Criterion-Referenced Reliability and Equivalency Between the PACER and 1-Mile Run/Walk for High School Students

Background: To examine the Healthy Fitness Zone (pass/fail) criterion-referenced reliability (CRR) and equivalency (CRE) of the 1-mile run/walk (MRW) and Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) in adolescents (13 to 18 years). Methods: Seventy-six girls and 165 boys were randomly assigned to complete 2 trials of each test. Results: CRR for the boys on the MRW ( Pa = 77%, κ q = 0.53) was lower than on the PACER ( Pa = 81%, κ q = 0.63); girls were classified more similarly on the MRW ( Pa = 83%, κ q = 0.67) than on the PACER ( Pa = 79%, κ q = 0.58). The CRE between the MRW and PACER indicated boys ( Pa = 77%, κ q = 0.55) were classified more consistently on both tests than girls ( Pa = 73%, κ q = 0.46). Conclusions: No test provided greater consistency. Practitioners may consider other features, such as ease of administration, environmental conditions, and comparative use in the literature.