Training Plan for Beginners: How to Prepare to Run a 5K Race

Are you a beginning runner? It's a hard title to pin down who exactly is a "beginner.". The guy who hasn't run since junior high school PE 30 years ago may say he's a beginner, but the gal in your office who rides her bike 50 miles a week may say she's a beginner as well.

But let's say you consider yourself a beginning runner and want to participate in a 5K race. 5K races are a popular distance (slightly more than 3 miles) and nearly every town of any size will have many small local races throughout the year.

Before you begin training, think about what you want out of the race. Finish? Place in your age group? Get a cool t-shirt? Be realistic in your expectations, and do your first few races just for fun.

If you can already get out the door and run a mile or so, this Fbasic 8 -week plan will get you to the finish line. Use it as a start for your racing career. Good luck!

Key:

Run = run at a steady pace and finish feeling like you've given a good effort, but not ready to collapse. And there's no need to sprint the final 100 yards -- you're not Carl Lewis, here!

Rest = what it says. If you swim or bike, that's OK on rest days, but avoid high-impact activities like aerobics. You'll risk injury if you do too much. Concentrate just on running for a couple of months.

Walk = keep a nice pace, but enjoy the stroll. Walking is a good exercise that gives the muscles time to recover and heal from your runs.

Week 1:
20 min walk
1-1/2 mile run
Rest
1-1/2 mile run
Rest
1-1/2 mile run

30-40 minute walk

Week 2:
20 min walk
1-3/4 mile run
Rest
1-1/2 mile run
Rest
1-3/4 mile run

30-45 minute walk

Week 3:
30 min walk
2 mile run
Rest
1-1/2 mile run
Rest
2 mile run

40-50 minute walk

Week 4:
30 min walk
2-1/4 mile run
Rest
1-1/2 mile run
Rest
2-1/4 mile run

40-50 minute walk

Week 5:
30 min walk
2-1/2 mile run
Rest
2 mile run
Rest
2-1/2 mile run

45-60 minute walk

Week 6:
30 min walk
2-3/4 mile run
Rest
2 mile run
Rest
2-3/4 mile run

45-60 minute walk

Week 7:
30 min walk
3 mile run
Rest
2 mile run
Rest
3 mile run

45-60 minute walk

Week 8:
30 min walk
3 mile run
Rest
2 mile run
Rest
Rest
Race!