Foreign Legion: Interval training running with Major Gérald

Watch another useful video published by the official French Foreign Legion channel on YouTube starring Major Gérald, the head of the Sports Office of the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE). This time, you will be learnt how to make you a better runner. Very important for those who think about joining the Legion.

This time, Major Gérald presents us an interval training running. It helps you to be well prepared for an updated running test of the French Army (since January 2020) that replaced the old “Cooper test” (12 minutes of running to cover at least 2,800 meters; used for about 40 years in the Legion). The Cooper test wasn’t part of the main selection’s entry tests in Aubagne for years, replaced there by the “Beep test” (Multi-stage fitness test). However, it was still present during basic instruction in the 4th Foreign Regiment in Castelnaudary and in the other Legion units (as part of the annual physical exams).

The new Interval running test says us, for example, that a person aged between 22 and 30 years has to run 2,400 meters in 8 minutes and 45 seconds or less (e.g. 3 min 37 sec for every 1 km). That means, when compared to the old Cooper test, you would have run 3,300 meters in 12 minutes.

In the video, provided with English subtitles once again, you will be taught how to increase your speed and your endurance efficiently, which will improve automatically your physical condition and your chances to pass successfully the new “2,400 m” test. This method first appeared in Germany in 1930 and is really very effective.

The video was shot at Camp Carpiagne, the military base of the 1er REC located near Marseille, with legionnaires of the regiment’s 2nd Squadron. Enjoy it.

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