Topend Sports Logo

2-km Run Test

The 2 km (1.24 miles) time trial run test is one of many field tests for aerobic fitness. It is a simple test requiring the participants to cover a 2km distance as fast as possible. There are many other running and walking fitness tests, including the similar distance 1.5-Mile Run Test and the Cooper 2.4km run test. The AFL combine recently changed their running endurance test from the 3km run to the 2 km run test, and Indian cricketers now have a 2km time trial in addition to the yo-yo test as part of their assessments.



purpose: This test measures aerobic fitness.

equipment required: 2 km flat running course (e.g. 400m track), stopwatch, marker cones, recording sheets.

pre-test: Explain the test procedures to the subject. Perform screening of health risks and obtain informed consent. Prepare forms and record basic information such as age, height, body weight, gender, test conditions. Measure and mark out the course using cones. See more details of pre-test procedures.

procedure: The aim of this test is to complete a two kilometer course in the shortest possible time. At the start, all participants are required to line up behind a starting line. On the command ‘go,’ the clock will start, and the athletes begin running at their own pace. Walking is allowed, but not encouraged.

running fitness test running fitness test

scoring: The total time to complete the 2km course is recorded for each participant. See some athlete results for the 2km run. The 2km world record for men is 4:44.79 by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, and for women 5:23.75 by Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia. Indian pace bowlers need to complete 2km in 8 minutes and 15 seconds, and 8 minutes and 30 seconds for all other players. See 2km run world best scores.

advantages: large groups of athletes can be tested at once, and it is a very cheap and simple test to perform. If the test is conducted on a 400m running track, all the athletes will be in view throughout the test.

disadvantages: Practice and pacing are required, and performance on this test can be affected greatly by motivation. If running around a 400 m track, you will be able to provide continual feedback on the time elapsed to help with pacing.

comments: To achieve the best result for this test, adequate practice and good pacing are required.



The Test in Action

Similar Tests

Related Pages

send us a comment Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.

Testing Extra

We have over 400 fitness tests listed, so it's not easy to choose the best one to use. You should consider the validity, reliability, costs and ease of use for each test. Use our testing guide to conducting, recording, and interpreting fitness tests. Any questions, please ask or search for your answer. To keep up with the latest in sport science and this website, subscribe to our newsletter. We are also on facebook and twitter.

 → How to Cite