Friend Needs to Run 1.5 miles in 13:30 in 2 weeks, and He is completely untrained. HELP!

I mean running nine minute pace is not that hard. Most people could do it if they just ignore the pain for one and a half miles. But then again I am not a training expert I am just a runner so what do I know

He probably deadlifts north of 600 lbs. He would say that deadlifting 300lbs is not that hard. But if you're not trained at deadlift, or if you're an ectomorph runner, well, it simply is hard. He is 250lbs. And aerobically untrained. For that type of individual, 9 minute pace is hard.

Ok sorry my bad I totally agree with you I should have thought of that. I don’t deadlift so I doubt I could even do fifty lbs

If I was the qualifying sherrif, I'd probably try to jog at like 10-11 minute pace for a minimum 30 minutes, and up to 60 minutes if I could stand it, every day.

Day 3, 6, 9, and 12 I would head to the track and do 6x400m @ 20 seconds faster than goal pace with a 400m very slow jog between each lap (almost walking if I needed it, but keep moving).

Not a single day is harder than the challenge. As a whole it probably is harder and that is sorta how training works.

Talking about some scientific stuff as if it's fact in outcome is demotivating and not something to tell your friend the best thing you can do is just have them start running and believe there is a chance realistically there actually is. I can sit around and not train for 2 weeks do a time trial and I will suck. If I run for 2 weeks and I can hammer out quite a few faster miles than I did 2 weeks before. Science of running hard is far more than what people thing they understand about 1 part of each cell. Mitochondria while important isn't really the end all be all in running. Ritz's wife's genetics aren't better than his from a running perspective but his kids are still somehow close to his level of fitness at the same age. All that to say don't write off your friend the best thing he can do to help his chances at running is to run even if it's not enough time it's still a better time that 3 days before the time trial or after it when he is jobless. Talking about. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago the 2nd best time is today! Tell him to stop being a wimp and get after it! Also stop obsessing over low level science in training we are not to an understanding of dna nor do we have the ability to map out all historical environmental factors on a human that is needed to be able to truly predicted a performance. The best predictor for any race distance is to race that distance. You friend trying to run 9 min pace doesn't need to optimize his mitochondria he needs to form a habit of getting and staying aerobically fit.

No, he is screwed. Tell him to prepare better next time.

I'm assuming this is really a sheriff's deputy position because sheriffs are political positions in the US, either elected or appointed. So it's a typical, low-level law enforcement position. If they guy doesn't get the job here, he can just apply for a police officer position in the next town over. Lots of corrupt police bumpkins that get fired for dumb, corrupt, illegal stuff just get hired the next town over. Having spent a lot of time in the past decade in small towns, that's exactly what happens. Heck the current and last police chief have/have had massive sexual harassment in the office/soliciting women they've stopped for sex suits against them. And now ICE has hired all the Proud Boys, Jan 6 insurrectionists, etc. given them minimal training, and they're on the job.

(rewrote the above if it wasn't clear. and that's for a small town in NH that my GF used to live in.)

There is little urgency in needing cops that can chase perps in the real world. How many cops that don't chase down a faster perp get in trouble for that? None ever. There are other, more efficient ways to catch perps like calling for help.

Cops are going to be spending a lot of their time at the donut shops after they get hired on anyway.

To offer a different perspective than most replies you've received: I think not only can he not improve running fitness significantly by training at running for 2 weeks, but it makes it quite likely that he will be sore, fatigued, and/or injured by the day of the test. But that does not mean he can not pass the test - it will require he have a certain innate ability and *especially* that he have good pacing. There is a great risk that, it the excitement of the moment, he runs the first lap too fast, in which case he will be cooked and have no chance. On the other hand, it sounds like he might have the strength/fast twitch/motivation to run the last lap fast. So the only running I would have him do is very limited training that won't leave him sore but will let him learn what running a bit slower than 9 minute pace, staying relaxed, feels like (e.g. for 400 meters), knowing he will have to push hard in the last lap to make up the few seconds over 2:15 it takes him for each of the first 5 laps. If he's got the innate aerobic engine to do it, this will be his best shot; he can't change that engine in 2 weeks...

This guy has power, no endurance. He will have an easier time doing short intervals than continuous running. So, have him do alternate days with one day of 2-3M run or 3x800-mile and the other day with 200 or 400 repeats on 90 s walk rest at 9:00>8:00 mile pace. On race day, he does 5x400 in 2:00 (8:00 pace) on 100 walk/jog rest in 50s, and he finishes in 13:20.

From the post he just ran 3 laps in 7:40. So he is in 10:30 - 11 mile shape at best. So he can't do this training plan at these paces yet.

I think too much has been read into the 7:40 by responders in this thread. I suspect it wasn't close an all-out effort. It was probably just a feel out test to see what a timed running effort feels. It's possible that if he had a pacer to follow go through 3 laps (or 6 laps) at an even 9:00 pace, maybe he could have gut it out just by putting more effort into it.

Even if he needs more than just a better effort, the first two weeks of training from not ever training for running is where someone is going to make the biggest gains they will ever get. There are some almost immediate gains to be made from just running a bit more every day and getting the body used to it.

Is he already in the police and wants a promotion? Surely such tardiness and last minute prep is not befitting of a wannabe sheriff who, having already done the basics should not be ignorant of what it takes. If he has not completed basic training he should wait till next year. One does not drop any significant amount of time after only two weeks.

Your 2nd paragraph is what most people on this thread need to hear and the guy doing the time trial

That is a tight window, but for a high-performance athlete like a Strongman competitor, the "engine" (the heart and lungs) is usually there—it’s just a matter of efficiency and pacing.
At 250 lbs, his biggest enemy isn't strength; it's impact and pacing. Running 1.5 miles (6 laps on a standard track) in 13:30 requires a pace of 2:15 per lap or 9:00 per mile.
His 7:40 for 3 laps (roughly 10:13 mile pace) shows he is currently about 1 minute and 10 seconds off-pace for the total distance. Here is how to close that gap in 14 days without blowing out his knees or shins.
1. The Two-Week "Crash" Schedule
He cannot build significant new aerobic capacity in 14 days, but he can improve his neuromuscular efficiency (teaching his body to run at that specific speed).
Days 1-3: Intervals. Do 400m repeats (1 lap). Goal: 2:10 per lap. Rest for 2 minutes between each. Do 6 of these. If he can’t hit 2:10, he needs to see what that speed feels like.
Days 4-5: Pacing Work. Run 800m (2 laps) at exactly 4:30. Rest 3 minutes. Repeat 3 times.
Days 6-8: Simulated Test. Run 1 mile (4 laps) at the target 9:00 pace. Do not go faster.
Days 9-11: Recovery & Sprints. 200m sprints at 80% effort to keep the legs "snappy," followed by lots of walking.
Days 12-14: Complete Rest. Walk only. At 250 lbs, his joints will need this time to shed the inflammation from training so he is fresh for the test.
2. Can "Super Shoes" Help?
Yes, but with a caveat. Carbon-plated "super shoes" (like the Nike Alphafly or Saucony Endorphin Pro) can improve running economy by roughly 1–4%.
The Gain: For a 1.5-mile run, they could absolutely shave off 10–15 seconds just through energy return.
The Risk: Most super shoes are unstable and designed for "mid-foot" strikers. At 250 lbs, if he has a heavy heel strike, he might find them "wobbly."
Recommendation: If he buys them, he must wear them for at least two training sessions to ensure he doesn't develop calf strains or blisters.
3. Last-Minute Performance Tips
Since he’s a strength athlete, he likely understands supplementation, but running requires a different approach to "peaking."
Caffeine: 3-6mg per kg of body weight taken 45-60 minutes before the run. It reduces the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). If he’s 250 lbs (~113kg), that’s roughly 350-400mg.
The "Slow Start" Strategy: Most people fail 1.5-mile tests because they run the first two laps in 1:50 and "gas out." He needs to be a metronome. 2:15, 2:15, 2:15. If he has gas left at lap 5, then he can kick.
Weight Management: He shouldn't try to lose weight in 2 weeks, but he should avoid "heavy" meals (high fiber/fat) 24 hours before the test to avoid carrying extra "gut weight" or experiencing GI distress.
Nasal Strips: While the science is mixed, many heavy runners find that Breathe Right strips help with the psychological feeling of getting enough oxygen under duress.
4. A Note on Form
For a big guy, cadence is king. Tell him to shorten his stride and increase the number of steps. Overstriding (landing with the foot far in front of the body) acts like a brake and puts massive stress on the shins. He should aim for "quiet feet."
Warning: If he starts feeling sharp, localized pain in his shins or the top of his feet, he must stop immediately. Stress fractures happen fast when heavy loads meet high-impact cardio.

Most likely, a novice needing to run 1.5 miles would want to see how fast. or even if, he could run 1.5 miles. I'd guess that he went out to run 6 laps and made it 3 laps (1200m) at a 10:12/mile pace before he ran out of gas.

Even IF he could double the distance in only two weeks, his 10:12/mile pace would be a 1.5 mile time of roughly 15:20. He has to run 13:30. To run 13:30, he'd have to chop 1:50 off that total AND double the distance of his longest run... in two weeks.

He weighs 250 pounds and he is not a runner. The OP says he doesn't do cardio because it's catabolic. He has no idea how to train to run.

Sure, he can make some immediate gains and there's the competition benefit of racing with others. But... he has NEVER raced 1.5 miles before. As a weightlifter, he has never maintained a high level of effort for longer than around 30 seconds except for his recent running 3 laps in 7:40. I chat with some guys like this when I work out at Golds Gym. Endurance is a completely alien world to them. They not only don't do it... they hate it because it sets back their lifting goals. That's another reason why I suggested the run/walk approach; it's closer to what he does at the gym... extreme efforts for 30 seconds or so followed by rest between sets.

Runners, especially some posters on LetsRun, tend to discount how hard running is for some non-runners.

Unless he completely sandbagged his 3 lap run at 10:12/mile pace, he simply lacks the time to come remotely close to 13:30. An optimistic goal for two weeks would be sub-15. I'd be very surprised if he could get under 14:30.

OP, if you could let us know how the candidate does and how his training is going, we'd appreciate it.

He must of known about this for more than 2 weeks, he doesn't deserve to pass if he has kept putting off preparing.

He's too heavy and too unfit. Having big muscles makes you look good with your shirt off, but it's completely antithetical to running. The more weight you carry, the harder it is to run. If you're carrying weight and you haven't trained, I think it's virtually impossible in the short time span described. He would need months to train, not weeks.