The 800m Test: Are You Fit Enough for Three Rounds?

How do you know if you’re fit enough to box? In the Midnight Mayhem training chat, BTG coach Daryl shared the benchmark he gives all his boxers, and it set off one of the liveliest debates of fight camp.

The test

“If you can run three sets of 800m in three minutes each, then you are more than ready for a 3x2 boxing bout.”

Take a minute’s rest between each run, just like the minute between rounds. Then, Daryl says, build up to four runs over a few weeks, and later cut the rest to 45 seconds. A few extra tips from the chat:

• Breathe through your nose while running, then take your deep breaths in the rest period.
• Mix your week: one longer run (5k at a solid pace, just above where you could hold a conversation), one 800m session and one sprint session.
• Can’t run? The air bike is the alternative, but get back to running as soon as you can.

The reaction

The group did the maths quickly. Richard Symonds worked out it’s around 16 km/h. Lee: “9.9mph. 🤮” Becky Johnson-Kent: “I mean, is that actually possible?” Steve Mayes pointed out the men’s 400m Olympic record is about 43 seconds, “so just half the pace of that. Sounds reasonable!”

Then the fighters started backing themselves. Becky’s verdict: “Fine, so what you’re saying is that if we put in the work and stop complaining, it’s achievable.” As Steve put it, “we have a very competitive group here. Anybody sets a challenge, we all wanna get after it.”

But ring time comes first

Fitness matters, but Lee was clear about the priority: “If you’re the fittest person but don’t know how to throw a punch and you can’t take a dig, then fitness won’t matter.” The fighters got the message. Rosa Kolkka was back sparring that week (“gassed out after three rounds, only way is up”), and Roger Redfearn-Tyrzyk shared his sixth three-minute round at a pace he couldn’t manage before.

Meet the fighters putting in the miles, or book a boxing session for your team.