No matter where you are in your fitness journey, you might have thought about or even been asked to run a 5K. The 5K is a great beginner race for those looking to get into competitive running. For some runners, it’s a great challenge of speed and endurance. For others, it can be an intimidating, but exciting, chance to test their progress and work towards a new goal.
Of course, whether you’re a pro runner or just getting started, proper training will be key to a successful 5K run. Check out the below tips and training plan to help you prepare to crush your next 5k!
Set A Goal
If you’ve never run a 5K, you’re in the right place! There’s no time like the present to set a goal for yourself and start working towards it. Completing 3.1 miles looks different for everyone, and it’s important not to set your goals based on other’s accomplishments. A 5K is an opportunity to evaluate where you are in your own running journey and compete with yourself. Whether your goal is to complete the race without walking or to beat a certain time depends entirely on you — as long as you set a goal to keep yourself motivated and working towards it.
While setting your goal, make sure it’s a SMART one: that is, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based. Reaching for the stars is awesome, but if your goal is to finish a 5K in 15 minutes when you’ve never laced up a pair of running sneakers before, you’ll only set yourself up for disappointment, or get too intimidated to even start. Instead of setting an unrealistic or uninformed goal, it’s best to evaluate your current mileage, experience and speed, and set a goal that you can reach with hard work and determination. That way, you’ll be proud of your journey and proud when you cross that finish line!
Make A Plan
Hopefully you have some time before you are planning to run your 5k. Ideally, you would have about 6-8 weeks of training before you compete in any race, 5Ks being no different. The goal of preparation is to get you as ready as possible until the week before your race, then to rest your body that week before so you feel great the day of the race. At the end of this article, you’ll find a sample plan that you can base your training on.
It is important to note that running is not necessarily required for this plan. While running is definitely the ideal preparation, it depends on your goal. If you are someone who would rather power walk, increase your speed during the running intervals so that you’re pushing yourself, then decrease speed for the walks to recover before the next interval.
Take Action
You’ve got your plan, you’ve got your goal: Now it’s time to do the work. In fact, why not take a screenshot of the first week of the training plan below and get started today? One of the most common mistakes that people make in fitness is starting on a Monday or a new week. However, this often causes us to waste time that we could be using to get ready. Just because the above calendar is labeled Monday through Friday, doesn’t mean you can’t start any day of the week. If you’re committed to running a 5K, the best time to start training is right now – why wait!
Training Plan: Week 1
For days that aren’t included in this plan, you can either rest or cross-train.
Monday
- 1 min. run
- 1 min. walk
- Repeat x8
Wednesday
- 2 min. run
- 2 min. walk
- Repeat x4
Friday
- 3 min. run
- 2 min. walk
- Repeat x 3
Week 2
Monday
- 1 min. run
- 1 min. walk
- Repeat x10
Wednesday
- 2 min. run
- 2 min. walk
- Repeat x5
Friday
- 3 min. run
- 2 min. walk
- Repeat x 4
Week 3
Monday
- 1 min. run
- 1 min. walk
- Repeat x 12
Wednesday
- 2 min. run
- 2 min. walk
- Repeat x6
Friday
- 3 min. run
- 2 min. walk
- Repeat x 5
Week 4
Monday
- 2 min. run
- 1 min. walk
- Repeat x6
Tuesday
- 3 min. run
- 2 min. walk
- Repeat x 5
Thursday
- 1 min. run
- 1 min. walk
- Repeat x12
Friday
- 2 min. run
- 2 min. walk
- Repeat x6
Week 5
Monday
- 2 min. run
- 1 min. walk
- Repeat x6
Tuesday
- 3 min. run
- 2 min. walk
- Repeat x 4
Thursday
- 1 min. run
- 1 min. walk
- Repeat x8
Friday
- Practice Race! Complete 3.1 Miles
Week 6
It’s your last week! Make sure to rest, rather than cross-train, on the days you’re not running, so your body is fully rested and ready for the race.
Monday
- 2 min. run
- 1 min. walk
- Repeat x8
Wednesday
- 1 min. run
- 1 min. walk
- Repeat x6
