- Pray Hope Believe 5K 2019 - July 4, 2019
- Hyde Park Blast 4 Miler 2019 - June 29, 2019
- West Chester Lei 5K 2019 - June 29, 2019
There are a lot of beginning runner plans out there. Unfortunately, many of the free plans are short on the details. I was searching for a good free plan for a friend and eventually just had to create my own easy training plan for new runners. I’ve decided to make it available here for free because I think everyone should be able to get started without spending money on a fancy training program.
The goal of this training plan is to get you to the point where you can run an entire 5K. It requires that you dedicate yourself to walking and running for an hour or less four days a week. The longest week requires less than three total hours. If you can’t dedicate at least three hours a week, then you should probably reconsider your goals. As always, consult with your doctor before you engage in any new exercise plan.
The plan is twelve weeks long, though it does assume you are starting with the ability to walk at a brisk pace for at least 30 minutes without resting. If you can’t, it has a Week 0 you can use to build up to that ability. Ideally, you would find a 5K that you want to run that is at least twelve weeks away and plug in this plan to your calendar. Having a race on your calendar can help motivate you to get out there and train. If your race isn’t on Saturday, you can either shift the entire plan so that it falls on the right day, or just add an extra day or two of easy running between the last training day and race day.
During training, on Wednesdays, you can either rest or cross train. Cross training could be anything from biking to yoga. Basically any other physical activity. It’s not necessary, but including a day of cross-training between your two easy days will help you progress faster and make you a stronger overall runner.
Saturdays are our “long run” days. This is the day when we up our game and push to the next level. The workout we do on Saturday will be the same basic workout we will during the following week, only the weekday sessions will be shorter. So if you can do the Saturday workout, the following Tuesday and Thursday will be a piece of cake.
On Sundays we do a “Recovery Walk.” This should be at a slightly easier pace than we do during our workouts. The idea is to keep the muscles moving and stretch out any stiffness from Saturday’s workout. You may be tempted to run, but stick to walking and you’ll recover better.
Finally, you’ll notice that nowhere in this training plan do we mention how far you should go. This plan is all about time, not distance. As a brand new runner, you should focus more on how long you can run, not how far. By the end of the program, you’ll be able to complete a 5K, and should be able to do it in less than an hour (hopefully much less).
If you’ve never run before, you should check out Where Do I Start and Basic Running Gear.
Week 0
This week is all about making sure you’re in shape to start the plan. If you can’t walk for 30 minutes at a brisk pace without taking a break, then you should repeat Week 0 until you can. Your walking pace should be faster than a leisurely stroll but you don’t need to be speed walking.
- Sunday – Walk 15 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday – Walk 15 minutes
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday – Walk 15 minutes
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 15 minutes
- Rest 5 minutes or less
- Walk 15 minutes
- 30 minutes total
Week 1
This week is mostly just brisk walks. On Saturday we have our first run. The pace should be an easy jog, not much faster than your walking pace.
- Sunday – Walk 20 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday – Walk 20 minutes
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday – Walk 20 minutes
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 10 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 30 seconds
- Walk 1 minute 30 seconds
- (Repeat 5x)
- Walk 10 minutes (cooldown)
- 2.5 minutes running
- 30 minutes total
Week 2
Like last week, this week is mostly just brisk walks. Remember to take it easy on Sunday. On Saturday we’ll do 30 minutes, just like last week, but do five minutes of jogging instead of two and a half. If you managed last week, this week should be easy.
- Sunday – Recovery Walk 20 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday – Walk 20 minutes
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday – Walk 20 minutes
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 30 seconds
- Walk 1 minute 30 seconds
- (Repeat 10x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 5 minutes running
- 30 minutes total
Week 3
Week three is the real start of our training. Up until now, we’ve been acclimating ourselves to the working schedule. You should be able to complete the weekday workouts with no problems since they are just shorter versions of last week’s long run. This week’s long run will be a little harder, with half of each interval spent running. You should be ready for it though. If you struggle a bit, just extend your walk breaks, but try to keep your run segments at one minute.
- Sunday – Recovery Walk 25 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 30 seconds
- Walk 1 minute 30 seconds
- (Repeat 5x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 2.5 minutes running
- 20 minutes total
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 30 seconds
- Walk 1 minute 30 seconds
- (Repeat 5x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 2.5 minutes running
- 20 minutes total
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 1 minute
- Walk 1 minute
- (Repeat 10x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 10 minutes running
- 30 minutes total
Week 4
Again, our weekday runs are just shorter versions of last week’s long run. You’ll only be running for a total of five minutes, so if you find yourself struggling, do your best to power through. Our long run ramps things up with twice as much time spent running as walking. It may sound hard, but by now, you can do it!
- Sunday – Recovery Walk 25 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 1 minute
- Walk 1 minute
- (Repeat 5x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 5 minutes running
- 20 minutes total
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 1 minute
- Walk 1 minute
- (Repeat 5x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 5 minutes running
- 20 minutes total
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 2 minutes
- Walk 1 minute
- (Repeat 7x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 14 minutes running
- 31 minutes total
Week 5
For week five, instead of increasing the time running during our long run intervals, we’re just decreasing the time we spend walking. After a week of running 2:1 intervals, you should be ready for it.
- Sunday – Recovery Walk 30 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 2 minutes
- Walk 1 minute
- (Repeat 4x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 8 minutes running
- 22 minutes total
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 2 minutes
- Walk 1 minute
- (Repeat 4x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 8 minutes running
- 22 minutes total
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 2 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 9x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 18 minutes running
- 32.5 minutes total
Week 6
For our long run in week six, instead of increasing the run time or decreasing the walk time of our intervals, we are just adding more intervals. Don’t worry, it’s just three more. No problem for you. You’re a machine! If you can, try to pick up the pace of your run a little bit.
- Sunday – Recovery Walk 30 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 2 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 5x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 10 minutes running
- 22.5 minutes total
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 2 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 5x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 10 minutes running
- 22.5 minutes total
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Run 2 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 12x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 24 minutes running
- 40 minutes total
Week 7
We’re halfway through already! This week is much like last week. Again we’ll add three more repeats to our long run intervals. No problem. Do your weekday intervals at a slow jog, but try to run a little faster on Saturday.
- Sunday – Recovery Walk 35 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 2 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 6x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 12 minutes running
- 25 minutes total
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 2 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 6x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 12 minutes running
- 25 minutes total
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Run 2 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 15x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 30 minutes running
- 47.5 minutes total
Week 8
We’re stepping up our game again this week by adding a minute of running to our intervals. Stay focused and breathe through the discomfort. You’ve been at this for almost two months now. You’ll be amazed at what your body can do.
- Sunday – Recovery Walk 35 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 2 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 8x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 16 minutes running
- 30 minutes total
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 2 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 8x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 16 minutes running
- 30 minutes total
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Run 3 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 12x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 36 minutes running
- 52 minutes total
Week 9
Like last week, we’re going to push harder this week increasing the run time on our long run intervals. We make up for it by doing fewer intervals, though. The total time we spend running this week is only four minutes longer than last week, so it’s not that much harder.
- Sunday – Recovery Walk 40 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 3 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 6x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 18 minutes running
- 31 minutes total
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 3 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 6x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 18 minutes running
- 31 minutes total
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Run 4 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 10x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 40 minutes running
- 55 minutes total
Week 10
You’ve reached week ten. This is crunch time. We’re increasing our long run intervals again, but you get to rest longer between intervals. You may find, though, that you don’t need the walk breaks. Go you!
- Sunday – Recovery Walk 40 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 4 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 5x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 20 minutes running
- 32.5 minutes total
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 4 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- (Repeat 5x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 20 minutes running
- 32.5 minutes total
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Run 5 minutes
- Walk 1 minute
- (Repeat 9x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 45 minutes running
- 64 minutes total
Week 11
You’re almost done. This is the last hard week. For our long run, we’re going to run for the same time we did last week, but try to do it without walk breaks. If you have to take a few, go ahead. Just try to keep them under a minute and don’t count the time you spend walk toward your run time.
- Sunday – Recovery Walk 45 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 5 minutes
- Walk 1 minute
- (Repeat 4x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 20 minutes running
- 34 minutes total
- Wednesday – Rest or XT
- Thursday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 5 minutes
- Walk 1 minute
- (Repeat 4x)
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 20 minutes running
- 34 minutes total
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Run 45 minutes
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 45 minutes running
- 55 minutes total
Week 12
You did it! This is the last week of training. Make sure your Thursday run is nice and easy. You don’t want to wear yourself out before the big day!
- Sunday – Recovery Walk 45 minutes
- Monday – Rest
- Tuesday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 20 minutes
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 20 minutes running
- 30 minutes total
- Wednesday – Rest
- Thursday –
- Walk 5 minutes (warm-up)
- Slow jog 15 minutes
- Walk 5 minutes (cooldown)
- 15 minutes running
- 25 minutes total
- Friday – Rest
- Saturday – Race day!
