5K Running Plan
Plan A: 8-Week Beginner (Couch to 5K)
- Goal: Complete a 5K run
- Fitness Level: Beginner (little to no running background)
- Timeline: 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week
This plan uses a gradual walk/run progression to take you from the couch to a continuous 5K run. Every session begins and ends with a 5-minute walk to warm up and cool down. The intervals shift week by week so that the running portions grow longer while the walk breaks shrink, building your aerobic fitness safely and steadily. Don't worry about pace — the only goal is to keep moving and stay consistent.
Week 1-2: Walk/Run Foundation
Sessions per week: 3
Session 1
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Alternate 1 min run / 2 min walk for 20 min
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Session 2
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Alternate 1 min run / 2 min walk for 20 min
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Session 3
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Alternate 1 min run / 1.5 min walk for 20 min
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Week 3-4: Building Run Duration
Sessions per week: 3
Session 1
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Alternate 2 min run / 1 min walk for 22 min
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Session 2
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Alternate 3 min run / 1 min walk for 24 min
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Session 3
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Alternate 4 min run / 1 min walk for 25 min
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Week 5-6: Extending Continuous Running
Sessions per week: 3
Session 1
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Run 5 min, walk 1 min, run 5 min, walk 1 min, run 5 min
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Session 2
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Run 8 min, walk 1 min, run 8 min
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Session 3
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Run 12 min, walk 1 min, run 10 min
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Week 7: Near-Continuous Running
Sessions per week: 3
Session 1
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Run 15 min, walk 1 min, run 10 min
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Session 2
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Run 20 min continuous
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Session 3
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Run 25 min continuous
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Week 8: Race Preparation
Sessions per week: 3
Session 1
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Run 25 min at easy pace
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Session 2 — Light Session
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Run 15 min at easy pace
- Cool Down: 5 min walk
Session 3 — Race Day!
- Warm-up: 5 min walk
- Main Set: Run 5K at comfortable pace
Plan B: 4-Week Intermediate
- Goal: Improve 5K time
- Fitness Level: Intermediate (can already run 5K, wants to get faster)
- Timeline: 4 weeks, 4 sessions per week
This plan is for runners who can already cover 5K and want to run it faster. It blends easy aerobic runs with tempo sessions, interval training and a weekly long run to build speed, lactate threshold and endurance simultaneously. Heart rate zones are expressed as a percentage of maximum heart rate (MHR). Rest days are Tuesday, Friday and Sunday — use them for complete rest or light cross-training such as swimming, cycling or yoga.
Week 1: Base Building
Sessions per week: 4 (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday)
Monday — Easy Run
- Distance: 4km
- Intensity: 65–70% MHR
- Notes: Conversational pace throughout. Focus on relaxed form and steady breathing.
Wednesday — Tempo Run
- Warm-up: 10 min easy jog
- Main Set: 15 min at 80–85% MHR (comfortably hard — you should be able to speak in short phrases but not hold a full conversation)
- Cool Down: 10 min easy jog
Thursday — Recovery Run
- Distance: 3km
- Intensity: 60–65% MHR
- Notes: Very easy. The purpose is active recovery — promote blood flow without adding training stress.
Saturday — Long Run
- Distance: 7km
- Intensity: 65–70% MHR
- Notes: Steady and controlled. Build endurance by keeping the effort easy — the distance itself is the stimulus.
Week 2: Introducing Speed
Sessions per week: 4 (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday)
Monday — Easy Run
- Distance: 4km
- Intensity: 65–70% MHR
- Notes: Relaxed effort. Settle into a rhythm and focus on good posture.
Wednesday — Intervals
- Warm-up: 10 min easy jog
- Main Set: 6 x 400m at 90–95% MHR with 90s recovery jog between each rep
- Cool Down: 10 min easy jog
- Notes: Run each 400m at a hard, controlled effort. The recovery jog should be very slow — just enough to keep moving.
Thursday — Recovery Run
- Distance: 3km
- Intensity: 60–65% MHR
- Notes: Keep this genuinely easy. Your legs may feel heavy from yesterday's intervals — that's normal.
Saturday — Long Run
- Distance: 8km
- Intensity: 65–70% MHR
- Notes: Extend the long run by 1km from last week. Stay patient with the pace — finish feeling strong, not spent.
Week 3: Peak Training
Sessions per week: 4 (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday)
Monday — Easy Run
- Distance: 5km
- Intensity: 65–70% MHR
- Notes: Slightly longer easy run this week. Maintain an easy, conversational pace throughout.
Wednesday — Intervals
- Warm-up: 10 min easy jog
- Main Set: 4 x 800m at 85–90% MHR with 2 min recovery jog between each rep
- Cool Down: 10 min easy jog
- Notes: Longer reps than last week at a slightly lower intensity. Aim for even pacing across all four repeats.
Thursday — Tempo Run
- Warm-up: 10 min easy jog
- Main Set: 20 min at 80–85% MHR
- Cool Down: 10 min easy jog
- Notes: A longer tempo effort than Week 1. Lock into a rhythm and resist the urge to speed up in the first half.
Saturday — Long Run with Tempo Finish
- Distance: 8km total
- Intensity: First 6km at 65–70% MHR, last 2km at tempo pace (80–85% MHR)
- Notes: The tempo finish teaches your body to run fast on tired legs — exactly what you'll need in the closing stages of a 5K race.
Week 4: Taper and Race
Sessions per week: 4 (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday)
Monday — Easy Run
- Distance: 4km
- Intensity: 65–70% MHR
- Notes: Volume drops this week to let your body absorb the training. Keep the effort easy and enjoy the lighter load.
Wednesday — Sharpening Intervals
- Warm-up: 10 min easy jog
- Main Set: 4 x 400m at 90% MHR with 90s recovery jog between each rep
- Cool Down: 10 min easy jog
- Notes: Fewer reps than Week 2 to keep your legs fresh. Run these with crisp, controlled speed — this session is about sharpness, not fitness.
Thursday — Recovery Run
- Distance: 3km
- Intensity: 60–65% MHR
- Notes: Final easy run before race day. Keep it short, slow and relaxed. Prepare your kit and plan your race-day logistics.
Saturday — Race Day!
- Warm-up: 10 min easy jog
- Main Set: Run 5K at target pace
- Notes: Trust your training. Start at your target pace — don't go out too fast in the first kilometre. Stay controlled through the middle and give everything you have in the final kilometre.