Sprint Drag Carry: AFT Standards, Times, and How to Train It
The sprint drag carry is the third event of the Army Fitness Test and the one that punishes poor conditioning the hardest. It is 250 meters of all-out shuttle work: sprinting, dragging a sled, shuffling, and carrying kettlebells, all inside a 25 meter lane with the clock running. This guide breaks down each leg, the current time standards, and how to train it so your score climbs.
What Is the Sprint Drag Carry?
The sprint drag carry, usually shortened to SDC, is one of the five events on the Army Fitness Test, which became the Army's test of record on June 1, 2025. The event is five back-and-forth trips, called shuttles, down a 25 meter lane. Each shuttle covers 50 meters, down and back, for 250 meters total. You perform them in this order with no rest between legs:
Leg 1: Sprint
Sprint 25 meters down, touch the line with your hand and foot, and sprint back. Simple, but do not coast it. Seconds saved here are the cheapest of the whole event.
Leg 2: Sled Drag
Grab the strap handles and drag a 90 pound sled backward down and back. Stay low, lean away from the sled, and take fast, short steps. This is where big scores are made or lost.
Leg 3: Lateral Shuffle
Shuffle sideways down and back without crossing your feet, touching the line at each end. Stay in an athletic stance and push hard off the trailing leg.
Leg 4: Kettlebell Carry
Pick up two 40 pound kettlebells and run down and back. Grip and posture decide this leg. If the bells pull you into a forward slump, your turnover dies.
Leg 5: Sprint
Drop the bells behind the line and empty the tank on a final 50 meters.
Sprint Drag Carry Time Standards
Each AFT event is scored from 0 to 100 points, and you need at least 60 points per event to pass. The anchor times below are for the youngest age bracket, soldiers 17 to 21, under the general standard. Older age brackets get slightly more time, so treat these as the toughest baseline outside combat arms.
| Age 17-21, General Standard | 60 Points (Minimum Pass) | 100 Points (Max) |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 2:28 | 1:29 |
| Women | 3:15 | 1:55 |
Soldiers in the 21 combat military occupational specialties are held to a tougher bar: they are scored on the male tables regardless of sex, need 60 points per event, and must total at least 350 of 500 across the test rather than 300. The full picture of what changed when the AFT replaced the ACFT, including the removal of the standing power throw, is in our AFT vs ACFT breakdown. To see exactly what your current SDC time earns for your age and standard, run your numbers through our free Army fitness test calculator.
How to Train the Sprint Drag Carry
The SDC is an anaerobic event that lasts one and a half to three minutes, so training for it looks like short, violent conditioning work rather than long runs. Three sessions a week is plenty when you structure them around these priorities.
1. Practice the full event, but sparingly
Run a full-effort 250 meter rehearsal once every week or two and log your splits. More often than that and the quality drops. On other days, train the legs in isolation.
2. Build the backward drag
Backward sled drags are the highest-value carryover exercise. No sled? A heavy sandbag dragged by its handles across grass or turf reproduces the same leg drive and lean. Work 25 to 50 meter repeats with full recovery, then shorten the rest as you adapt. Our sled training guide has full progressions.
3. Load the carry
Farmers carries at 40 to 60 pounds per hand build the grip and postural strength that keep you upright on leg four. Technique details are in our farmers carry guide. Fast 25 meter shuttle carries beat long slow walks here, because the test rewards turnover, not just grip endurance.
4. Sharpen change of direction
Every leg includes a 180 degree turn at the far line. Practice decelerating late, touching, and exploding out of the turn. Six to eight touches per session, done crisply, are worth more than any extra mileage.
Common penalties to train away
Graders will send you back for missing the line touch, crossing your feet on the shuffle, or letting the sled swing wide of the lane. Rehearse the standards until they are automatic, because a re-run leg costs more time than any fitness gap.
No sled? No problem
The Raider Training Sandbag Kit
Loadable from 60 to 80 lb, the Raider stands in for the SDC sled on drags and doubles as your carry, clean, and lunge implement anywhere there is grass. $139.97, made in the USA.
Shop now →Sprint Drag Carry FAQ
How long is the sprint drag carry?
250 meters total: five 50 meter shuttles on a 25 meter lane. The five legs are sprint, sled drag, lateral shuffle, kettlebell carry, and a final sprint.
How heavy is the sled and the kettlebells?
The sled is loaded to 90 pounds and the carry uses two 40 pound kettlebells. Loads are the same for every soldier; only the time standards vary by age and standard.
What is a good sprint drag carry time?
For soldiers 17 to 21 under the general standard, 2:28 scores the 60 point minimum for men and 1:29 scores the full 100. For women the anchors are 3:15 and 1:55. Anything under two minutes is a strong time for most soldiers.
Do combat MOS soldiers have different SDC standards?
Yes. Combat arms soldiers are scored on the male tables regardless of sex and must average 70 points per event, since the combat standard requires 350 total with no event below 60.
Can I wear gloves or straps on the SDC?
Lifting straps and similar grip aids are not authorized, but gloves that conform to AR 670-1 may be worn to protect your hands. Our guide to what is allowed on the Army fitness test covers the full equipment rules. Either way, bare grip strength decides leg four, so test your baseline with our grip strength calculator.
