Want students to run a mile? President Trump revives Presidential Fitness Test

Washington, D.C. — In an executive order issued this week, President Donald Trump announced the reestablishment of the Presidential Fitness Test and a significant overhaul of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, aiming to combat the nation’s rising health crisis ahead of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

On Thursday, Trump signed the order reviving the Presidential Fitness Test, a set of standardized exercises that schools administered to students for over half a century until 2013, when President Barack Obama phased it out in favor of a more holistic approach to student wellness. At the time of publication, it’s not yet clear which exercises will be part of the test in the future or the official launch.

The test, traditionally conducted once or twice a year for students ages 10 to 17, featured well-known drills such as push-ups, the PACER running test, and the infamous one-mile run. And it was a competitive affair: students who placed at or above the 85th percentile on all exercises were eligible for the Presidential Fitness Award, which Trump’s executive order also reinstates.

“From the late 1950s until 2013, graduate scholars all across our country competed against each other in the presidential fitness test, and it was a big deal,” Trump said at the signing ceremony, surrounded by a slew of professional athletes and people in his Cabinet. “This was a wonderful tradition, and we’re bringing it back.”

Trump celebrated the return of this “wonderful tradition” by inviting friends and former athletes to the White House, including Lawrence Taylor, the Hall of Fame NFL linebacker. Taylor’s inclusion raised eyebrows, as he has a criminal history that includes pleading guilty to sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute after a 2010 arrest involving a 16-year-old sex worker. He was later required to register as a sex offender.

Addressing a National Health Crisis among the nation’s youth, Trump’s order frames the initiative as a matter of national security, academic performance, and economic strength. The order calls for a renewed national culture of physical vitality, stating that “the physical and mental health of the American people has been neglected.”

The executive order creates a 30-member council, appointed by the president, that will advise on strategies to improve youth participation in sports, promote good nutrition, and reintroduce school-based fitness awards. The council will also explore partnerships with professional athletes and community organizations to broaden public engagement.

Referencing President Eisenhower’s 1956 youth fitness initiative and John F. Kennedy’s essay, “The Soft American,” Trump’s order positions the revamped council and test as part of a long tradition of linking fitness to patriotism and national strength.

“In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our great Nation, honor the 70th anniversary of the original President’s Council on Youth Fitness, and showcase America’s continued global dominance in sports.  Over the next 3 years, America will host the Ryder Cup, the President’s Cup, the FIFA World Cup, and the Olympic Games — the world’s premiere sporting competitions.  These events will provide inspiration for all generations of Americans,” read the order.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education, will oversee the Presidential Fitness Test and related initiatives. The Department of Health and Human Services will provide funding and administrative support, and the Department of Education will bear publication costs.

The executive order also mandates that the council be terminated after two years, unless extended by presidential authority.