How can I Prepare Myself: for a Police Fitness Test?

Hi, I have just applied for the police and am waiting on the date I have to do a fitness test. This test consists of running a mile and a half in 12 minutes. I am worried I can't prepare myself as I am not a big runner. Are there any exercises that can improve my fitness so I can pass my police fitness test? Thanks Liam

Answer by Dom:
Hi Liam, thanks for your question about your upcoming police fitness test.

Look, I get it — you're not a runner and you're panicking about this test. This is a common situation for police recruits. The good news? The requirements are set at a level that they are generally doable. A 12-minute 1.5 mile isn't that crazy fast. Even as a complete non-runner you can nail this. Not immediately. It will require hard work and smart training.

I understand you're worried because you're not a big runner, but here's the thing... successful preparation comes down to three main components, not a complicated list of random exercises:

1. Aerobic base — building your cardiovascular fitness foundation
2. Speed and power — developing the ability to sustain race pace
3. Muscular endurance — conditioning your legs for the specific demands

1. Building Your Aerobic Base (Cardiovascular Foundation)

A 12-minute 1.5 mile test means you need to average 8 minutes per mile. That's a moderately fast pace but nothing crazy.

Complete beginners can achieve this in 8-12 weeks with consistent training. The key thing to understand is that this isn't a sprint — it's predominantly an aerobic effort that requires your cardiovascular system to deliver oxygen efficiently to your muscles.

Your heart, lungs, and leg muscles need to work together for 12 minutes straight. That's why specificity matters so much here. Here's what everyone who asks about shortcuts needs to know: there aren't any. You've got to run to get good at running. There's no way around the specificity principle.

Running at least three times per week is essential, but four would be better. Start with whatever distance feels manageable — even if that's just half a mile of continuous running mixed with walking.

Your first goal isn't speed, it's building the ability to run continuously. Start with 20-30 minute sessions mixing easy running with walking breaks. For example, run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat for the full session.

Once you can run for 20 minutes straight at an easy pace, you're ready to build distance. Add about 10% more time each week — so 22 minutes the next week, then 24, then 26. Since you mentioned being new to running, beginner running tips cover the fundamentals in much more detail.

Running longer than 1.5 miles in training is crucial. If you can comfortably run 3-4 miles at an easy pace, covering 1.5 miles will feel much more manageable.

2. Developing Speed and Power Through Running

You can't skip the base-building phase and jump straight to speed work. Too many people try this and either get injured or flame out completely.

But once you can run 25-30 minutes continuously at an easy pace, adding one speed session per week becomes possible. And since you are most likely after quick gains: essential. Here's an example of a progression:

Start with interval training. Try 12 x 1 minutes at your target pace (8 minutes per mile) with 90 seconds easy jogging between each rep. If 8-minute pace feels too hard, slow it down to whatever pace you can sustain for 1 minute.

Progress this over 4-6 weeks: increase the interval length to 2 minutes, 3 minutes, then 4 minutes. Eventually, you want to hit 2 x 6 minutes at target pace with 1 minute easy in between.

Tempo runs are also valuable once you're fitter. These are sustained efforts at your lactate threshold — faster than easy running but not all-out. You will want to do these in intervals as well, e.g. 2 x 5 minutes to start off with, building up to 3 x 10 minutes over time.

3. Cross-training options to support your running

Since you said you're not big on running, cross-training can help fill gaps in your cardiovascular fitness. But it cannot replace running entirely.

Cycling is the top recommendation because it builds similar leg strength and cardiovascular fitness without the impact stress. If you can bike for 45-60 minutes at a steady effort, that translates well to running fitness.

Rowing machines are excellent too — they work your whole body and really challenge your cardiovascular system. Swimming gives you great cardio benefits with zero impact.

The elliptical machine can work, though it doesn't translate as well to actual running. Your running muscles and movement patterns need practice.

Cross-training 1-2 times per week maximum works best, always in addition to your running sessions, never instead of them.

4. Creating a realistic training timeline

If you have about 12 weeks, you can make good gains. pe. Here's broadly how to structure it:

Weeks 1-4: Build your running base. Three runs per week, focusing on time rather than distance. Build from 20 minutes toward around 28-30 minutes of continuous running, following the same roughly-10%-a-week build-up described above. Add one cross-training session if you want.

Weeks 5-8: Add one speed session per week while maintaining your easy runs. Start with short intervals and progress to longer ones. Your longest easy run should reach 45-50 minutes.

Weeks 9-12: Practice race pace more frequently. Do one time trial every two weeks at exactly 1.5 miles to see how you're progressing. Keep one easy long run, one normal easy run and one speed session per week.

If you only have 4-6 weeks, you'll need to be more aggressive. Run four times per week minimum, and add speed work after just two weeks of base building. It's not ideal, but dramatic improvements are possible in short timeframes with consistent effort.

The biggest mistake is starting too hard and burning out after two weeks. Consistency beats intensity every time in this situation.

Once you know your test date, my 1.5 mile run training plan page shows how AceTheTest, the plan generator I built, can turn your current fitness and that date into a day-by-day plan. It’s free to start.

This approach should help significantly. If you're curious about similar situations, there are answers to questions about running 1.5 miles in 13 minutes while out of shape, training for a 1.5 mile run in less than 15 minutes with just one month, and preparing for Air Force basic training requirements. The police fitness test is absolutely achievable with the right preparation, and many people in your exact situation succeed. Wishing you the best of luck with your test and your police application.

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