1.5 Mile Run: in 12 Min 45 Sec

Hey! :) I've been running on and off for about 2 months now, as I am applying for the army. My mile and half time required is 12:45 mins. I run a number of routes all of which equate to 1.5 miles, except some of them I can run in under 11 mins and some of them take 13. My times are becoming harder to improve on and if anything they seem to be getting worse :( I was just wondering if you could give me some advice on how to get the best out of myself whilst out running. THANK YOU :)
Danielle

Answer by Dom:
Hi Danielle, thanks for your question.

You've got good basic fitness and you're absolutely at the right level to hit your 12:45 goal. Running some 1.5 mile routes in under 11 minutes shows you've already got the speed — that's actually faster than your target pace. The slower 13-minute runs are on more difficult courses with hills or headwinds.

Times getting worse despite training is classic overtraining. You're racing every single run, which works initially but leads to exactly what you're experiencing: stagnation and even deterioration.

Here's the approach:

1. Run slower to run faster — the counterintuitive secret
2. Add targeted quality workouts instead of constant time trials
3. Test yourself strategically, not obsessively
4. Build a proper training structure that peaks for your test date

Run slower to run faster — the counterintuitive secret

You're currently racing that 1.5 mile distance every time you run. This is common with military and police recruits — it helps somewhat initially, but it's not the best strategy long-term.

The secret to running your 1.5 mile faster is running slower most of the time.

You need to build your aerobic base. Run at a conversational pace — this will feel ridiculously slow initially. Your goal is building stamina and teaching your body to process oxygen more efficiently.

If you could comfortably run 5 miles at an easy pace, that 1.5 mile test would feel much easier. You'd have massive reserves to draw from.

Run three times per week minimum, gradually increasing your total weekly distance. Start with whatever feels comfortable — 2-3 miles total per run — and add about 10% more distance each week.

This easy running should make up 80% of your training. It feels wrong when you're used to pushing hard every session, but hundreds of people break through plateaus using this approach. For comprehensive guidance on building a solid foundation, check out the beginner running tips guide.

Danielle, if you'd like this built around your specific 12:45 target and test date rather than adapting it yourself, I created AceTheTest — you enter your current fitness and goal, and it generates a day-by-day plan using this same easy-then-quality structure. It's free to start.

Add targeted quality workouts instead of constant time trials

Once or twice per week maximum, do faster workouts. But not 1.5 mile time trials — something more structured.

Try tempo runs: 15-20 minutes at a "comfortably hard" pace. This should feel like a pace you could maintain for about 45-60 minutes if you absolutely had to. For you, this is 7:30-8:00 per mile pace.

Or do interval sessions: 6 x 3 minutes at slightly faster than your target 1.5 mile pace (so 7:00-7:15 per mile), with 2-minute easy jogs between each rep.

Particularly effective for 1.5 mile prep: 4 x 6 minutes at your target race pace (8:30 per mile for 12:45), with 90 seconds easy jogging recovery. This teaches your body exactly what that sustained pace feels like.

These quality sessions are sandwiched between easy runs. You're not hammering yourself every single day — you're being strategic about when to push hard.

Test yourself strategically, not obsessively

You can still do 1.5 mile time trials, but once every 3-4 weeks maximum. More frequent testing just adds fatigue without giving your fitness improvements time to show up.

For the last 3-4 weeks before your actual test, do one goal-pace workout per week. This would be 3 x 8 minutes at 12:45 pace (8:30 per mile) with 2-minute walks between reps.

This sharpens you up specifically for the test distance and pace, while still allowing recovery between sessions.

When you do test yourself, make sure it's on a measured, relatively flat course. Your 13-minute routes are significantly hillier or longer than you think — GPS can be notoriously inaccurate for short distances.

If you're looking for more strategies on how to drop time effectively, the article on taking time off the 1.5 mile run covers additional techniques.

Build a proper training structure that peaks for your test date

Here's what a typical week might look like for you:

Monday: 30-minute easy run (conversational pace)
Tuesday: Quality workout (tempo or intervals)
Wednesday: Rest or 20-minute easy run
Thursday: 35-minute easy run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 40-minute easy run
Sunday: Rest or easy 20-minute recovery run

As you get closer to test day (final 2-3 weeks), you'd reduce the total volume but keep one sharpening session per week at goal pace.

The week of your test, keep everything easy except one short 4 x 2-minute session at goal pace three days before the test. Then rest completely the day before.

This approach works for military fitness tests. Your current fitness level suggests you'll smash that 12:45 target if you train smart instead of just training hard. For other military-specific training approaches, the article on 1.5 mile run for army in 11 minutes might be helpful.

People in similar situations — those who can run fast sometimes but struggle with consistency — often benefit from additional insights. The experience with someone who could run 1.5 miles in 13 minutes but was out of shape might give you additional insights.
Best of luck with your army application. You've got this!

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