Video shows Pete Hegseth trailing Marines during run after demanding tougher fitness standards

SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing renewed online scrutiny after videos showed him trailing Marines during a run in San Diego and appearing to tire during pull-ups. 

The footage surfaced days after he called for tougher physical fitness standards across the US military during his September 30 State of the Force address.

Hegseth has made physical fitness a visible part of his leadership agenda, urging service members to embrace what he described as a “warrior ethos.” The clips have prompted criticism online, while his previous fitness challenge with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also resurfaced in the discussion.

Videos show Pete Hegseth trailing Marines during run

Footage shared on social media on October 7 showed Hegseth running with Marines in San Diego, appearing behind the group as they moved along the route. In a separate clip, he appeared to struggle to continue doing pull-ups before stepping away from the bar and high-fiving service members.

The videos prompted online commentary about Hegseth’s physical performance. However, the clips alone do not establish his overall fitness or provide the full context of the training session.

During his September 30 address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Hegseth said the military would no longer be “the woke department or the weak department.” He also called for a “warrior ethos,” using the phrase “no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals, and just warriors.”

Pete Hegseth has pushed stricter military fitness standards

Hegseth has repeatedly appeared in workout sessions alongside active-duty service members since becoming defense secretary. He recently joined around 600 active-duty troops for a training session ahead of his State of the Force address.

The Defense Department has also promoted military training through advertisements and videos. According to the report, the department has introduced additional physical fitness tests and tighter body-fat restrictions across the force under Hegseth.

The latest footage has drawn attention because of the contrast between Hegseth’s emphasis on physical standards and the moments captured during the San Diego workout. The videos do not, by themselves, establish whether he meets or fails any official military fitness requirement.

Previous pull-up challenge with RFK Jr also resurfaces

The latest clips have also renewed attention on Hegseth’s participation in the “Pete and Bobby Challenge” in August 2025. The event featured Hegseth and then-Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr completing a workout that required 50 pull-ups and 100 push-ups within 10 minutes.

Hegseth completed the challenge in 5 minutes and 25 seconds, according to the report. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt DaQuan Hye completed it in 2 minutes and 43 seconds.

Hegseth’s pull-up technique also attracted criticism during the challenge. The report said he was seen using a swinging motion, while the official rules required participants to start from a dead hang and prohibited kipping, swinging and assisted pull-ups.