Introduction
There’s no question that running ability is critical to a candidate’s success at Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS). Running performance is highly correlated with SFAS success. For civilians who sign an 18X contract, a minimum 2 mile time of 14:24 is generally required to receive an 18X contract, and candidates must maintain an APFT score above 240 throughout OSUT, Airborne school, SFPC, and SFAS.
Why is running important for SFAS?
Although many candidates make it to SFAS with 14 minute 2 mile runs, it’s certainly not ideal. A large percentage of 18X candidates fail to keep their 18X contract through OSUT and Airborne school because they can’t meet the minimum 240 on their APFT. OSUT and Airborne school will not improve a candidate’s run or PT scores. For this reason, candidate’s should only ship to OSUT once they are comfortably passing (and ideally maxing) the APFT.
How many miles per week to run before SFAS?
Candidates often have a fascination with running mileage. While it’s true that running more generally increases run times, it’s not always the case. We find most candidates do vastly more running than they need to. By making slight adjustments and ensuring each workout has a clear purpose, candidates can make better progress with less mileage and have additional time for a dedicated weight lifting program, shin splint prevention program, specialization cycle for calisthenics, or a grip training routine.
We divide our clients into three different stages of running performance and adjust their programming accordingly.
Stage 1 – Needs Work
Any candidate running 2 miles slower than 13:30 needs serious work on their running. Even though SFAS is heavily weighted towards strength and load carriage, candidates still need the aerobic base and endurance to sustain the volume of work required in selection. We start slower candidates with three days of running per week, and work them up to four days once their body has adjusted to the mileage.
Stage 2 – Becoming Elite
Most trainees with an athletic background will pass stage 1 (under 13:30 2 mile run) quite quickly, and stage 2 is where candidates will spend most of their time. We find it takes most heavier candidates three to six months of running three to four days per week to bring their two mile time from 13:30 to 12:00.
Stage 3 – Ready
Once a candidate can run 2 miles in 12 minutes or less, we can drop the running volume to three days per week and eventually two days per week to focus on other weaknesses. Contrary to popular belief, it does not take much time to maintain running abilities. If we have a skinny, weak candidate who can run 2 miles in 11 minutes, we’ll slowly drop his running volume to two days per week while ramping up weight lifting and rucking.
What Type of Running Should I do to Prepare for SFAS?
We recommend candidates run a maximum of four times per week: one short distance interval run, one lactate threshold run, one mid-distance zone 2 run, and one long-distance zone 2 run. Each of these runs has a purpose – increase max speed, increase threshold speed, and improve aerobic capacity. To minimize the risk of shin injury, candidates should titrate volume slowly and train the shins with tibia raises twice weekly.
Candidates running four times per week will do one short-distance interval run, one lactate threshold run, one mid-distance zone 2 run, and one long-distance zone 2 run. Candidates running three times per week will drop the mid-distance zone 2 run. And candidates running twice per week will complete a long-distance zone 2 run and alternative weeks with short-distance intervals and lactate threshold runs.
What Should my Run Times be before SFAS?
A candidate’s running performance is prepared for the stresses of SFAS once they can run a 12 minute 2 mile run and 35 minute 5 mile run. But keep in mind that while running times are important for selection, rucking is the strongest predictor of SFAS success and it’s critical that candidates have a strength base for weighted carries and rucking.
At a minimum, candidates should be comfortably maxing the APFT with a sub 13 minute 2 mile run.
Running Program for SFAS
Short-distance intervals:
- 4-12 sets of 200 – 800m with 1:1-1.5 work to rest ratio
Lactate threshold intervals:
- 3-5 sets of 5-12 minutes at threshold pace with 1-2 minutes of walking or jogging rest
Mid-distance run
- 45-60 minutes at zone 2 pace
Long-distance run
- 70-100 minutes at zone 2 pace (with intermittent surges)
Tibia Training
- Tibia Raises 3×20-25
For more info on run programming, visit our page on coaching. For more information on shin splint prevention, visit our page on shin splint prevention.
Conclusion
Running performance is critical to success at Army Special Forces Assessment and Selection. To all who are preparing for selection, remember to train hard and safely. Refrain from large jumps in mileage, and remember to train across all modalities of training – strength, hypertrophy, strength endurance, and aerobic capacity.
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