Run Interval Pace Chart
The run interval pace chart is Table 1 of the NSW Physical Training Guide. It converts your most recent 1.5-mile run time into a target quarter-mile repeat time and a recovery window for the Wednesday interval run, so every candidate trains at an intensity calibrated to their current fitness.
How to Read the Chart
Find the row that contains your current 1.5-mile time. The middle column gives the time window for each quarter-mile repeat, and the right column gives the recovery window between repeats. For example, a candidate who runs 1.5 miles between 10:00 and 10:30 should run each quarter mile in 1:36 to 1:41 and recover for 3:12 to 4:13 before the next one. The repeat window is set roughly 4 seconds faster than your base quarter-mile pace, and the recovery window is 2 to 2.5 times the repeat time. Recovery is active: keep moving at a slow jog or brisk walk, never a complete stop.
How the Brackets Progress
The chart runs in 16 brackets of 30 seconds each, from a 1.5-mile time of 8:00 to 8:30 at the top to 15:30 to 16:00 at the bottom. Each bracket shifts the repeat window by 5 seconds and the recovery window by about 10 to 13 seconds. The fastest bracket asks for 1:16 to 1:21 repeats with 2:32 to 3:23 recovery. The slowest asks for 2:31 to 2:36 repeats with 5:02 to 6:30 recovery. Because the PST minimum for the run is 10:30, most candidates start in the 9:30 to 10:00, 10:00 to 10:30, or 10:30 to 11:00 bracket and move up one row at a time as they retest.
Using the Chart Across the Program
The chart sets pace; THE_PLAN sets volume. In week 1 you run 4 repeats at your bracket's pace, and the count rises to 10 by week 13. Retest the 1.5-mile run periodically, and when your time drops into a faster bracket, move to that row. Do not jump ahead of your tested time. If you can complete all 10 repeats at the top of your window with the last one fastest, and you still have not retested, that is the signal to schedule a PST. The chart also tells you when you are overreaching: if you cannot hold the window past the sixth repeat, drop back one bracket for the week.
Run interval paces by current 1.5-mile time
| Current 1.5-mile time | Interval repeat | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00-8:30 | 1:16-1:21 | 2:32-3:23 |
| 8:30-9:00 | 1:21-1:26 | 2:42-3:35 |
| 9:00-9:30 | 1:26-1:31 | 2:52-3:48 |
| 9:30-10:00 | 1:31-1:36 | 3:02-4:00 |
| 10:00-10:30 | 1:36-1:41 | 3:12-4:13 |
| 10:30-11:00 | 1:41-1:46 | 3:22-4:25 |
| 11:00-11:30 | 1:46-1:51 | 3:32-4:38 |
| 11:30-12:00 | 1:51-1:56 | 3:42-4:50 |
| 12:00-12:30 | 1:56-2:01 | 3:52-5:03 |
| 12:30-13:00 | 2:01-2:06 | 4:02-5:15 |
| 13:00-13:30 | 2:06-2:11 | 4:12-5:28 |
| 13:30-14:00 | 2:11-2:16 | 4:22-5:40 |
| 14:00-14:30 | 2:16-2:21 | 4:32-5:53 |
| 14:30-15:00 | 2:21-2:26 | 4:42-6:05 |
| 15:00-15:30 | 2:26-2:31 | 4:52-6:18 |
| 15:30-16:00 | 2:31-2:36 | 5:02-6:30 |
Use the bottom of the recovery window, not the top. A 1.5-mile time of 10:00 earns 3:12 of rest, and BUD/S never gives you the extra minute.
Related Terms
The Interval run is the Wednesday cardio session in the 26-week NSW preparation program. It consists of repeated quarter-mile efforts at a pace slightly faster than your current 1.5-mile run pace, separated by recovery periods, and the number of repeats grows from 4 in week 1 to 10 by week 13.
Interval training is a cardio method that alternates between high-intensity work periods and active recovery periods. In the NSW preparation program, interval sessions target running and swimming speed by training the body to sustain faster paces through repeated timed efforts.
The 1.5-mile run is the final event of the Physical Screening Test (PST) and measures a candidate's running speed and cardiovascular endurance. Performed after the swim and calisthenics events, it tests the ability to produce a fast run effort on fatigued legs — a skill directly relevant to BUD/S demands.
The swim interval pace chart is the swim half of Table 1 in the NSW Physical Training Guide. It converts your most recent 500-yard swim time into a target 100-yard repeat time and a recovery window for the Saturday interval swim, so the intensity of every interval session tracks your tested fitness.
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