A good ruck pace for training is about 15 to 20 minutes per mile. Finish time is pace multiplied by distance, so the pace you choose sets the total time for any route.
Pace is not fixed. Load, grade and fitness all move it, and an event sets a fixed time over a fixed course, which is a different question from a training pace.
At Under the Load, we work from published figures and our own arithmetic, and we have not tested any of it ourselves.
What Is a Good Ruck Pace per Mile
A good training ruck pace is 15 to 20 minutes per mile. Pace here means the minutes it takes to cover one mile, so a 20 minute pace is slower than a 15 minute pace.
The first sessions should start at the slower end of the band, roughly 18 to 20 minutes per mile. This band is the site’s existing guideline. It is not derived from the Norwegian limits covered later on this page.
Pace also has an effort side. Conversational pace is the speed at which you can still speak in full sentences. If you can only manage short phrases, slow down. For how a single session is built around the walk, see the ruck workout breakdown.
How Long a 3-Mile or 5-Mile Ruck Takes
Finish time is pace multiplied by distance. A 3-mile ruck at 18 minutes per mile is 3 times 18, which is 54 minutes, written 0:54 in hours and minutes. Table 1 gives the same calculation for 3 and 5 miles at 15, 18 and 20 minutes per mile.
| Distance | 15 min per mile | 18 min per mile | 20 min per mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 miles | 0:45 | 0:54 | 1:00 |
| 5 miles | 1:15 | 1:30 | 1:40 |
Read the table as hours and minutes, so 1:30 is 1 hour 30 minutes. A 5-mile ruck takes 1:15 at 15 minutes per mile and 1:40 at 20 minutes per mile. The 18 minute column matches the first-session pace. These times are arithmetic on pace and distance, not measured finish times, and a heavier pack, a steeper route or heat can change the pace you hold.
The Norwegian Foot March Pace
The Norwegian Armed Forces (Forsvaret) publish the course, the minimum rucksack and the time limits for the Norwegian Foot March. The course is 30 km, which is 18.64 miles. Participants march or run. The rucksack must weigh at least 11 kg at both the start and the finish line, and civilians may use a different type of backpack. The Forsvaret figures were checked on 2026-11-04.
The time limits are in hours and minutes, set separately for men and women by age band. Table 2 shows each limit beside the pace needed to finish at that limit. We divided each limit by 18.64 miles to get the pace, and the table shows the inputs and the result.
| Age band | Men limit | Women limit | Men pace (min per mile) | Women pace (min per mile) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 20 | 4:35 | 5:25 | 14:45 | 17:26 |
| 20 to 34 | 4:30 | 5:15 | 14:29 | 16:54 |
| 35 to 42 | 4:35 | 5:25 | 14:45 | 17:26 |
| 43 to 49 | 4:40 | 5:30 | 15:01 | 17:42 |
| 50 to 54 | 4:50 | 5:40 | 15:33 | 18:14 |
| 55 to 59 | 5:00 | 5:50 | 16:06 | 18:47 |
| 60 and over | 5:15 | 6:00 | 16:54 | 19:19 |
Men in the 18 to 20, 20 to 34 and 35 to 42 bands need about 14.5 to 14.8 minutes per mile, slightly faster than the 15-minute end of the training band. Men aged 43 to 49 need 15:01, just over that end. Women under 43 need about 16.9 to 17.4 minutes per mile, which sits inside the band. Men 60 and over need about 16.9 minutes per mile, and women 60 and over need about 19.3, close to the slow end of the band.
The division assumes a flat course. The event allows running, so these figures are not walking paces that Forsvaret states. Other events set their own standards, and we do not list them. For the build order from a first session toward longer distances, see the rucking training plan.
What Slows a Ruck Pace
Several things change the pace you can hold on the same route.
- Pack weight. The starting load is about 10% of bodyweight, and past roughly a third of bodyweight how the pack sits matters more than how much is inside it. For pack choices, see the rucking backpack guide.
- Hills. A steeper route can make a pace that works on flat ground no longer hold.
- Heat. Hot conditions are another case where a flat-ground pace does not carry over.
For an estimate of energy burned, use the rucking calorie calculator.
Why Not to Shuffle to Hit a Pace
Under load, a pace faster than 15 minutes per mile tends to turn the stride into a shuffle. That is guideline wording, and no injury rate is attached to it.
Walking keeps one foot on the ground at every step. Jogging does not. Jogging with a load is a different activity from the loaded walk described here, and the training band is set for the walk.
The younger men’s limits in Table 2 sit faster than 15 minutes per mile, so meeting them may involve running. Running is a different activity from rucking as defined here. The rucking vs walking comparison covers how the two differ.
Who Should Not Chase a Pace Target
Pace targets do not suit three groups of readers.
- New ruckers should read rucking for beginners before setting a time target, and start at the first-session pace of 18 to 20 minutes per mile.
- Anyone with pain should not use a pace target to decide whether to keep walking through it.
- Anyone with a heart, joint, or bone condition should talk to their doctor before the first loaded walk and before any increase in load. The pace figures here are not set for any specific condition.
Everyone can use effort in place of a number. Aim for a pace at which you can still speak in full sentences.
What Would Change This Answer
A heavier pack, a steeper route, hills or heat would change the pace you can hold. A different published event standard would sit outside the figures given here, and a revision by Forsvaret to its time table would change Table 2.
A pace that clears a time limit on flat ground does not carry over to hills, heat or a heavier pack. The limit is a fixed time for a fixed course, and it says nothing about load beyond the 11 kg minimum. Table 2 is the published limits plus our division.
Next Step
Train at 15 to 20 minutes per mile, starting at 18 to 20. An event limit is a fixed time over a fixed course, so convert it to minutes per mile before you compare it with your training pace. The minutes per mile in Table 2 come from the division in the Norwegian section above, while the training band is the site’s existing guideline. If you have a heart, joint, or bone condition, see your doctor first and use effort in place of a pace number.
The rucking training plan sets the order for adding distance and load after your first session. Your next step is one 3-mile ruck at 18 minutes per mile on flat ground, then set your finish time against the 0:54 in Table 1 to see where your own ruck pace falls.