Running
Couch to 5K Finish
Entry-level 5K plan with a broad easy base. Ten weeks, 3 to 4 runs a week.
- Distance
- 5K
- Length
- 10 weeks
- Runs per week
- 3–4
- Level
- Beginner
- Goal
- Finish
Who it's for
You are new to running, or starting again after a long break. It gets you to the finish of your first 5K.
How the weeks work
It runs for ten weeks with 3 to 4 runs in each.
If life gets in the way you can stretch it to 20 weeks, or tighten it to 8 if you are already fit.
The last 7 days are a taper: less running, a little intensity, so you start the race fresh.
- Easy runs make up most of the week. Keep them slow enough to talk in full sentences.
- Run-walk sessions: run for a set time, walk until your breathing settles, then go again. The running stretches get longer each week.
- Strides after some easy runs: four to six relaxed 20-second pickups with a full walk back.
Setting your paces
Start with a hard 5K effort. Your result sets the paces for the rest of the plan, so run it honestly and on fresh legs.
Later benchmarks: a 5K time trial. Use them to adjust your paces rather than to chase a number.
Making it stick
- Repeat a week if it felt hard. Moving on too early is the most common way to get hurt.
- Walking is part of the plan, not a sign you are doing it wrong.
- Soft, flat routes are kinder on your legs while they adapt.
