It was just 5.45am, but more than 30 Dannevirke Cactus students had dug deep, hauled themselves out of bed and were ready for the eight weeks of challenges ahead.
"It might seem tough this morning, but it gets easier to get out of bed this early," Senior Constable Wayne Churchouse of the Dannevirke Police told the students last Monday morning.
This is the third intake of Dannevirke Cactus (Combined Adolescent Challenge Training Unit and Support).
"Day one is the hardest day to get out of bed, but visualise in eight weeks' time marching into your graduation behind the bagpipes," Mr Churchouse told the students.
From their first press-ups to three-quarters of an hour of drills and warm ups, the group worked with military precision, before they headed out into the dark, misty morning for their first street run.