Is the OPAT also required to ship to BCT on top of passing the APFT? Any advice on improving running speed?

Also, my wife is 28 so she knows the struggle.

First off I hate running, but it's a necessary evil in the Army PFC (Join to see) ... You've just got to do it! I've always just focused on running to time, not distance!! Especially, at the beginning of getting into running or back into shape. I am convinced 100% that anyone who has a will can pass the 2-mile APFT run. Try and get to a point where you can run for 20 minutes without stopping (or whatever your max run time is to pass is). If you start slowly and build up you can get to a pace in order to pass the run. The first week, if you can only run 5 minutes, and then walk the rest of the way up to 20 minutes total. If you do this 4-5 days a week- adding additional minutes of run time, 5, 7,8, 10 minutes, until you are running at a consistent 20 minutes straight without stopping!! Then and only then, run further in those 20 minutes (or whatever your max time is) from run to run. You will build up muscle endurance doing this and then you can and will pass your APFT run! Guaranteed!

Yes, you are required to do the 1-1-1 PT test, and you must pass the OPAT 30 days prior to leaving, for the job you have. If you fail for that job, you must pick a job that you would pass for, or terminate enlistment.

Interval sprints: 400m max effort - 400m jog - 400m max effort - 400m jog = 2 miles

Usually sprinting exercises can help increase your speed. As others have said, 30:60's and 60:120s work really well. Another workout I've done was a timed track sprint. Basically find a small track (in my case a parking lot) and give yourself a short time limit to run around the entire track. If I remember correctly ours was around 1:30 or so. After each lap you take a 1 minute break. Do that 6 or 7 times.

There is also a high physical demands test that you must pass while in AIT. Infantry and armor have already started doing them. Each MOS is supposed to have their own. You'll have to see if your MOS is required to pass it during the time you're there. It's new this year just like OPAT.

I am completely unfamiliar with the OPAT, I had just heard some mutterings about it when I switched to the Air Guard.
However, I honestly think it's great if you're being required to meet the standard before you ship. My reasoning is this: If you can't pass on your own initiative now before you ship, you most likely won't be able to stay passing after you get back. Also being able to pass now, will make you much more likely to make it through basic training without an injury. As much as it pains me to say it, most Drill Sergeants aren't fitness professionals. There are a lot of people who get injured at basic training simply because they weren't in good enough shape to make it, and simply weren't getting proper fitness training. Or, because they get fit with poorly fitting New Balance shoes that hurt for every step (what happened to me.)

My recommendation for getting in shape? Alternate the windsprints/sucides/other sprinting drills that have been recommended, with running against time instead of distance. Start with a short time, and as you train, work up. Run as fast as you can for 10 minutes. DO NOT pace yourself during this run. If you finish doing an airborne shuffle, so be it, but don't pace yourself. I worked up to 20 minutes, but if you meet your goals without that length of time, you don't need to run that long.

Make sure that you run with a proper gait. Don't pound your joints. If it requires you to run slower, while you build up stamina, and learn to be light on your feet so be it. I don't like to be able to hear my feet touch the ground. I have run hard enough I crap myself on an APFT. But, whether running or rucking, when I get tired enough that I'm slapping my feet on the ground, I'll slow down. I know it's not polite to mention a woman's age, but your going to be a soldier, so I'll remind you that at 30, not injuring yourself in training, should be a top priority, especially if you haven't made physical fitness a part of your lifestyle up until now.

Also, when you get to basic training, make sure you don't leave reception with boots or shoes that don't fit well. I did and injured myself for it.

PFC (Join to see) How much time you have to complete those 36 shuttles? Also, to improve speed, every once in a while, do the aforementioned sprints on a hill (you can do 15 second sprint to start until you can get to the 30 second sprint-60 second jog or walk)

A piece of running advice I gave to one of my Soldiers that has issues with running....is to start running on a treadmill set with an incline (if you do not have hills in your area). Start at a low incline and with a speed that you need to meet the time you need. Keep increasing the incline once a week. After 2 weeks, run a flat surface to see where you are on your time. Then, keep increasing the incline more and more. Theory is that by the time you meet and exceed your run time on the treadmill, you should smoke the living crap out of the flat run during testing.

Right when I came back from Iraq in 2007, I found out that I was already enrolled in BNCOC...
Right from the beginning, I decided to train to be the top graduate. This would be difficult because I had already just got done with two very long, back to back tours in Iraq.
Difficult, but not impossible!
I too had a lot of difficulty in my running for Proformance.
I found an excellent weekly training plan!
Here it is:
M, w, f are the sprinting days. I went to a high school running track. You would sprint back-to-back 220meters, (1/2 around the track). Then rest for 30 seconds and hit the next Sprint, 440meters. Then rest another 30 seconds and hit the last sprint, 880 meters (twice around the track).
Push it as hard as you can to keep up the Sprint pace & speed!
Tuesday & Thursdays for long distance running, 5 miles and muscular days. I would do lounges twice around the track, push-ups and sit-ups and flutter kicks.
I trained for 4 months it's hard as I possibly could.
This training plan was successful! I did earn the top graduate position During 91 series BNCOC!!!
I hope it works for you!