Couch to 5K: a nine-week beginner plan
This nine-week plan takes you from no running at all to 30 minutes without stopping, using three short sessions a week. It mixes running and walking so that the step up each week is small enough to manage.
Who the plan is for
It is written for complete beginners and for people coming back after years away. You do not need to be able to run for more than a minute at the start. You do need to be able to walk briskly for half an hour. See a GP before starting if you have a health condition or have been inactive.
How it works
Each week has three sessions. Leave at least one rest day between them, for example Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Every session follows the same pattern:
- Walk briskly for five minutes to warm up.
- Complete the run and walk intervals shown in the table.
- Walk gently for five minutes to cool down.
Including the warm-up and cool-down, most sessions take 30 to 40 minutes. A watch or phone timer is all you need to keep track of the intervals.
How fast to run
Slower than you think. The running sections should feel comfortable enough that you could speak a short sentence. If you are gasping by the end of an interval, you are going too fast, and the answer is to slow down, not to stop. Many beginners find their running pace is barely quicker than a fast walk. That is fine. Pace comes later; the aim for now is time on your feet.
The nine-week plan
In weeks 1 to 4 and weeks 7 to 9, all three sessions are the same. Weeks 5 and 6 have a different session each day.
| Week | Session 1 | Session 2 | Session 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Run 1 min, walk 90 sec. Repeat 8 times. | Same as session 1 | Same as session 1 |
| 2 | Run 90 sec, walk 2 min. Repeat 6 times. | Same as session 1 | Same as session 1 |
| 3 | Run 90 sec, walk 90 sec, run 3 min, walk 3 min. Repeat twice. | Same as session 1 | Same as session 1 |
| 4 | Run 3 min, walk 90 sec, run 5 min, walk 2 min 30 sec, run 3 min, walk 90 sec, run 5 min. | Same as session 1 | Same as session 1 |
| 5 | Run 5 min, walk 3 min, run 5 min, walk 3 min, run 5 min. | Run 8 min, walk 5 min, run 8 min. | Run 20 min with no walking. |
| 6 | Run 5 min, walk 3 min, run 8 min, walk 3 min, run 5 min. | Run 10 min, walk 3 min, run 10 min. | Run 25 min with no walking. |
| 7 | Run 25 min. | Run 25 min. | Run 25 min. |
| 8 | Run 28 min. | Run 28 min. | Run 28 min. |
| 9 | Run 30 min. | Run 30 min. | Run 30 min. |
The week 5 jump
The third session of week 5 asks for 20 minutes of continuous running when the longest run so far has been 8 minutes. It looks alarming on paper and almost everyone who has completed the earlier sessions manages it. The trick is to start even more slowly than usual and ignore the watch for the first ten minutes.
Repeating a week
There is no penalty for taking longer than nine weeks. If a week feels too hard, repeat it until all three sessions feel manageable, then move on. If you miss a week through illness or holiday, go back one week from where you stopped. Plenty of people take twelve or fourteen weeks and finish just as fit.
What you need
Very little. A pair of running shoes that fit well and feel comfortable matters most, and the running shoes guide explains what to look for. Wear clothing you can move in and that suits the weather. In the colder months, the winter running kit page covers layers, visibility and running in the dark.
Thirty minutes and 5K are not the same thing
The plan finishes at 30 minutes of running. For some people that covers 5 kilometres (3.1 miles). For many beginners it covers 3.5 to 4.5 kilometres, and that is a normal result. Keep running three times a week and extend one run by a few minutes each week until you reach the full distance. The guide to finish times shows the wide range of times people record over 5K.
What next
Once you can run 5K, a first event gives you something to aim at. The 5K guide explains what to expect on the day. When you are ready to go further, the 10K training plan picks up exactly where this one ends, and the training plans overview compares all the options.