Basketball & The Mile Run: Tradition vs Transferability

Houston’s men’s basketball team had an incredible run to the national championship game in 2025.

If you asked people to describe their team in one word, you’d hear things like: tenacious, physical, tough, and relentless.

One area that links those words is conditioning. If you aren’t in shape, you won’t be tenacious, physical, tough, and relentless.

After their amazing comeback against Duke, I saw this tweet:

As coaches, we all want to have teams that are in elite condition.

So here’s the question - should running the mile be part of a basketball conditioning program?

Why the Mile Still Matters for Basketball Conditioning

Here’s 3 reasons the mile should be part of your pre-season program:

It builds mental toughness

Running the mile for time is hard! Players have to push through fatigue to achieve a goal time. This helps build mental toughness, which you’ll need throughout your season.
It builds a strong aerobic base

Yes, much of the game is anaerobic - quick bursts. However, it’s important to train your endurance as well. The mile is a great supplement to your on-court conditioning and adds an otherwise missing element.
It creates accountability & goal setting

Having times players must achieve gives them something to work towards. You’ll learn who has put in time to prepare and who is just winging it. That gives you valuable insight into your team.

Here’s 3 reasons you should NOT use the mile run:

It doesn’t mimic the game

In a game, players never run a mile without stopping. Just as your drills should mirror what happens in a game, so should your conditioning. Running the mile will not transfer as effectively as other conditioning methods.
It doesn’t produce relevant data

Being able to run a fast mile is great. However, that doesn’t tell you what type of “basketball” shape a player is in. It doesn’t measure lateral quickness, change of direction, or the ability to start and stop. Those are much more valuable in a game than the ability to run for a long time without stopping.
It trains players to be slower

No one can sprint a mile. As a result, players are training themselves to go at less than 100%. Because basketball is primarily an anaerobic sport, you want players to be prepared to go all out as much as possible. Intentionally or not, the mile trains players the opposite way.