Bronco test timer
Time a mate’s Bronco shuttle by shuttle, see how it stacks up against published professional times, and get Phil Healey’s paces to bring yours down. Free, no sign-up.
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Tap once to start, then once each time the runner is back on the start line. 15 taps in all.
Phil Healey has run strength and conditioning for the Chiefs, Glasgow Warriors and the Blues, and heads our programming.How to set up the Bronco
25 sFour cones in a line
0, 20, 40, 60 mMeasure out a start cone, then cones at 20, 40 and 60 metres on flat grass. Use a tape, not your stride.One round, three shuttles
240 mRun to the 20 m cone and back, the 40 m cone and back, then the 60 m cone and back. That is 240 m.Five rounds, no rest
1,200 mGo straight into the next round. Your mate taps the timer each time you get back to the start cone.Stop on the line
29 turnsThe clock stops as you cross the start line after your fifth 60 m shuttle. That is 1,200 m done.
Phil Healey’s Bronco Smasher
Phil’s four weeks to bring a Bronco time down: one session a week of 1 km runs, at paces set by your current Bronco. Time or type your Bronco above and the timer shows your own paces.
His whole lesson, with his full pace sheets, is inside the app.
Week 1
3 × 1 km75%80%85%Week 2
4 × 1 km75%80%85%90%Week 3
4 × 1 km80%85%90%90%Week 4
4 × 1 km75%80%90%Flat outRest between runs
3 minBetween every 1 km run.Week 5
Run your Bronco again.
What is a good Bronco time?
These are the average times professional players run, from published studies. For club and school players, the time that matters most is your own last one: the timer keeps yours on your phone so you can watch it come down.
Super Rugby men
10 years of Super Rugby testing: 462 players, 1,668 tests
- Everyone
- 5:11
- Backs
- 4:57
- Forwards
- 5:21
Super Rugby women
10 years of Super Rugby testing: 462 players, 1,668 tests
- Everyone
- 6:19
- Backs
- 5:52
- Forwards
- 6:38
Professional rugby union, New Zealand
Professional players in New Zealand: 133 rugby union and 23 sevens
- Backs
- 4:54
- Forwards
- 5:11
Professional sevens, New Zealand
Professional players in New Zealand: 133 rugby union and 23 sevens
- Backs
- 4:49
- Forwards
- 4:51
Super League rugby league
20 first-team Super League rugby league players, pre-season
- First team
- 4:58
Premier League football
21 first-team Premier League footballers, tested every pre-season and mid-season for two seasons
- First team
- about4:38
Both rugby union studies found backs ran faster than forwards on average. In Super Rugby, halves were the fastest men, the back three were the fastest women, and front rowers were the slowest in both. The football time is worked out from the average speed that study reports, after its allowance for the turns.
Sources
- Weakley J, Murphy S, Kan M, Thurlow F, Mitchell L, Whelan B, Williams P, King AJ, Read DB. A 10-year analysis of the Bronco fitness test in male and female Super Rugby athletes: the effect of sex and positional group. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2026;40(5):e479-e484.
- Sella FS, Hébert-Losier K, Beaven CM, McMaster DT, Harvey M, Gill ND. Performance in the 1.2 km shuttle run test reflects fitness capacities in rugby players. Journal of Australian Strength and Conditioning. 2021.
- Bennett T, Marshall P, Barrett S, Malone JJ, Simpson A, Bray J, Christopherson C, Nickolay T, Metcalfe J, Towlson C. Validation of field-based running tests to determine maximal aerobic speed in professional rugby league. PLoS ONE. 2024;19(7):e0306062.
- Kavanagh R, Matteotti M, Oliveira R, McDaid K, Alexander J, Harper D, Zmijewski P, Rhodes D, Morgans R. The relationship between the 1200 m shuttle test and 40 m sprint test performance and distances covered in English Premier League matches: a retrospective two season study. Biology of Sport. 2025;42(2):105-111.
- Asimakidis ND, Beato M, Bishop C, Turner AN. Evaluating the reliability and seasonal sensitivity of a fitness-testing battery in elite youth soccer. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2025;20(8):1091-1102.
How to bring your Bronco time down
Elite Rugby App’s fitness programmes include a pitch session that sets your shuttle distance by your Bronco time, alongside the gym and speed work around it.
Pace the first round
Start steady. A flat-out first round costs you more in rounds four and five than it gains you.Win the turns
There are 29 turns in a Bronco. Get low, plant your outside foot and push straight back the way you came.Train the repeat
In a study of elite players, Bronco times lined up closely with how well players repeated hard efforts (Vachon and colleagues, 2021). Hard runs with short rests build exactly that. Phil’s Bronco Smasher above is one way to do it.Retest the same way
Same field, same boots, same time of day, so the change you see is you and not the conditions.
Bronco test questions
What is the Bronco test?
The Bronco is a rugby running fitness test. You run to cones at 20, 40 and 60 metres and back, five times through without stopping. That is 1,200 metres, and the lower your time, the fitter you are.
What is a good Bronco time?
Compare yourself with players like you. In a 10-year study of Super Rugby players, men averaged 5:11 (backs 4:57, forwards 5:21) and women averaged 6:19 (backs 5:52, forwards 6:38). These are professionals, so for club and school players the time that matters most is your own last one.
How far is the Bronco test?
1,200 metres. Each round is 240 metres (20, 40 and 60 metres out and back), and you run five rounds.
How do you set up a Bronco test?
Put four cones in a straight line on flat grass: a start cone, then cones at 20, 40 and 60 metres. Run to the 20 metre cone and back, the 40 metre cone and back, then the 60 metre cone and back. That is one round. Run five rounds with no rest and stop the clock as you cross the start line for the last time.
Is the Bronco the same as the 1.2 km shuttle run?
Yes. Studies call it the 1.2 km shuttle run test and rugby teams call it the Bronco. It is the same 1,200 metres of 20, 40 and 60 metre shuttles.
Do forwards and backs run different Bronco times?
Yes. Both studies found backs ran faster on average. In Super Rugby, halves were the fastest men, the back three were the fastest women, and front rowers were the slowest in both.
How do I train to improve my Bronco time?
Phil Healey's Bronco Smasher is four weeks of 1 km runs, one session a week, at paces set by your current Bronco time, with 3 minutes' rest between runs. Week 1 is three runs at 75, 80 and 85%, and in week 4 the last run is flat out. Run your Bronco again the week after. Time or type your Bronco on this page to see your own paces.
Can I work out my maximal aerobic speed from a Bronco?
Only roughly. In a 2024 study of 20 Super League players, the 1,200 metre shuttle tracked a lab treadmill test closely, but it read their aerobic speed 0.77 metres a second too low, because of the turns. A straight 5-minute run came closer. Use the Bronco to track your own progress, and a straight run if you need a true aerobic speed.
Is the Bronco used in other sports?
Yes. Rugby league uses it: 20 first-team Super League players averaged 4:58 in a 2024 study. Football uses it too: one Premier League squad ran it every pre-season and mid-season, averaging about 4:38, and an elite football academy found it reliable enough to show real changes across a season.
How do I time a whole squad?
Run in pairs. One player runs while the other taps the timer on their own phone each time the runner is back on the start line, then swap. Each phone keeps its own times.
How often should you do the Bronco?
Three or four times a year is plenty: the start and end of pre-season, then once or twice in season. Run it on the same field, in the same boots, at the same time of day, so your times compare fairly.
Does this Bronco timer save my times?
Only on your own phone or computer. Nothing is sent to us and you do not need an account. If you clear your browser data, your saved times go with it.
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