RFT(E) 2 km run: the standard and how to train for it

The Role Fitness Test (Entry), RFT(E), is the physical gate into the British Army. It has three events, and the 2 km run is the one that decides most outcomes. The mid-thigh pull and the medicine ball throw are trainable in a few weeks for most people. Running 2 km fast enough is a question of how you have spent the last two or three months.

This is the test as published at the time of writing. Confirm the current figures with the Army recruiting site or your recruiter before you set a target; the standards have been revised before and will be again.

The three events

1. Mid-thigh pull. A static pull on a loaded bar at mid-thigh height, measuring whole-body strength. The published entry standards at the time of writing are 50 kg for standard entry and 76 kg for ground close combat roles (infantry, Royal Armoured Corps and similar).
2. Medicine ball throw. A seated overhead throw of a 4 kg ball, measuring power. Published standards of 2.7 m and 3.1 m respectively.
3. 2 km run. Run after an 800 m warm-up at a set pace. Published standards of 11 minutes 15 seconds for standard entry and 9 minutes 30 seconds for ground close combat.

The run is usually on a track or a flat measured course. The 800 m warm-up is a slow group jog, so you start the timed run already moving and slightly warm. Factor that into how you practise.

What the times mean in pace

• 11:15 for 2 km is 5:37 per km, or 2:15 per 400 m lap.
• 9:30 for 2 km is 4:45 per km, or 1:54 per 400 m lap.

Most people run the first 400 m too fast, fade through the middle and lose the time they banked. Even pacing beats a fast start every time at this distance. Learn your lap split and hold it.

Where you are now

Run a 2 km time trial before you start. Warm up with 800 m of easy jogging, then run 2 km as evenly as you can and note the total and your lap splits. That is your baseline, and it sets the paces for the plan.

If your baseline is within 30 seconds of the standard, eight weeks of the work below should get you there with margin. If you are more than two minutes off, give yourself twelve to sixteen weeks and spend the first block purely on easy running volume.

The eight-week plan

Three runs a week, with a day between each. Add the strength work for the pull and the throw on two of the non-running days.

Weeks 1 to 2

• Easy run, 25 to 30 minutes at a pace where you can talk.
• Intervals, 6 x 400 m at your target lap split, 90 seconds walk between.
• Steady run, 35 to 40 minutes.

Weeks 3 to 4

• Easy run, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Intervals, 5 x 600 m at target pace, 2 minutes walk.
• Steady run, 40 to 45 minutes, last 10 minutes at a push.

Weeks 5 to 6

• Easy run, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Intervals, 4 x 800 m at target pace, 2 minutes walk. This is the key session: 800 m at test pace tells you whether the time is real.
• Steady run, 45 minutes.

Week 7

• Easy run, 30 minutes.
• Time trial: 800 m warm-up jog, then 2 km as on the day.
• Steady run, 40 minutes.

Week 8

• Easy run, 25 minutes.
• Intervals, 4 x 400 m at target pace, full recovery.
• Rest two days before the test. A short jog the day before is fine.

If a session's pace falls apart, slow the next one down. The interval sessions are meant to be hard but complete; a session you cannot finish at pace is teaching you to slow down late in the run, which is the exact habit the test punishes.

Training the pull and the throw

The mid-thigh pull responds to heavy hinge work. Trap bar deadlift or conventional deadlift, 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5, once or twice a week, with a few sets of an isometric pull against pins at mid-thigh if your gym has a rack. Grip matters: no straps.

The medicine ball throw is power from the hips and trunk. Seated overhead throws with a 4 kg ball for 3 to 5 sets of 5, plus kettlebell swings or jump squats for 3 sets of 8. Practise the throw itself; most of the early improvement is technique.

On the day

• Do not try anything new: shoes, breakfast, warm-up routine, all rehearsed.
• Use the 800 m warm-up properly. Loosen off, a couple of short pick-ups at the end if the group allows it.
• Hold your lap split for the first 1,200 m. If you have more, spend it in the last 400 m, not the first.

How Loadout Solo trains the RFT(E)

Pick the RFT(E) preset for your entry role, give it your assessment date, and the plan is written from your current 2 km pace: interval sessions at the right lap split, easy days kept easy, deadlift and throw work on the non-running days. If your watch shows a bad night's sleep or a depressed HRV, the morning adjustment scales the interval session back rather than letting you run it into the ground.

FAQ

What is the RFT(E) 2 km run time?

At the time of writing the published standard is 11 minutes 15 seconds for standard entry and 9 minutes 30 seconds for ground close combat roles. Confirm the current figure with your recruiter.

Is the 800 m warm-up timed?

No. It is a paced group jog before the timed 2 km. Treat it as part of your warm-up and finish it ready to run.

How fast is 11:15 for 2 km?

5:37 per kilometre, or 2:15 per 400 m lap. The ground close combat standard of 9:30 is 4:45 per kilometre, or 1:54 per lap.

Can I pass the run on a treadmill plan?

You can build fitness on a treadmill, but run the intervals and the time trials outdoors on a measured course so your pacing is honest. The test is outside.