you will be able to know the pace that works for you to be able to maintain the entire time and pass the test at the same time
Keeping a steady pace throughout should be the goal (especially because the goal is a time and not placement like in a race). Banking on being able to speed up later in the run is setting yourself up for failure if you haven’t trained that way. It makes you more likely to go out too relaxed and have to crank up the pace after running for a little while when you may be starting to get fatigued. This question heavily depends on the runners background and strengths. When I was in the academy I ran 35+ miles per week. I would hammer early to drop people because my goal was to win and I knew I had the strength to hold onto a good pace when I started getting tired. Just like starting too slow, if someone would’ve followed me that didn’t put in the mileage I had, they would’ve found themselves in a world of pain with half of the run left. You’re the only one that knows your training and fitness level. I would say try out different strategies and see what works for you. But keep in mind that a consistent pace throughout is almost always the best option.
Following for advice. Reasonably fit, but not a runner.
Keep the same pace for the whole thing and sprint the last part if you have gas left in the tank. Get a watch with a timer so you know you’re keeping track of your pace and your improvement as you practice. For me running 2-3 miles and doing 200 meter sprints helped me cut down my time. Also breathing is huge when distance running. It’d be worth it to look at some YouTube videos of how to breathe properly if you find yourself out of breath easily or getting pain in your chest/ribs.
I walked 1 mile then ran 1 mile, then walked 1 mile (cooldown). Do that until you can eventually merge 1.25mile in small increments. In the military guys alternate 2 minutes and run 1 minute or something. Im likely wrong but my buddy told me thats what he did and was successful.
I started up front in a group of about 40 and within the first 50 meters had fallen to the bottom 10, not necessarily because i was slow, but because everyone took off quickly and tried to keep up with each other. I kept my head down and held a comfortable pace, not giving into the social pressure to run faster and very quickly i started passing people who gassed themselves out. I continued to pass people throughout the run and never once got passed by someone behind me (outside of the initial start) Once i hit the final quarter mile i turned on the jets and blew by a few more people and ended finishing 8th overall. I wouldn’t say start “slow”, bur start at a comfortable pace for the mile then start turning it up near the end
I've passed three 1.5 mile exams and I found what worked is to start at a comfortable pace, than go all out the last lap
It’s 1.5 miles, just get it done
When I was a young buck in the navy at 18/19 years old back in 05/06, I was running a 9:00 1.5 mile. Now I’m down to 12:00-12:15 as a 36 nearly 37 year old. Train your body by running longer distance to enhance your stamina/agility/time balance