# Physical Fitness - March Training



## Michael OLeary (6 Feb 2003)

There have been a few recent threads that got onto the subject of preparatory physical fitness training and discussion of marching.

The Army‘s standard fitness event is the Battle Fitness Test, or "BFT." The BFT is a "Weight-load march" with the requirement for soldiers to complete 13 km in 2 hours and 26 minutes. The march will be completed in fighting order with rucksack for a total weight of 24,5 kg." That weight includes the total weight of web gear, helmet, rifle and rucksack.

Although indivisuals are rated on their success on the march, it is executed as unit (normally platoon groups or higher). Troops should complete the march not exhausted and ready for other tasks. There is no running allowed during the test. 

After the march comes "Casualty evacuation" Ten minutes after completing the march, each soldier will evacuate another soldier of approximately the same size and weight 100 meters in 60 seconds or less. Each soldier will wear helmet, webbing and carry his/her own and the injured soldier‘s weapon. This task will be completed as quickly and as safely as possible. A straight line route of 100 metres on even ground should be chosen. The evacuation consists of a single lift without dropping the other soldier.

The regulations describe a practice marching regime based on a consistent march speed, increasing the length of the practice course over time. That concept first arose in a document drafted by the PERIs, and in reality this approach does not work well. No matter what speed you start at, some troops will be slower at the end of the march. It‘s best to design a starting pace SLIGHTLY faster than the suggested 11 min, 5 sec kilometer, and expect to finish at a slower pace within the allocated time. (making the average about 11 min per Km).

The published recommended workup schedule is as follows:

Stage 1 (3 X wk) 
Load - 4-8 kg 
Distance - 5 km 
Speed - 4 kph 
Duration - 1 hr 

Stage 2 (3 X wk) 
8-12 kg / 5 km  / 5 kph  / 1 hr 

Stage 3 (3 X wk) 
12-15 kg / 5 km / 5 kph / 1 hr 

Stage 4 (3 X wk) 
15 kg / 10 km / 5 kph / 2 hrs

Stage 5 (3 X wk) 
20-25 kg / 10 km / 5 kph / 2 hrs  

Stage 6 (2 X wk) 
25 kg / 10 km / 5 kph / 2 hrs 

Reference: LFCO 24-2 (Physical Fitness) 
(LFCO = Land Force Command Order)


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## Gunner109 (6 Feb 2003)

This is what we are doing in Meaford for the SQ crse.  It has a few problems.  The soldier will do 135Kms total before they do the test.  We had some good soldiers do the test but were to hurt to complete the field portion and as a resuld they were re-coursed.  I think that the pre training is a good thing but it might be a bit to much for these new soldiers. It is easy for us as instructors to say its not that hard, but then again we have been doing it for alot longer.  I think it has to be looked at again.


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