How do you feel that most US Marines can't run a 5k in under 20 minutes?

How do I feel wrote:

its just fine wrote:

Good lord. A 20 min 5k Is very fast for an average person. Go look at most sub 20 runners. You really want a bunch of 125 lb sticks (mostly high schoolers) defending the country?

But a very robust person can break 20 as well.

I'm 170 and half a century old and I can still run minutes under 20.

How the hell is that even possible? I'm under 125 lbs, a lot younger than half a century old, and am light years away from a sub 20 5K.

And I've run a solo sub 3 1K, so I'm not completely untalented or untrained.

class 234, Coronado wrote:

david45 wrote:

People here think running is easy and that a 20 minute 5k is easy. Yet, most Marines can run a 5k in under 20 minutes. How do you feel about that?

How do you feel that most runners can’t do more than 5 strict pull-ups? Or 50 pushups in a row?

It’s essentially the same thing.

50 pushups in a row is a lot harder than 5 pull ups, assuming both are done with proper form. I can do 5 pull ups in a row, but can't do more than 30 pushups in a row.

FWIW, I've run the 300m in 41", which is apparently the 99th percentile for 20-29 year old males:

If you're under 125 pounds, pull ups might be easier. I've never heard anyone say that pull ups were easier than push ups...Pull-ups are hard enough that the Marines don't require the women to do pull-ups on the PFT test while men have to. But in branches where push ups are part of the test both sexes have to do push ups.

Dafaq? wrote:

class 234, Coronado wrote:

How do you feel that most runners can’t do more than 5 strict pull-ups? Or 50 pushups in a row?

It’s essentially the same thing.

50 pushups in a row is a lot harder than 5 pull ups, assuming both are done with proper form. I can do 5 pull ups in a row, but can't do more than 30 pushups in a row.

FWIW, I've run the 300m in 41", which is apparently the 99th percentile for 20-29 year old males:

https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/police/CooperStandards.pdf

with a push up, you're only moving about 60%, at most, of your bodyweight while a pull up requires you pull your entire weight (minus the weight of your arms)...so how are pull ups easier?

bartholomew_maxwell wrote:

If you're under 125 pounds, pull ups might be easier. I've never heard anyone say that pull ups were easier than push ups...

Pull ups are harder than push ups, but I don't think the ratio is anywhere near the 1:10 that the previous poster was describing (5 pull ups = 50 push ups). I can see 5 pull ups equaling 25 push ups, but not 50.

Dafaq? wrote:

50 pushups in a row is a lot harder than 5 pull ups, assuming both are done with proper form. I can do 5 pull ups in a row, but can't do more than 30 pushups in a row.

You have 2 minutes to do the push ups in the military PFT tests...I hope you don't mean you can only do 30 before you have to hit the deck...You're allowed to rest in the up position..but if you can't do more than 30 in 2 minutes you're not cutout for the military (maybe the coast guard, but none of the 4 main branches). That's absolutely pathetic.

5K time is entirely irrelevant to the work of being a Marine, so I feel good about the average Marine not being able to break 20 minutes. I care about their ability to think and fight, not run stupidly long distances that their combat situations don't call upon them to.

Dafaq? wrote:

bartholomew_maxwell wrote:

If you're under 125 pounds, pull ups might be easier. I've never heard anyone say that pull ups were easier than push ups...

Pull ups are harder than push ups, but I don't think the ratio is anywhere near the 1:10 that the previous poster was describing (5 pull ups = 50 push ups). I can see 5 pull ups equaling 25 push ups, but not 50.

Plenty of people with long arms can do a lot of push ups but can't do a single pull up. The longer your arms are the harder it is. But with a push up the range of motion for everyone is a lot smaller than a pull up. With a push up your range of motion is at most half of your arm length while with a pull up your range of motion is (LengthOfArms - LengthOfNeck) since your chin has to be raised above the bar for a proper pull up.

bartholomew_maxwell wrote:

Dafaq? wrote:

50 pushups in a row is a lot harder than 5 pull ups, assuming both are done with proper form. I can do 5 pull ups in a row, but can't do more than 30 pushups in a row.

You have 2 minutes to do the push ups in the military PFT tests...I hope you don't mean you can only do 30 before you have to hit the deck...You're allowed to rest in the up position..but if you can't do more than 30 in 2 minutes you're not cutout for the military (maybe the coast guard, but none of the 4 main branches). That's absolutely pathetic.

That makes a lot of difference. Are you also allowed to rest for the pull ups?

Dafaq? wrote:

That makes a lot of difference. Are you also allowed to rest for the pull ups?

Yeah. I think the pull up test is untimed, You're able to rest when doing any of the exercises in the PT test within the time limit.

Dafaq? wrote:

How do I feel wrote:

But a very robust person can break 20 as well.

I'm 170 and half a century old and I can still run minutes under 20.

How the hell is that even possible? I'm under 125 lbs, a lot younger than half a century old, and am light years away from a sub 20 5K.

And I've run a solo sub 3 1K, so I'm not completely untalented or untrained.

You're obviously under developed aerobically. When I started running I was legit fat and I never ran a step in high school or college. After an injury took the back half of last year I ran under 20 off of no training for over 4 months. Then off of one week running 58 miles I was able to run within a minute of my pb. Keep in mind I am not fast and have less than 5 years of running under my belt. I'm still fat by LRC standards also. I really don't buy that any reasonably fit person can't run under 20. It's complete bs. And if a visibly out of shape Bekele can run 2:03 surely any fit looking person which no health complications can manage one sub 20 5k.

I'm surprised you can pass the Marine Corps 3 mile run with a 27 minute 5k...as an 18 year old male...The scores are graded by age but 27 seems ridiculously lax!

https://www.military.com/military-fitness/marine-corps-fitness-requirements/usmc-pft-charts

No one who goes to recruit training is trying to meet the minimum marks...you're going to be so exhausted from the training itself that when PT time comes around, you're probably going to be a lot slower than you were before boot camp.

Since the minimum 3 mile requirement is 27:40 you'll probably want to be in 24:00 shape before going to boot camp...

bartholomew_maxwell wrote:

Posted before, but this female Marine who isn't even built like the typical runner completed 1.5 miles at 6:39 pace. That's a testament to the overall athleticism ofyour AVERAGE Marine...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcsSryRdRD8

Geez I was thinking she was Mexican...she's actually Colombian lol

david45 wrote:

People here think running is easy and that a 20 minute 5k is easy. Yet, most Marines can run a 5k in under 20 minutes. How do you feel about that?

Think of physical activities Marines, especially Marines in infantry must be able to do:

1) Force march with (50 to 100) pounds of gear on your back for 6 miles in less than two hours;

2) Climb a 30 foot rope with at least (50 to 75) pounds of gear on your back;

3) Prevail in hand to hand combat.

Maybe one chance in 10000 for a Marine to have to prevail in hand to hand combat. The need for a Marine to be able to run a sub-20 5K, about the same. Most likely a scout sniper may need to be able to run sub-20 5K. A scout sniper would possibly fire his rifle then have to meet a helicopter 5K away. This may have occurred with Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock a few times. I met him over 30 years ago. I read on-line that he was 5'10". No. I am a legit 5'11" Hathcock was a legit 6'0" Maybe a bit taller. He was very thin 30 years ago. It worked for Hathcock to be that thin. No doubt Hathcock was capable of sub-17:00 5K. There are thousands of machine gunners in U.S.M.C. If machine gunners are 5'9" 185lbs. or 6'0" 210lbs., that's okay. No one expects larger machine gunners to run sub-20 5K.

bartholomew_maxwell wrote:

M friend is still in a great position since he's an E-9 and will retire in a few years at the highest enlisted rank. Well, not THE highest enlisted ranking member since among E-9's, there are senior ranks. Only one enlisted member holds the highest of the E-9 positions.

If he is a Sergeant Major or a Master Gunnery Sergeant, then he is at the highest enlisted rank.

The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is the Commandant's right hand man. SMMC is a billet (and a unique rank, but technically also an E-9)

Rhodium Nights wrote:

bartholomew_maxwell wrote:

M friend is still in a great position since he's an E-9 and will retire in a few years at the highest enlisted rank. Well, not THE highest enlisted ranking member since among E-9's, there are senior ranks. Only one enlisted member holds the highest of the E-9 positions.

If he is a Sergeant Major or a Master Gunnery Sergeant, then he is at the highest enlisted rank.

The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is the Commandant's right hand man. SMMC is a billet (and a unique rank, but technically also an E-9)

Yeah. I just wanted to distinguish between the Sgt Major of the Marine Corps and other E-9's.

Even if you buy that she could hold that pace for 3000 meters it's still only a 65% rating. It's not a fast pace and she'd be running closer to 22 minutes over a 5k. Your average marine would not show up to publicly run such a test on YouTube to be seen by so many people which suggests that a 22 minute 5k type believes they are well above average.

Marines need a running club. Would keep them fit an out of trouble.

Great recruiting tool also if they show up for the many road races out there.