How to pass P Company: training for every test week event

P Company is a week of tests. Everything before it, the build-up at Catterick or your unit's pre-course, exists to get you to that week fit enough to pass all eight events back to back. Most people who fail do not fail because the events are impossible. They arrived carrying an injury, undercooked on loaded marching, or with a 10-mile pace they could only hold fresh.

This is a plain description of what the week asks for and how to train for it. Confirm every number against the current Pegasus Company guidance before you set a target; standards get revised.

What P Company is

All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection, run by Pegasus Company (P Coy) at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick. It is the gate to airborne forces for Parachute Regiment recruits and for soldiers from other arms who want to serve with 16 Air Assault Brigade. The course assesses whether you can carry weight fast over rough ground, fight when exhausted and keep going when the group is slowing down. It is a test of attitude as much as fitness, but attitude does not carry 35 lb up a hill.

Test week is eight events across five days. The order and timings vary by course, so expect two events on some days.

The events and the published standards

Event	What it is	Published standard
10-mile march	Squad march over undulating ground with 35 lb plus rifle	1 hour 50 minutes
Trainasium	Aerial confidence course, commands at height	Pass or fail on command and composure
Log race	Team carry of a log over about 1.9 miles of rough terrain	Assessed on effort and contribution
2-mile march	Individual best-effort march, 35 lb plus rifle	18 minutes
Steeplechase	Cross-country run with water obstacles, then an assault course	Commonly quoted at 19 minutes
Milling	60 seconds of controlled aggression against a partner of similar weight	Scored on determination, not technique
20-mile endurance march	Squad march with 35 lb plus rifle	4 hours 10 minutes
Stretcher race	Team carry of a 175 lb stretcher over about 5 miles	Assessed on effort and contribution

Points are awarded per event and the pass mark is set by the course. The 10-miler, the 2-miler and the endurance march are the ones a plan can prepare you for most directly. The log race, stretcher race and milling are about staying in the fight when it hurts, and the only way to train that is to get used to working hard while already tired.

The load is the point

Civilians train for a 10-mile run. P Company tests a 10-mile march with 35 lb on your back, a rifle in your hands and a pace that is close to a run on the flat. The difference is the eccentric load on your calves, shins and knees on every descent, and the way the weight pulls your breathing shallow on the climbs.

So the first rule: build the loaded marching before anything else, and build it slowly. A reasonable progression over 12 weeks starts with 6 to 8 km at 10 to 15 kg once a week and finishes at 16 km plus at 16 kg with a second shorter, faster session. Add distance one week and weight the next, never both. If your shins ache after a session and are still sore two days later, that is the signal to hold the load for a week.

Pace targets follow the standards. The 10-miler at 1:50 is 11 minutes per mile, about 6:50 per km. The 2-miler at 18 minutes is 9 minutes per mile, which most people have to run in part. Train both, but do not try to hold test pace on every session. One session a week at or near test pace, the rest comfortably slower.

Running still matters

Loaded marching builds the specific strength. Running builds the engine. Candidates who turn up with a solid 1.5-mile time and 30 to 40 km of easy running a week handle the steeplechase, the log race and the back half of the marches far better than those who only tabbed.

Three running sessions a week is enough: one easy run of 40 to 60 minutes, one interval session (for example 6 x 800 m with a slow jog between), and one longer run of 60 to 90 minutes. Keep the easy runs genuinely easy. Most of your weekly volume should be at a pace where you can talk.

Strength for carrying, not for the mirror

The log race and the stretcher race are grip, trap and trunk endurance. The marches are hip and calf strength. Train for that:

• Trap bar or conventional deadlift, 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5, once a week.
• Weighted step-ups or Bulgarian split squats, 3 sets of 8 to 10 each leg.
• Farmer's carries and sandbag carries, 4 to 6 sets of 40 to 60 metres with a heavy load.
• Pull-ups and press-ups to high volume across the week, little and often rather than one max set.
• Loaded calf raises, high reps, to protect your shins and Achilles from the descents.

Two strength sessions a week is enough alongside the marching and running. More than that and the recovery cost starts to eat into the sessions that matter.

A sample week in the last block

This is what week 9 of a 12-week build might look like for a candidate who already runs 30 km a week:

• Monday: intervals, 5 x 1 km at 2-mile march effort, 3 minutes recovery.
• Tuesday: strength A, deadlift, step-ups, carries, pull-ups.
• Wednesday: easy run, 45 minutes, zone 2.
• Thursday: loaded march, 12 km at 16 kg, last 4 km at test pace.
• Friday: strength B, split squats, sandbag carries, press-ups, calf raises.
• Saturday: long run, 75 minutes, last 20 minutes at a steady push.
• Sunday: rest, 20 minutes of mobility, walk.

Every third or fourth week, cut the march and run volume by a third. That is where the adaptation happens.

The three mistakes that end courses

1. Starting the loaded work too late. Six weeks of tabbing is not enough for most people. Give it twelve.
2. Training through shin and knee pain. A stress reaction in week 8 of your build costs you the course. Back off early, see a doctor if it does not settle.
3. Ignoring sleep in the last fortnight. Fatigue is cumulative. Sleep, eat properly, and taper the week before you report so you arrive hungry for it rather than worn down.

How Loadout Solo builds this plan

Loadout Solo writes the whole block from your P Company date, your current running and marching history from Strava, Garmin or intervals.icu, and the days you can train. The marching load and distance progress on the schedule above, the running sits around them, and each morning the plan checks your HRV, sleep and resting heart rate before deciding whether today's session runs as written, scaled, or moved.

FAQ

How long should I train before P Company?

Twelve weeks of structured preparation is a sensible minimum if you already run regularly. If you are starting from a low base, give yourself longer and build the loaded marching over more weeks rather than rushing the weight.

What weight should I march with in training?

Work up to the test weight of 35 lb (about 16 kg) plus the weight of a rifle. Start lighter, 10 to 12 kg, and add weight only when the current load feels comfortable over the full distance.

Do I need to be a fast runner?

You need to be a solid runner, not a fast one. A comfortable sub-9-minute 1.5-mile time and the ability to run for over an hour give you the base the marches draw on.

What happens if I fail one event?

Points are scored across the week and the pass mark is set by Pegasus Company. One weak event can be carried by strong performances elsewhere, but the march timings are hard cut-offs. Confirm the current rules with the course staff.