While running 5km for the first time may seem daunting, with a little planning and preparation, you can – comfortably – run every step of the way of a 5km. The slow build up and easy pacing of this eight week plan will allow your body to adapt to running continuously, and the three-mile dress rehearsal runs will give you the confidence to go the distance on race day, (If you haven’t been exercising at all, first spend a couple of weeks running and walking until you can run for 10 minutes straight.)
As you follow this schedule, avoid running on consecutive days and keep the pace easy enough to talk. Make sure you keep up the conditioning work to prevent injuries by participating in cross-training once a week by swimming, cycling, walking briskly, or taking a fitness class.
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Week/Day |
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Week 1 | 20 mins 1 min walk/1 min run | Rest | 20 mins 1 min walk/1 min run | Rest | Cross-training/strength workout | 5km walk | Rest |
| Week 2 | 24 mins 1 min walk/1 min run | Rest | 24 mins 1 min walk/1 min run | Rest | Cross-training/strength workout | 24 mins 1 min walk/2 min run | Rest |
| Week 3 | 30 mins 1 min walk/2 min run | Rest | 30 mins 1 min walk/2 min run | Rest | Cross-training/strength workout | 28 mins 1 min walk/3 min run | Rest |
| Week 4 | 32 mins 1 min walk.3 min run | Rest | 32 mins 1 min walk.3 min run | Rest | Cross-training/strength workout | 5km walk/run | Rest |
| Week 5 | 36 mins 1 min walk/5 min run | Rest | 36 mins 1 min walk/5 min run | Rest | Cross-training/strength workout | 35 mins 1 min walk/6 min run | Rest |
| Week 6 | 36 mins 1 min walk/8 min run | Rest | 36 mins 1 min walk/8 min run | Rest | Cross-training/strength workout | 2.5km run, walk 2 mins 2.5km run | Rest |
| Week 7 | 40 mins 1 min walk 9 min run | Rest | 40 mins 1 min walk 9 min run | Rest | Cross-training/strength workout | 39 mins 1 min walk 12 min run | Rest |
| Week 8 | 44 mins 1 min walk 10 min run | Rest | Cross-training/strength workout | Rest | 20 mins 5 min walk 10 min run 5 min walk | Rest | 5km run |