How the 20 meter HAMR shuttle run works

The course

Paragraph 3.13.4.1 calls for two lines measured 20 meters apart, with enough room past each line for the member to slow down safely. The lines may be marked permanently or temporarily.

The surface must be flat, dry, slip resistant and free of trip hazards. Grass and gravel are not authorized, and turf is not an approved surface. Indoor court surfaces are authorized. A tennis court, a hangar or any other place needs the approval of the installation commander.

Trained personnel watch the course, count shuttles and record the result.

How the pace is set

The administrator reads the member a script first. The member may warm up for up to three minutes. The run starts behind the first line, and the member jogs to the opposite line when the recording says to.

The member leaves a line when the beep sounds and reaches the opposite line just before the next beep. One foot must touch the line before that beep. A member who arrives early waits for the beep before running back.

The pace is a recorded beep, and after each level the time between beeps becomes shorter. The manual does not say how many shuttles make up a level, how long the first interval lasts or how fast any level runs. The scoring chart counts shuttles only.

The manual requires the Air Force approved audio file. The administrator must make sure every runner can hear it and that the audio device cannot be disrupted. Pacing devices are allowed, but the approved file must still be used. The manual does not say where the file is published.

Shuttles, warnings and the end of the test

A member must reach the opposite line on every shuttle. If the beep sounds before the member reaches the line, the member finishes that shuttle before turning back.

Two things earn a warning: failing to reach the line before the beep, and leaving the line too early. Three warnings in a row end the test. A member who gets a warning and then reaches the line on the next shuttle starts again from zero warnings.

Some actions end the test at once:

• Stopping before the line and returning to the opposite line.
• Failing to attempt a shuttle, such as resting or skipping one.

A member may also stop and step off the court at any point. The score is the last successful shuttle completed before three warnings in a row or before the member stops.

Shuttle counts at the top and lowest rows

The scoring chart is titled "20-meter HAMR scoring standards (shuttles)". The top row is printed as a count or more, and the lowest row carries an asterisk with no legend.

Air Force 20 meter HAMR shuttle counts for 50 and 35 points, by age group and sex (2026 scoring charts)

Age group	Men, 50 points	Men, 35 points	Women, 50 points	Women, 35 points
Under 25	87 or more	42	68 or more	21
30 to 34	84 or more	38	63 or more	19
40 to 44	81 or more	32	59 or more	17
60 and over	65 or more	26	50 or more	11

Paragraph 3.7.4 says a result below the minimum scores zero for the component. The calculators here read the starred row as that minimum, and give a count between two rows the points of the best row it reaches. No document says how to score such a count.

The cardio component is worth 50 of the 100 points. Meeting only the minimum in every component does not reach the composite of 75 that a pass needs.

When the HAMR is required or adjusted

The manual lists the 2.0 mile run and the 20 meter HAMR as the two ways to measure cardio fitness. Air Force Reserve members must take the indoor HAMR when weather rules out outdoor testing and no indoor track is available. A Reserve article of 3 September 2026 says neither test counts as a step down from the other.

At an elevation of 5,250 feet or more, paragraph 3.15.12.3 sends the member to the altitude chart in Attachment 3. Its HAMR table lists four groups. From 5,250 to 5,500 feet it says add 1 shuttle, from 5,500 to 6,000 feet add 2, and from 6,000 to 6,600 feet add 3. Over 6,600 feet it says add 4. The page does not say in words what the shuttles are added to.

The HAMR is the last component of the assessment. The manual requires at least five minutes of rest between components, and the three physical components must finish inside a three hour window.