Marine Corps Announces Updated Physical Fitness Standards

The main change is how the existing Physical Fitness Test (PFT) is scored for Marines in combat-arms jobs, not the events themselves:

• Combat-arms Marines (a specific list of PMOSs in MARADMIN 613/25) will now be graded on sex‑neutral standards using the male age‑based scoring tables in MCO 6100.13A, regardless of whether they are male or female.
• They must score at least 210 out of 300 points (70%) on the PFT to meet the new standard.
• Marines in non‑combat‑arms MOSs keep the current age‑ and sex‑normed scoring with no new 210‑point minimum.
• The PFT events stay the same: pull‑ups or push‑ups, plank, and a 3‑mile run (with the existing authorized row alternative), administered annually between Jan. 1 and June 30.
• Combat‑arms Marines who pass but score below 210 will be placed in remedial physical training and may face PMOS reclassification and/or promotion restriction once implementation is complete.

These changes are implemented via MARADMIN 613/25 in response to the Sept. 30 "Military Fitness Standards" memorandum.

The Marine Corps is overhauling how it measures body composition, but the new system is not fully in effect yet:

• The current height/weight tables and neck–waist “tape test” will be replaced by a waist‑to‑height ratio (WHtR) method, as directed by the Secretary of War’s Sept. 30 military fitness standards memorandum.
• The Corps has not yet published the exact WHtR cutoffs; it will issue Marine‑specific standards after receiving additional guidance from the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness.
• Until that guidance arrives, units must keep using the existing height/weight standards, tape test, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) procedures in MCO 6110.3A and MCBUL 6110.
• The current body‑fat performance exemption and the extra 1% body‑fat allowance for high performers remain in force until the new WHtR policy is formally implemented.

So the specific structural change is a shift to WHtR, but the exact numbers and thresholds are still pending.

The new Marine Corps fitness standards announced in MARADMIN 613/25 take effect on Jan. 1, 2026:

• Sex‑neutral PFT scoring and the 210‑point minimum for combat‑arms Marines begin with the 2026 PFT cycle (Jan. 1–June 30).
• The transition to the new waist‑to‑height body composition method will start after additional guidance is issued, but the policy framework to replace height/weight and tape is pegged to the same directive.
• The Corps expects administrative system updates to lag by about 6–8 months, with full implementation within roughly a year.

The Sept. 30 "military fitness standards" memorandum was issued by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

He announced the new fitness, appearance and combat‑arms standards in a Sept. 30, 2025 address at Marine Corps Base Quantico and in the accompanying written memorandum, which the Marine Corps cites as the basis for its updated PFT and body‑composition standards.

Under the updated policy, the test events stay the same, but scoring rules differ by job type:

PFT events and scoring (unchanged structure)

• Events: (1) Pull‑ups or push‑ups, (2) plank hold, (3) 3‑mile run (with an authorized 5,000‑meter row alternative for some Marines).
• Each event is scored on a 0–100 point scale, for a maximum of 300 points.
• Scoring tables are laid out in MCO 6100.13A and on the official PFT standards site; better performance (more pull‑ups/push‑ups, longer plank, faster run/row) yields more points.

How scoring changes by MOS and sex

• Combat‑arms PMOSs (listed in MARADMIN 613/25):
  • Assessed using the male, age‑normed scoring tables, regardless of the Marine’s sex.
  • Must score at least 210/300 (70%) overall to meet the new standard.
  • PFT remains once per year between Jan. 1 and June 30.
• Non‑combat‑arms PMOSs:
  • Continue to use the current age‑ and sex‑normed scoring, where male and female Marines have different tables but the same 300‑point scale.
  • No new 210‑point requirement is added beyond existing pass standards.

So, everyone still does the same three‑event PFT, with scores adjusted for age; the only change in assessment is that combat‑arms Marines are all graded to the male tables with a 210‑point minimum, while others keep the old age/sex‑based scoring.

Yes. The December 2025 update does not eliminate existing medical waivers or alternative-event rules; it only changes how scores are interpreted for certain Marines.

• Medical and postpartum waivers and alternative PFT events (such as the authorized **5,000‑meter row in place of the 3‑mile run for some older or medically limited Marines) continue under MCO 6100.13A and the official PFT standards; MARADMIN 613/25 does not change those provisions.
• For body composition, MARADMIN 613/25 explicitly keeps in place the current body‑fat performance exemption and the extra 1% body‑fat allowance until the new waist‑to‑height‑ratio policy is implemented.

Thus, Marines who qualify for medical deferrals or alternative events under existing orders should still receive them; the new policy layers tougher scoring on top of the existing medical‑waiver framework rather than replacing it.

The Marine Corps plans to support Marines through a mix of unit‑level training and centralized fitness resources:

• Remedial physical training: Combat‑arms Marines who pass the PFT but score below 210 must be placed on a remedial PT program, giving them structured extra training to raise their scores.
• Force Fitness / Human Performance Branch support: MARADMIN 613/25 directs questions to the Human Performance Branch at Training and Education Command (TECOM), which oversees the Force Fitness Instructor program and provides guidance to units on building effective conditioning plans.
• Official fitness resources online: The Corps maintains a dedicated site (fitness.marines.mil) with:
  • Detailed PFT/CFT standards and preparation guides.
  • A “Workout of the Day” program and other training plans.
  • A Plank Progression Program and technique videos for pull‑ups/push‑ups, plank, run, and row.

These resources are intended to help Marines train year‑round and adjust to the higher, sex‑neutral standards for combat‑arms jobs and the coming body‑composition changes.