IPPT 2.4km Timing: What Score Your Time Gets, by Age Group

Almost every question about the IPPT 2.4km run comes down to one of three things: what timing scores what, what counts as a decent time, and what you actually need to run in order to pass. This page answers all three from the scoring tables themselves rather than from rules of thumb.

What timing gets what score

The 2.4km run is worth up to 50 points — half the entire test. Push-ups and sit-ups are capped at 25 points each, so the run is where an IPPT is usually won or lost.

The tables below show, for each age group, the slowest timing that still earns a given score. Run faster than the listed time and you keep that score. Run slower and you drop into the band below.

Servicewomen are scored on a completely separate table, with different benchmarks at every age group:

So what is a good 2.4km time?

There is no single answer, because the tables are calibrated to age. But the numbers give you honest reference points.

For a serviceman aged 25 to 27: 8:50 maxes the station at 50 points. That is genuinely fast, and most people will never need it. 10:30 earns 40 points — a strong run, enough to carry a modest push-up and sit-up score into Silver territory. 12:50 earns 30 points, which is solid and unremarkable. 14:30 earns 20, and at that point the run has stopped helping you and started costing you.

The useful way to think about it: a good 2.4km time is whatever timing covers the points you are actually short of. If your push-ups and sit-ups are strong, a 13-minute run is fine. If they are weak, the same 13 minutes fails you.

Is there an IPPT 2.4km passing time?

No — and this is the most common misunderstanding about the whole test.

You pass IPPT on a total of 51 points across all three stations, with at least 1 point at every station. There is no standalone 2.4km timing you must beat. What the run needs to deliver depends entirely on what you already scored on push-ups and sit-ups.

Read the top row and the bottom row together and you can see the whole logic of the test. Max both static stations and you can jog 16:20 and still pass. Score 20 points between them and you need 12:40 for that same pass — and Silver has already moved out of reach no matter how fast you run.

Your own numbers will differ by age group. The IPPT calculator works this out directly: enter what you can currently do on push-ups and sit-ups, and it returns the exact timing you need for the next award.

Pacing: what the target actually feels like

2.4km is six laps of a standard 400m track, or roughly 1.49 miles. Most people who miss their target miss it by going out too hard on the first two laps and paying for it on laps four and five. Knowing your lap split before you start is the cheapest improvement available to you.

Run the first lap at your target split, not faster. If you still feel good at lap four, that is when to spend whatever you have left.

Where the run sits in the session

The static stations are attempted first and the 2.4km run last. That matters more than people expect: you arrive at the start line with tired shoulders and a tired core, and the time you hit fresh on a track is not the time you will produce at the FCC. Train the run on days when you have already done push-ups and sit-ups, at least some of the time.

Improving the number

Pacing and race-day execution alone are worth twenty to thirty seconds. Past that you need real training — intervals to raise your top end, easy mileage to build the base underneath it. The full programme is in how to improve your 2.4km run time.

If the static stations are what is really costing you, that is often the faster fix. Adding five push-ups is usually easier than taking a minute off a 2.4km. See push-up and sit-up training.

Frequently asked questions

What is the IPPT 2.4km passing time?

There is no standalone passing time for the 2.4km run. You pass IPPT on a total of 51 points across all three stations, with at least 1 point at each station. The timing you need depends on what you scored on push-ups and sit-ups.

What 2.4km time gives the full 50 points?

It depends on your age group. For servicemen it ranges from 8:30 in the youngest group to 10:50 at 58 to 60. For servicewomen it ranges from 10:00 to 13:00.

What is a good 2.4km time for IPPT?

For a serviceman aged 25 to 27, 8:50 is the maximum score, 10:30 earns 40 points and 12:50 earns 30 points. A good time is really whichever timing covers the points you are short of after push-ups and sit-ups.

How many laps is 2.4km?

Six laps of a standard 400m track. In distance it is about 1.49 miles.

How many points is the 2.4km run worth?

Up to 50 points, which is half the total IPPT score. Push-ups and sit-ups are worth up to 25 points each.

What pace do I need for a 12-minute 2.4km?

Two minutes per 400m lap, or about 5:00 per kilometre. Hold that from the first lap rather than starting faster and fading.

Is the 2.4km scoring different for women?

Yes. Servicewomen are scored on a separate 2.4km table with different benchmarks at every age group.

Do I run before or after the push-ups and sit-ups?

The static stations are attempted first, then the 2.4km run. Train with that order in mind, because a fresh-legged track time is not what you will produce at the FCC.

Sources

Every timing on this page is taken from the 2.4km scoring tables the SAF implemented on 1 April 2015, as published by MINDEF, and checked against the official IPPT calculator on the NS Portal. The complete tables for all three stations are published on our IPPT score table page. This is an independent site with no connection to MINDEF, the SAF or CMPB — see our disclaimer.