How To Ruck and Run Faster

Developing running speed, rucking performance, and the physical capacity required for Special Forces Assessment and Selection.

One of the most frequently asked questions in the Special Forces preparation community is some variation of “How do I get faster?” Sometimes the question concerns running, sometimes rucking, and occasionally both. The circumstances vary, but the underlying problem is generally the same. Candidates want to improve their performance but often lack a systematic approach to training.

Some candidates can run a respectable two-mile time but struggle to maintain their pace over five miles. Others have good endurance but cannot produce the speed necessary to achieve a competitive two-mile time. Rucking presents a similar problem. A candidate may be capable of carrying a heavy rucksack over considerable distances but struggle to maintain the pace necessary to complete a timed event.

The solution is not simply to run or ruck harder. Improving performance requires an understanding of the physiological and mechanical factors that determine speed, followed by a training program designed to develop those factors.

Running and rucking share several important characteristics, particularly their dependence on aerobic capacity, muscular endurance, and movement economy. However, rucking introduces external load, changes movement mechanics, and increases the importance of strength and tissue tolerance. Consequently, the two activities require related but distinct training approaches.

We will address both.

Establishing the Aerobic Foundation

Before discussing speed development, we need to address aerobic capacity. Running and rucking performance depend substantially on the ability to produce energy aerobically, particularly as exercise duration increases. The aerobic system supports sustained muscular activity through the delivery and utilization of oxygen. Endurance training improves this system through several physiological adaptations, including increased mitochondrial content and function, capillary development, cardiovascular efficiency, and improved aerobic metabolism.

These adaptations allow an athlete to sustain greater workloads at a given relative intensity. In practical terms, a better-developed aerobic system allows you to run or ruck faster while operating at a lower percentage of your maximum physiological capacity.

Zone 2 training is an effective method for developing this foundation. It involves sustained exercise at a relatively low intensity, generally characterized by controlled breathing and the ability to maintain a conversation. Because the recovery demands are comparatively manageable, Zone 2 training allows athletes to accumulate substantial aerobic training volume.

Our recommended developmental benchmark is the ability to complete 90 minutes of continuous Zone 2 running. This standard is incorporated into TC 31-5, Aerobic Base Development for Tactical Athletes, and its companion program, TC 31-15.

The 90-minute benchmark is a coaching standard rather than a universally established physiological threshold. It provides a useful indication of aerobic endurance, pacing discipline, and tolerance for sustained running. Candidates with an established running background may already possess sufficient aerobic capacity to begin structured speed training without completing a separate introductory phase.

For those who lack that foundation, however, developing it should be a priority. The purpose of aerobic-base training is not to replace speed work. It is to develop the physiological capacity necessary to support higher-intensity training, greater overall workload, and continued performance improvement.

Understanding Running Performance

Distance-running performance depends substantially on three physiological characteristics: maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), lactate threshold, and running economy. VO2max represents the maximum rate at which the body can consume oxygen during exercise. It provides an indication of maximal aerobic capacity and is particularly important during demanding running efforts. Lactate threshold describes changes in blood lactate concentration as exercise intensity increases. Threshold-related performance is important because it helps determine how fast an athlete can run while maintaining a sustainable metabolic workload.

Running economy describes the energy required to maintain a given running speed. An athlete with better running economy uses less energy to sustain the same pace than an athlete with poorer economy.mThese characteristics are related, but they are not interchangeable. An athlete may possess substantial aerobic capacity but have relatively poor running economy. Another may be mechanically efficient but lack the maximal aerobic capacity necessary to sustain faster running. This explains why candidates with similar levels of general fitness can produce substantially different running performances. Effective training must address the factors limiting the individual athlete.

SFAS Running Performance Expectations

For candidates preparing for Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS), I recommend two running performance benchmarks: a two-mile run between 12 and 13 minutes and a five-mile run in 35 minutes or less.These are recommended preparation standards, not official SFAS minimum passing requirements. They represent the level of running fitness I believe a well-prepared candidate should develop before attending selection.

The two-mile run, completed at approximately 6:00 to 6:30 per mile, places substantial demands on maximal aerobic capacity, running economy, and the ability to sustain a high percentage of maximal aerobic output. The five-mile run, completed at 7:00 per mile, places greater emphasis on sustained aerobic performance, threshold-related capacity, and running economy. Neither performance independently establishes readiness for SFAS. Selection requires substantially more than running proficiency, particularly in the areas of load carriage, strength, durability, and sustained physical performance under accumulated fatigue.Nevertheless, these benchmarks provide useful objectives for running development.

A candidate who can run two miles in 12 minutes but cannot maintain a reasonable pace over five miles may need additional aerobic endurance and threshold development. Conversely, a candidate who performs relatively well over five miles but struggles with the two-mile event may benefit from training that emphasizes maximal aerobic capacity and faster running. The correct response is to identify the performance deficiency and prescribe training accordingly.

Developing Running Speed Through Interval Training

Once an appropriate aerobic foundation has been established, structured interval training becomes an important component of running performance development. Interval training alternates periods of higher-intensity exercise with periods of reduced intensity or recovery. This allows an athlete to accumulate work at demanding running speeds without attempting to sustain those speeds continuously throughout the session. The intensity, duration, number of repetitions, and recovery periods determine the physiological stimulus.

Our speed development methodology, described in TC 31-6, Speed and Cadence Development for Tactical Athletes, uses a progression from shorter intervals toward longer efforts. The companion TC 31-16 provides a structured 24-week training program built around this approach. The progression begins with 400-meter intervals, advances to 800-meter intervals, and eventually incorporates 1600-meter intervals. As the athlete develops, the program increases the ability to sustain demanding running speeds while managing accumulated fatigue. For a candidate targeting a 12-minute two-mile run, the corresponding pace is approximately six minutes per mile. That translates into the following interval targets:

Distance - Target time

400 meters - 1:30

800 meters - 3:00

1600 meters - 6:00

These times provide useful reference points, but they should not automatically become the starting prescription for every athlete. A candidate currently running two miles in 16 minutes should not be expected to complete repeated 400-meter intervals at a six-minute-mile pace simply because that is the eventual objective. Training intensity must reflect current performance and progress toward the desired standard.

Similarly, 400-meter repetitions performed at a controlled six-minute-mile pace are not necessarily maximal sprints. The objective is to develop the capacity to sustain a prescribed running speed, not to achieve the fastest possible time during every repetition. Candidates should begin with a manageable number of intervals, maintain consistent pacing, and progress only as performance and recovery permit. The objective is to improve the ability to sustain faster running, not simply to accumulate exhaustion.

The Role of Tempo and Threshold Training

Interval training is not the only method of improving running speed. Tempo and threshold training also play an important role, particularly for candidates who struggle to maintain performance over longer distances. Tempo training generally involves sustained running at a moderately high intensity, while threshold-oriented sessions target workloads near an athlete’s relevant physiological threshold. These methods improve the ability to maintain demanding running speeds over extended periods.

For example, a candidate may possess sufficient speed to run individual miles at seven minutes but struggle to sustain that pace for five consecutive miles. The limiting factor may not be the ability to produce the speed. It may be the ability to sustain the associated metabolic demand. Threshold-oriented training can help address that limitation. The important distinction is that different training methods produce different adaptations. Zone 2 training develops aerobic capacity through sustained low-intensity exercise. Intervals provide a stronger stimulus for high-intensity aerobic performance. Tempo and threshold sessions develop the ability to sustain demanding workloads. An effective running program incorporates these methods according to the athlete’s capabilities and objectives.

The 80/20 Training Principle

A useful framework for organizing endurance training is the 80/20 principle, in which approximately 80% of training is performed at relatively low intensity and 20% at moderate or high intensity.

This is not a universal physiological law. The appropriate distribution varies according to training history, event demands, and how intensity is measured. Nevertheless, the principle provides a useful correction to the tendency among military athletes to perform nearly every running session at an unnecessarily high intensity.

Low-intensity running supports aerobic development and allows the athlete to accumulate training volume. Higher-intensity sessions provide the specific stimulus necessary to improve speed and demanding endurance performance.

The mistake is allowing every training session to become a moderately hard effort.

When easy sessions become too demanding, the athlete accumulates additional fatigue that may compromise subsequent training. When high-intensity sessions are performed without adequate recovery, performance quality deteriorates and the risk of excessive training load increases.

Each session should have a defined purpose.

Run easy when the program calls for easy running. Run hard when the program calls for high-intensity work. Manage recovery so that you can continue progressing.

Running Cadence and Stride Length

Running speed is determined by the interaction between stride length and stride frequency, commonly referred to as cadence. Stride length describes the distance traveled during each step. Cadence describes the number of steps taken per minute. Increasing either variable can increase running speed, provided the other remains constant.

However, attempting to increase stride length artificially can produce undesirable changes in running mechanics, particularly when the athlete begins reaching forward with the foot and contacting the ground excessively far ahead of the body’s center of mass. This pattern, commonly associated with overstriding, may increase braking forces and reduce running efficiency. For some athletes, modest adjustments in cadence can improve running mechanics. Increasing step frequency while maintaining a relatively natural stride may reduce excessive overstriding and alter the mechanical loads experienced during running.

That does not mean every athlete should attempt to achieve the same cadence. The commonly repeated recommendation of 180 steps per minute is not a universal requirement. Appropriate cadence varies with running speed, body dimensions, experience, and individual mechanics. Cadence should therefore be assessed rather than prescribed arbitrarily. An athlete who consistently overstrides may benefit from a modest increase in step frequency. Another athlete with efficient mechanics may gain little from deliberately changing cadence.

Running form should be evaluated as a complete movement pattern, including posture, arm movement, foot placement, and the relationship between cadence and stride length. Video analysis and qualified coaching can be particularly useful when an athlete demonstrates persistent mechanical problems. The objective is not to make everyone run the same way. It is to identify inefficient movement patterns and improve them where appropriate.

How to Get Faster at Rucking

Rucking performance depends on several of the same physiological characteristics that determine running performance, but the addition of external load changes the problem considerably. A rucksack increases the total mass that must be transported, alters movement mechanics, and places additional demands on the muscles responsible for supporting and stabilizing the load.

Consequently, rucking performance depends on aerobic capacity, strength, load-carriage economy, movement mechanics, and the ability of the musculoskeletal system to tolerate repetitive loading. The relationship between these factors is important. An athlete may have excellent aerobic fitness but struggle under a heavy rucksack because of insufficient strength or inefficient movement. Another may possess substantial strength but lack the aerobic endurance necessary to maintain a competitive pace. Improving rucking performance requires developing these capacities together.

Strength Development

Strength training is an important component of rucking preparation. Lower-body strength contributes to the ability to generate force while moving under load. Trunk and upper-body strength support postural control and the ability to stabilize the rucksack during prolonged movement. Research on military load carriage has identified relationships between muscular strength, aerobic fitness, and loaded-march performance, although the relative importance of individual strength measures varies with the task and population studied.

It would be incorrect to suggest that a particular lift, such as the bench press or squat, independently determines rucking performance. Nevertheless, comprehensive strength development provides an important foundation for load carriage. Candidates should develop lower-body strength, trunk stability, and the capacity to maintain efficient posture under load. Strength is not a substitute for rucking experience. It is one of the physical capacities that allows an athlete to benefit from task-specific training.

Progressive Load-Carriage Training

The most direct method of improving rucking performance is progressive, task-specific load-carriage training. The literature on military load carriage supports training programs that combine aerobic conditioning, resistance training, and progressive loaded marching. Regular exposure to load carriage is necessary because the activity produces mechanical and neuromuscular demands that cannot be fully replicated through running or strength training alone. For many candidates, two to three appropriately programmed rucking sessions per week can provide a useful training stimulus. The exact frequency depends on current fitness, training history, load, distance, intensity, and the demands of the rest of the training program.

More rucking is not automatically better rucking.

Candidates should begin with manageable loads and distances, then progressively increase training demands as their capacity improves. Load, distance, pace, terrain, and frequency all contribute to total training stress. Increasing several of these variables simultaneously can produce a substantial increase in workload, even when the changes appear individually modest. The familiar recommendation to limit weekly increases to 10% can serve as a conservative planning reference, but it is not a scientifically established injury-prevention threshold. Progression should be based on the athlete’s response to training rather than an inflexible percentage.

For candidates preparing for SFAS, rucking should ultimately include training at the loads, distances, terrain conditions, and movement speeds relevant to selection. The objective is to develop the capacity to move efficiently under load while minimizing unnecessary fatigue and musculoskeletal stress.

Rucking Performance Expectations

A commonly used military rucking benchmark is a 15-minute-per-mile pace. This corresponds to four miles per hour and produces a three-hour completion time over 12 miles. For SFAS preparation, I recommend developing the capacity to perform substantially better than this baseline. A competitive rucking pace is approximately 12–13 minutes per mile, although actual performance depends on load, terrain, environmental conditions, and the specific demands of the event

Improving from a 15-minute pace to a 13-minute pace saves 24 minutes over 12 miles. Improving from 13 minutes to 12 minutes saves another 12 minutes. However, pace should never be evaluated independently of load and terrain. A 12-minute pace with a light rucksack on a flat paved surface does not represent the same physical demand as a 12-minute pace with a substantially heavier load over uneven terrain. Performance assessments must use consistent conditions if they are intended to measure progress. The goal is not simply to produce an impressive pace under favorable conditions. It is to develop reliable performance under the conditions the athlete is preparing to encounter.

Rucking Cadence and Movement Mechanics

As with running, rucking speed is determined by stride length and cadence. However, the additional load changes the mechanical demands associated with each step. Attempting to increase speed by excessively lengthening the stride may increase braking forces, alter posture, and place additional stress on the lower extremities. For many athletes, increasing cadence while maintaining efficient foot placement provides a more effective method of improving rucking speed. This is particularly important when carrying heavier loads because excessive vertical movement, inefficient foot placement, and unnecessary torso movement can increase the energy cost of locomotion.

Rucking posture should allow the athlete to maintain a relatively neutral trunk position, an open chest, and a forward head orientation. A modest forward lean may be necessary to accommodate the load, but that lean should occur primarily through whole-body positioning rather than excessive bending at the waist. The rucksack should be properly fitted and stabilized to minimize unnecessary movement. Poor fit can alter gait mechanics, increase localized pressure, and contribute to fatigue.

Arm movement also influences walking and rucking mechanics. An unrestricted arm swing can assist with rhythm and balance, although military equipment and operational requirements may limit the degree of arm movement available. Candidates should first develop efficient movement mechanics under relatively uncomplicated conditions before introducing additional equipment that changes their natural movement pattern. The most important principle is that rucking technique must be evaluated under load. Mechanics that appear efficient during unloaded walking may change substantially when the athlete carries a heavy rucksack.

The Ruck Shuffle

At sufficiently high movement speeds, walking becomes mechanically inefficient for some athletes. Maintaining a competitive pace may require a transition toward a running or shuffling gait. The ruck shuffle is a practical movement strategy used to increase speed while carrying a load. It generally involves shorter steps, increased cadence, and a relatively controlled movement pattern intended to limit unnecessary vertical displacement.

It is important to distinguish the ruck shuffle from ordinary running. Both involve greater dynamic loading than walking, and neither eliminates the impact forces associated with faster movement under load. The shuffle should not be treated as a universally superior technique. Its effectiveness depends on the athlete, the load, terrain, movement speed, and individual mechanics. There is also no single cadence or stride pattern that works equally well for everyone.

Some athletes can maintain relatively fast walking speeds without transitioning to a shuffle. Others may need to introduce a shuffling gait to sustain competitive rucking paces. The transition should be developed progressively. Candidates should first establish efficient loaded walking mechanics and adequate physical conditioning before introducing substantial volumes of higher-speed loaded movement.

Running or shuffling under load increases the demands placed on the lower extremities. Introducing these techniques prematurely, particularly with excessive load or training volume, may increase injury risk. The objective is to develop an efficient method of movement that allows the athlete to maintain the required pace without unnecessary energy expenditure or mechanical stress.

One terminology point is worth addressing. The ruck shuffle should not be confused with the Airborne Shuffle, which refers to a different movement associated with airborne operations. The terms are frequently used interchangeably, but they do not describe the same activity.

Integrating Running and Rucking for SFAS Preparation

The central challenge in SFAS preparation is that candidates must develop multiple physical capacities simultaneously. Running speed, aerobic endurance, muscular strength, rucking performance, and durability all contribute to selection readiness. Improving one capacity while allowing another to deteriorate is not an effective preparation strategy.

The TF VooDoo training circulars address these requirements through a coordinated framework. TC 31-5 and TC 31-15 establish the principles and programming for aerobic-base development. TC 31-6 and TC 31-16 address speed, cadence, interval progression, and progressive rucking. TC 31-10 provides targeted two-mile and five-mile running programs, while TC 31-4 addresses movement preparation.

These resources serve different purposes. An inexperienced candidate may require substantial foundational development before emphasizing speed. An experienced athlete with adequate endurance may benefit from a more targeted performance program. The appropriate starting point depends on the athlete’s current capabilities, training history, and performance deficiencies. The larger principle remains consistent: training should be progressive, measurable, and specific to the demands of the objective.

Conclusion

Improving running and rucking performance is not particularly complicated in principle. The physiological and mechanical factors that determine performance are reasonably well understood, and established training methods can improve them. Running performance depends substantially on aerobic capacity, threshold-related performance, and running economy. Rucking performance requires those same capacities, along with sufficient strength, load tolerance, and efficient movement mechanics. Both activities benefit from progressive training, appropriate intensity distribution, and adequate recovery.

For SFAS candidates, I recommend developing the ability to run two miles in 12–13 minutes, complete five miles in 35 minutes or less, and sustain competitive rucking performance under the loads and conditions relevant to selection. These are preparation objectives, not guarantees of success. The purpose of training is to develop sufficient physical capacity that running and rucking do not become unnecessary limitations during selection. Candidates should establish an aerobic foundation, incorporate structured speed development, progressively train under load, and evaluate their performance through objective measures.There is no requirement to make the process more complicated than necessary. There is also no benefit in attempting to bypass the physiological adaptations required for sustained performance.

Follow a coherent program, measure your progress, and allow the training to produce the intended adaptations.

Ruck Up or Shut Up.

Related TF VooDoo Training Circulars

The TF VooDoo Tactical Athlete Doctrine Series provides additional guidance and structured training programs for the topics discussed in this article.

TC 31-5 — Aerobic Base Development for Tactical Athletes explains the physiology of aerobic training, heart-rate zones, and the principles of endurance development.

TC 31-15 — Aerobic Base Program provides a structured 24-week aerobic development program.

TC 31-6 — Speed and Cadence Development for Tactical Athletes addresses running mechanics, interval training, cadence, and the development of running and rucking speed.

TC 31-16 — Speed and Cadence Program provides a progressive 24-week program incorporating structured intervals, aerobic running, and load carriage.

TC 31-4 — Movement Preparation for Tactical Athletes provides warm-up and movement preparation protocols for running, rucking, strength training, and other physical activities.

Additional information is available at TFVooDoo.com.