2 Miles in 16 Minutes - Is it Possible?

by Ana
(Houston, Texas)

What are the chances I would be able to run 2 miles in 16 minutes? I am 43 yrs old.

I am in decent shape.

I can run 2 miles now in 30 minutes.

I want to start the Police Academy in three months' time but I'm afraid it's unrealistic for me to believe I would be able to run 2 miles in 16 minutes by the end of the Academy.

Answer by Dominique:
Hi there,
Thanks for your question about your police physical test.

You should not start this by thinking you will not be able to achieve it. So, I am definitely not going to say it is unrealistic for you to get to your goal time of 2 miles in 16 minutes. 2 miles in 16 minutes is very achievable. Not easy if you have a low base of fitness, but doable when you are well trained.

And, you can make big, big improvements at the start of your running career. All it will take is keep going and get consistent with your running. Be consistent and persistent and good things will follow.

At the same time it is fair to say that you are quite a way off from your goal time at the moment. Good thing is that you ask the question early so you have got a number of months to train before going to the academy and then, presumably, some more time while you are at the Academy.

I'll share with you:

1. The key requirements for a faster 2 mile run
2. Key things to be aware of

The Key Requirements for a Faster 2 Mile Run

There are a number of key requirements to a faster 2 mile run:

A strong base. A 2 mile run is a long way. It is a very long way to try and run fast. So, first of all, it requires you to have a lot of stamina. The best way to build up your stamina is to run often. Four times per week would be great. And you want to learn how to run well beyond 2 miles. It would be great if you could build up your running so you are doing regular 4-6 mile easy runs. Once you are at that level, 2 miles of faster running becomes a lot more doable.

So, how do you get there. Well, build up your running carefully and gradually. See my page about increasing mileage safely for some tips. And don't be afraid to resort to run/walks at the start of your running career. Running 40 minutes in one go might be a big challenge at the moment. That's ok. Just make it into a run/walk with regular breaks e.g. 8 x 5 min run / 1 min walk. The key is to get that mileage into your legs one way or another. Also check out my page about building your base for more information. Especially when you start off with running, base running is critical.

Quality workouts. Secondly, these police fitness tests do not only rely on endurance. They rely on good speed as well. Once you have a good base, some selective faster running will really sharpen the saw so to say. There are plenty of faster workouts to choose from. Check out my Running Workouts page for an overview.



As someone relatively new to running, you may find it easiest to consider fartlek first, before taking on anything more challenging. Fartleks are a low-entrance way to starting to run faster. Simply pick up the pace for a little while during a run, then drop it back down again. Depending on what you run past you can use landmarks like buildings, streetlights, etc. to decide on when to pick up the pace and when to drop it again. If that sounds a little too unstructured for you, then check out the fartlek page for some ideas about structured workouts or go to the interval running or tempo running pages for further ideas.

Strength Training. I am not familiar with your police physical test requirements. They are different from state to state, territory to territory, country to country. But I am assuming that your police physical test will include more than just running. I have coached runners who need to a series of push-ups and sit-ups first before the run test. So make sure you include two days in your schedule in which you do heavy weights and / or bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, sit ups, core exercises etc. What you do will depend on your strength training experience. Like with the running, I am a big fan of gradually increasing the difficulty. Don't just get stuck in maintenance mode. Build strength!

This will help your running. There are plenty of studies that back up the positive impacts of strength work on running performance. Check out my strength training for runners page for further information. And if the test includes a strength test before the run starts, just make sure you get used to that component as well. It is a different sensation to run with a tired body.

In short, what it comes down to now is start doing the work to get fit and get ready for the academy!

Key Things to Be Aware of

When you jump into a fitness program from doing nothing or not much to 4-5 days of exercise per week it is always best to consult your doctor first. General rule is that if you are over forty, overweight, have not exercised a lot etc. you should consult a doctor first.

And whatever you do, make sure you build up your exercise slowly and steadily. If you don't quite know what you are doing and you are launching yourself into a fitness program, you risk injuries. Injuries mean time off, which makes it harder to achieve your goals.

So, build it up wisely. Sure, work hard when you need to work hard. But take care of yourself and listen to your body. Learn to distinguish between normal muscle soreness and niggles and pains that may indicate injury.

When running four times per week is too much for the body, consider doing some cross-training instead. It is not the same as running. But you can still build your cardio fitness through cycling, rowing, swimming, ski erg, etc.

Well, best of luck and I hope you give it a go as it sounds like a career- and possibly life-determining turn of events.

Kind regards,
Dominique