New fitness standards mean that only the most unfit troops will be identified for remedial training (Image: Getty)
New physical training standards have been dubbed “horrendous” with soldiers only required to have the fitness standards of an eight year old to be considered “adequate.” New guidelines given to physical training instructors (PTIs) require to conduct a 2km (1.2m) best effort run, with only those who complete the test in more than 11 minutes being labelled as of “moderate” fitness and in need of remedial training.
The generous time allowance given to complete the test has seen soldiers blast the standards required of service personnel as being “a joke” for a force potentially set to deploy on a peacekeeping operation in . For context, a soldier completing the 2km test in 10 minutes 50 seconds would place 45th in an average junior park run for under 14s. One infantry PTI, who didn’t wish to be named, told the Express.co.uk: “Fitness standards are horrendous, the army is not prepared to fight. It is actually a joke.”
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The army has revolutionised the way it assesses soldiers fitness in recent years (Image: Getty)
Physical tests within the have transformed radically in recent years, as bosses introduced the soldier conditioning review (SCR), to take a more scientific approach to testing fitness for recruits and serving . Prior to 2019, soldiers were required to complete a physical fitness assessment (PFA) each year which included a mile and a half (2.4km) run in under 10 minutes 30 for men and 13 minutes for women.
In recent years, assessment standards have become standardised regardless of gender but current tests require troops to run 400m less whilst being given an increased amount of time to do it within.
The PTI added: “I understand the principle of the SCR and the scientific approach, but you can’t deny it has been made easier. Before, you had to complete a mile and a half run in 10 and a half minutes for men, whereas now, with the SCR, you run a shorter distance but get given more time, and because it is an ‘assessment’, you technically can’t fail.”
Critics of the test highlight that running in shorts and trainers bears little resemblance to the rigours of military life, arguing that role-specific assessments provide a more accurate picture of a soldier’s ability to do their job. Those in favour of the test argue that strong aerobic fitness provides the foundation for soldiering.
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Only those running 2km slower than 10 minutes and 50 seconds would be classed as “inadequate” (Image: Supplied)
The guidelines state that those who fail to complete the test in the required time must face official action and undergo remedial training but in practice, this often does not happen.
An captain with experience working with airborne forces told the Express: “I have never seen an intervention take place to be honest. Often it just gets noted until they take the next test.”
Another officer added: “The vast majority of soldiers would be embarrassed to be incapable of running 2km in less than 10 minutes. My son is eight and is able to complete 2km in less than 10 minutes, as can most of his friends.
“An important part of being a professional soldier is ensuring you maintain a level of fitness that allows you to perform effectively. If people are running 2km in 11 minutes, I’d question their suitability for service in either a combat or non-combat role.”
The Express has contacted the for comment.