Conditioning Tests in the Heat: Planning the Mile, the Sprints and the Extra Running

Many teams open the season with a conditioning test: a timed mile, a set of sprints, gassers or a shuttle run that players have to pass. Some coaches also use extra running at the end of practice. These are the moments when athletes push hardest, and they often fall on the first hot days of the season, before bodies are used to the heat.

Exertional heat stroke is 100% survivable when the athlete is cooled fast, on site. This guide is about planning a conditioning test or a hard running session so that, if an athlete goes down, your staff is ready.

Why Conditioning Tests Carry Extra Risk

Everyone goes all out. A test is built so players run as hard as they can. Nobody wants to be the one who failed.
It often comes first. Tests are usually given in the first days of practice, before athletes have had time to get used to the heat.
Players hide how they feel. An athlete who feels dizzy or confused may keep running to earn a spot or avoid running again.
It comes at the end. Extra running after a full practice is hard work on a body that is already hot and tired.
Many athletes finish at once. When a whole team runs together, more than one player can get into trouble at the same time.

Plan the Test Before Test Day

Write the test into your emergency action plan. Our free emergency action plan builder gives you a finished plan in your school’s name.
Don’t schedule the test on the first day. Ease athletes into the heat over the first two weeks. Our acclimatization schedule and guide to heat acclimatization for athletes show how.
Pick the coolest time of day you can, and check heat conditions at the field, not just the forecast. Our WBGT guide for schools explains how.
Decide ahead of time what conditions mean you move the test, shorten it or hold it indoors. Write it down so the call is easy on the day.
Tell athletes and parents the test date early, so players can show up rested, fed and hydrated. Share our parent prep guide.

On Test Day

Have a cold-water immersion tub filled and ready at the finish line before the first athlete runs. Use our cooling station checklist.
Put an adult at the finish whose only job is watching athletes, not the stopwatch. An athletic trainer is best when you have one.
Run in small groups. Smaller groups make it easier to see who is struggling, and fewer athletes are at their limit at the same time.
Give water and shade between runs. Rest periods are part of the test, not a break from it.
Tell athletes it is OK to stop. Say it out loud before the first run: if you feel confused, dizzy or wrong, stop and tell a coach. A test can be taken again. A life can’t.
Keep extra running out of hot days. If you use running at the end of practice, save it for cooler days and keep the cooling tub ready.

Know the Signs

During a hard run, heat stroke can look like an athlete who is just exhausted. Watch for a player who slows down suddenly, stumbles, runs off line, gives strange answers or seems “out of it.” An athlete may still be sweating. Collapse or a seizure is an emergency. When in doubt, treat it as heat stroke. Read exertional heat stroke symptoms every coach and parent should know.

Teammates running alongside often notice first. Share our guide on looking out for teammates before test day.

When an Athlete Goes Down

Stop the test for everyone. One emergency needs every adult’s attention. Watch the other athletes too, since more than one can go down.
Call 911 and start cooling at the same time. One person calls and gives the field address. Another gets the athlete to the tub.
Cool first, transport second. Get the athlete into the cold-water immersion tub as fast as you can.
Use ice agitation. Keep the ice and water moving around the athlete. Take off anything you can quickly, but don’t delay cooling because of gear removal.
Send someone to meet the ambulance at the gate and lead them to the athlete.

Cooling should start within 10 minutes. The goal is to bring body temperature down to about 102°F within 30 minutes, because at 104°F the body loses its ability to regulate its own temperature. Cold towels and ice packs are not enough. Read cool first, transport second and why cold towels don’t treat heat stroke.

MISSING: state association and league rules on conditioning tests, preseason heat limits and extra running were not verified here. Check the rules for your state and league before you schedule a test.

Before the season, walk your staff through these steps at the field where you test. Our guide to running a heat stroke drill shows how. For the rest of the summer, see summer conditioning and open gym heat safety.

Bring Your Team Into National Stay Cool Day

National Stay Cool Day is April 8, 2027. Schools, coaches and youth programs can take part. Here’s how schools and programs can sign up.