Free tool
Bronco test calculator
Enter your Bronco time and get your speed, your splits for every 240 m rep and an even-pace plan to beat it next time. Coaches can paste in the whole squad.
The quick maths: the Bronco is 5 reps of 240 m. Divide your target time by 5 for each rep. A 5:00 Bronco is 60 seconds a rep: 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 on the clock as you finish reps 1 to 4.
Runs in your browser; nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
Coaches: rank the squad
Type or paste one player a line, a name then a time. You get the squad in order with each player’s speed and rep time, ready to copy into the team chat.
Names stay on this device. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How to run the Bronco
- Mark lines at 0, 20, 40 and 60 m on firm, flat, dry grass. Measure them: a metre short on each turn adds up over nearly 30 turns.
- Warm up for 10–15 minutes, including a few build-ups and practice turns.
- From the start line, run to 20 m and back, 40 m and back, 60 m and back. That’s one rep of 240 m.
- Do 5 reps without stopping. Touch each line with your foot. Stop the clock as you cross the start line after rep 5.
- Write down the time, the surface, the weather and your boots, so the next test is run the same way.
Why pacing matters
The Bronco is self-paced, so how you spread your effort changes your time. Going out too hard on the first rep is the commonest mistake, and you pay for it in reps 4 and 5. Even splits are the simple, safe plan: the table above gives the time to see on the clock as you finish each rep. If you’re ahead after rep 2, hold the pace rather than pushing on.
What your time tells you
In a study of 156 professional rugby union and sevens players, Bronco times correlated very strongly with the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 and strongly with the bleep test, so it’s a reasonable test of rugby fitness. The authors also warned the tests aren’t interchangeable Sella et al. 2021. There are no validated amateur norms, and conditions change times a lot, so compare yourself with yourself.
To improve it, train the engine rather than the test: intervals at speeds worked out from a 2 km run (the MAS calculator does the maths), then short repeated efforts with turns in the weeks before you retest. The full picture is in our guide to the Bronco and Yo-Yo tests and the rugby fitness test guide.
General training information for healthy adults, not medical advice. The Bronco is a maximal test: if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or are returning from illness or injury, speak to your GP first. Stop if you feel unwell.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Bronco test?
A rugby fitness test: from a start line, run to a cone at 20 m and back, 40 m and back, then 60 m and back. That is 240 m. Do it five times without stopping, 1,200 m in all, as fast as you can.
What is a good Bronco time?
There are no validated norms for amateur rugby players, and surface, weather and how carefully the lines are marked all change the time, so we don’t publish a “good” number. The useful comparison is your own last test, run the same way.
How should I pace the Bronco?
Evenly. Going out too hard on the first rep is the commonest mistake. Divide your target time by five and aim to finish each 240 m rep at the start line on that time: for a 5:00 target, every rep is 60 seconds, so you want to see 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 on the clock.
How far is the Bronco test?
1,200 m: five reps of 240 m, each made of 20 m, 40 m and 60 m out-and-back shuttles.
Can I convert my Bronco time to a Yo-Yo score or MAS?
Not reliably. In professional players the Bronco correlated strongly with the Yo-Yo IR1 and the bleep test, but the scores aren’t interchangeable Sella et al. 2021, and the turns make it slower than a straight-line run. To set interval speeds, use a 2 km time trial and the MAS calculator.
How do I get better at the Bronco?
Build your aerobic fitness with intervals set from your own speed (the MAS calculator gives the distances), add repeated short efforts with turns in the last weeks before testing, and keep your strength work going. Running the Bronco every week mostly makes you better at the Bronco.
Does the squad table store my players’ names?
No. It runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere or saved. Copying the table puts it on your clipboard so you can paste it into your squad chat.
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