Whenever someone asks me, “How long should I ruck today?” my first answer is always: it depends. Your goal, fitness level, and load all shift what “right” looks like. But there are smart guidelines you can follow so you build without burning out.

If you’re trying to lose weight, starting with 30 minutes most days is a solid baseline. Rucking adds resistance beyond a normal walk, and it’s gentler on your joints than running. Don’t worry too much about load in the beginning. Pick something manageable (8-10 lbs is common) and let your body adapt.

If endurance is your goal, aim to ruck 30-60 minutes on most days, and include one longer session per week of at least 60 minutes. Keep your pace steady (PATHFINDER recommends ~17 min/mi for moderate effort). Once your body adapts, you can experiment with heavier loads or faster paces.

How Long Should I Ruck as a Beginner?

If you’re just starting out, the smartest move is to keep it simple and manageable. Most new ruckers do well beginning with 20-30 minutes at an easy walking pace, carrying about 12-15 pounds in their ruck. That’s enough to let your body feel the difference without overwhelming your back, shoulders, and legs.

From there, you can slowly add more time each week. Think of it as teaching your body how to handle this new kind of work. A 5-10 minute increase feels small in the moment, but it stacks up quickly over a few weeks. Once you’re comfortable walking 30-45 minutes with that weight, you’ll be ready to stretch into longer distances and more demanding training.

The most important thing in the beginning isn’t speed or mileage. It’s giving your body the chance to adapt so that rucking becomes part of your routine without leaving you beat up. If you stay consistent and let the progress build naturally, the endurance will come.

How to Use Rucking for Weight Loss

Rucking is one of the most effective and sustainable ways to support fat loss. By adding a moderate load to a walk, you raise your calorie burn significantly while keeping stress on your joints lower than running.

For most people, 30 minutes of rucking most days of the week is enough to start seeing results. A half-hour session with 12-15 lbs (5.5-7 kg) in your ruck can burn 250-400 calories, depending on your body size and pace. That’s a noticeable boost compared to walking the same route without weight.

Start light, stay consistent, and focus on duration first. Once 30 minutes feels easy, stretch toward 45-60 minutes a few times per week for an added kick. As you adapt, you can add more variety like hills, faster paces, or gradually increasing your ruck weight.

Remember, fat loss isn’t just about burning more calories. It’s also about fueling smarter, staying hydrated, sleeping well, and giving your body time to recover. Consistency beats intensity when it comes to sustainable change.

Calories Burned: Walking vs. Rucking (30 Minutes)

• Walking (no weight, 3.5 mph): ~140-180 calories

• Rucking (12–15 lbs, same pace): ~250-400 calories

That’s nearly double the burn, without doubling the time. Over weeks of training, those extra calories add up in a big way.

How Long Should I Ruck to Improve My Endurance?

If your goal is to build stamina, rucking is one of the best tools you can use. The steady load and long duration mimic the same adaptations you’d get from hiking or running but with less pounding on your joints.

For most athletes, 30-60 minutes of rucking most days of the week will steadily increase your endurance base. To take it further, include one long ruck each week. Start with an hour and gradually extend that by 10-15 minutes per week until you’re hitting 90 minutes or more. That progressive overload is where your aerobic engine really grows.

Pacing matters, too. At PATHFINDER, we recommend aiming for a 17:00 min/mile pace for moderate endurance improvement. For more advanced conditioning, a 15:00 min/mile pace with 20+ lbs (9+ kg) is considered fast and highly effective. Think of these as training zones -- steady work in the moderate zone builds your base, while shorter pushes at a faster pace help you get comfortable moving quickly under load.

Be smart about form and progression. Shin splints often show up when athletes try to extend their stride to cover more ground. Instead, practice a ruck shuffle, a fast walk/jog where your feet stay under your hips. If you want to learn more, check out our blog post: Shin Splints: Rucking Causes and Fixes.

A word of caution: don’t run with a ruck outside of event parameters. The risk of knee and back injuries outweighs the short-term gain. Endurance is built on years of consistent work, not a single “hero” session.

How Long Should I Ruck to Train for a GORUCK or Other Endurance Event?

If your sights are set on a GORUCK Heavy, Bataan Death March, the Boston Tough Ruck, Green Beret Fitness Event, or any other long-haul ruck challenge, training smart and progressive is the difference between finishing strong and burning out early.

The first step is to make sure your weekly ruck training mirrors the demands of your chosen event. That means building to long rucks that match event mileage, practicing pace under load, and layering in specialty efforts like timed 12-mile rucks or overnight training sessions. A good rule of thumb: your longest training ruck should be within striking distance of your event’s longest required distance, completed at or near event weight.

This is exactly where PATHFINDER programs shine. Each 3-month Class helps you structure your training, select Challenges that replicate event demands, and pace your buildup safely. You’re not left guessing which sessions matter most -- you’re following a system tested by thousands of athletes who’ve earned their patches in events just like the one you’re training for.

And you’re not doing it alone. Every Class connects you with Course Advisors, our volunteer mentors who are veterans of GORUCK events, OCRs like Spartan, triathlon, martial arts, and more. They’ll share lessons from the field, help you troubleshoot, and keep you accountable. Add to that the backing of certified fitness professionals, and you’ve got a team on your side as you prepare.

Many athletes repeat Classes back-to-back to stay ready year-round, scaling their Challenges and mileage to match upcoming goals.

Does Terrain Change How Long You Should Ruck?

The surface under your feet makes a big difference in how long a ruck feels. A flat sidewalk ruck and a trail ruck with rolling hills might be the same distance on paper, but your body will notice the difference quickly. Hills, uneven ground, and softer surfaces like sand or grass demand more from your legs and core, so the same 45 minutes of work can feel like an hour or more.

When you’re training on varied terrain, think in terms of effort and recovery instead of chasing a certain mileage number. A shorter hilly ruck can give you the same endurance boost as a longer flat one. On the flip side, don’t underestimate the pounding of long concrete miles. Urban routes might feel faster, but the repeated impact adds up.

Mixing up surfaces is one of the best ways to prepare for real-world endurance. Trails, roads, hills, and flat ground all build different strengths. The key is to balance your training so your body adapts without breaking down. That way, no matter what ground is under your boots, you’ll have the resilience to keep moving.

Check out PATHFINDER's program options:

Building consistency? PATHFINDER Life

Ready for a clear path to build endurance? PATHFINDER Forward

Need a faster pace and more weekly volume? PATHFINDER Endure

Training for demanding 24-hour+ event? PATHFINDER Advanced

Training for a marathon-50 miler? PATHFINDER Horizon

Training for mountain backpacking? PATHFINDER Stirling

Looking for personalized training for your unique goals? PATHFINDER XP

Need help with your fueling or some weight loss to hit your goals? PATHFINDER Personalized Nutrition Coaching

This post was written by Amy Petersen, PATHFINDER Ruck Training's Director of Programming, an ACE-CPT, Sports Performance Specialist, PN-1, PN-SSR.