Five kilometres is 3.1 miles. On paper that is a small number. If you have not run in years, or ever, it can feel like a wall. The good news is that almost nobody runs their first 5K from a standing start, and you do not need to either. This plan builds you up gradually using a mix of walking and jogging, which is exactly how most people get there.
If you want a target to aim at while you train, our Challenge Your Limits 5K gives you a medal and certificate at the end of it, and you set your own deadline.
Before you start
Two things matter more than the plan itself: shoes that fit and a pace you can hold a conversation at. If you can still talk in short sentences while you are moving, you are going the right speed. If you are gasping, you are running someone else’s pace, not yours.
If you have a heart condition, a recent injury, are pregnant, or have been inactive for a long time, have a quick word with your GP before you begin. It is a five-minute conversation that saves weeks of setback.
The four-week plan
Aim for three sessions a week with a rest day in between each one. Rest days are not optional extras, they are when your body actually adapts.
Week one: get moving
- Session 1: 5 minute brisk walk, then 6 rounds of 1 minute jog and 90 seconds walk, then 5 minute walk to finish.
- Session 2: Same again. Resist the urge to go faster.
- Session 3: Same, but if it felt easy, make the jogs 90 seconds.
Week two: stretch the jogs
- Session 1: 5 minute walk, then 5 rounds of 2 minute jog and 2 minute walk, 5 minute walk to finish.
- Session 2: Repeat.
- Session 3: 4 rounds of 3 minute jog and 2 minute walk.
Week three: fewer, longer efforts
- Session 1: 5 minute walk, then 3 rounds of 5 minute jog and 2 minute walk.
- Session 2: 2 rounds of 8 minute jog with a 3 minute walk between.
- Session 3: 10 minute jog, 3 minute walk, 10 minute jog.
Week four: put it together
- Session 1: 15 minute continuous jog, walk if you need to.
- Session 2: 20 minute continuous jog at an easy pace.
- Session 3 (challenge day): Cover the full 5K however you like. Jog it, or jog and walk it. Finishing is the goal.
The three mistakes almost everyone makes
- Going too fast on easy days. Most of your training should feel comfortable. Speed comes later, and it comes from consistency, not from suffering.
- Skipping rest. Doing four or five sessions in week one is the fastest route to shin splints and a lost fortnight.
- Comparing yourself to other people. Someone else’s 22 minute 5K has nothing to do with your first one.
What if you miss a week?
Repeat the week you last completed rather than jumping ahead. The plan is a guide, not a contract. Life happens, and the body does not read calendars.
Ready to make it count?
Having something at the end helps more than people expect. Browse the virtual challenges and pick a distance that stretches you slightly. If 5K still feels far off, our 1.5 mile challenges are a gentler place to begin, and they come with the same medal and certificate.