This 4 week 5K training plan for beginners is perfect for those who want to be ready for a 5K race in about a month. It’s intended for beginner run/walkers who want to build up to continuously running a 5K (3.1 miles) race.
If you need a bit more time, check out this 6 week 5K training plan for beginners or this 8 week 5K training schedule for beginners.
Before you start this training schedule, you should have been active a couple of days a week, or can already comfortably run a half mile. If you’re completely new to running and have been sedentary for the past couple of months, start with this 30-Day Beginner Training Schedule or this 4 week training schedule to run 2 miles.
Getting Started with a 5K Training Schedule
In this 5K training plan, you’ll make slight increases in your running distance while making small decreases in your walking distance each week. At four weeks, you’ll be ready to run the 5K distance without walking. Of course, it’s completely find to take a walk break during your 5K race, too. For example, if the race has a water stop, you may want to walk through it so you can drink your water with spilling or gulping it.
You don’t have to do your runs on specific days; however, you should try not to run two days in a row. You can either take a complete rest day or do cross-training on the days in between runs.
Cross-training can be biking, swimming, using the elliptical, yoga or any other activity (other than running) that you enjoy. Strength training two to three times a week is also extremely beneficial for runners to help improve endurance, increase speed, and reduce injury risk.
If you have more than four weeks before your 5K and you find that this training schedule is progressing too quickly for you, repeat that week’s workouts for another week before moving on to the next week.
What Pace Should I Run?
There isn’t a magic pace that’s just right for training runs or for the race itself. Everyone’s fitness and ability levels vary, so what works for one runner may not work for another.
As a beginner runner, you should run at a conversational pace, as you build your running endurance and confidence. You should be able to speak in complete sentences while running, without breathing too heavy or gasping for air.
If you find yourself out of breath, slow your pace or take a walk break. If you’re running on a treadmill and you’re not sure where to start your pace, begin at 4.0 mph and make slight increases until you’ve reached a comfortable, conversational pace.
4 Week 5K Training Plan for Beginners
Before starting your workout, walk briskly for 5 minutes or do some warm-up exercises to get your muscles warmed up and ready for running. Finish off with a 5-minute walk to cool down.
Week 1
- Day 1: Run 8 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat 2 times
- Day 2: Rest or cross-train
- Day 3: Run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat 2 times
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: Run 12 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat 2 times
- Day 6: Rest or cross-train
- Day 7: Rest
Week 2
- Day 1: Run 14 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat 2 times
- Day 2: Rest or cross-train
- Day 3: Run 16 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 7 min
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: Run 18 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 7 min
- Day 6: Rest or cross-train
- Day 7: Rest
Week 3
- Day 1: Run 20 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 6 minutes
- Day 2: Rest or cross-train
- Day 3: Run 23 minutes
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: Run 25 minutes
- Day 6: Rest or cross-train
- Day 7: Rest
Week 4
- Day 1: Run 28 minutes
- Day 2: Rest or cross-train
- Day 3: Run 30 minutes
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: Run 20 minutes
- Day 6: Rest
- Day 7: Race! Run 3.1 miles
5K Race Day Tips
As you get ready for your 5K race, here are some tips to keep in mind for race day:
- Stick to your routine. The golden rule of racing is: Nothing new on race day. Make sure that you’re wearing clothes and gear that you’ve already tested while training for your 5K. You don’t want to be surprised by uncomfortable clothes or painful chafing issues on race day. If you’ve never raced before, learn how to put your race bib on before the race.
- Don’t stuff yourself the night before. You don’t have to carbo-load for a 5K race. Overeating may lead to gastrointestinal distress or other issues. Just eat normal-size portions of a regular, healthy dinner the night before. For breakfast, eat something that’s easy to digest like a banana and toast or a bagel. Try to stick to foods that you’ve eaten. Again, nothing new on race day!
- Warm up before the race. In a shorter race like a 5K, it’s a good idea to do a warm-up, so you slowly raise your heart rate and get your muscles warmed up. Before heading to the starting line, do a slow jog for about five minutes or do some warm-up exercises, like jumping jacks or high knees.
Get more 5k race day tips and advice on how to avoid common racing mistakes.
How Long Will It Take Me Run a 5K?
Finishing times for a 5K race (3.1 miles) span a very wide range because there’s usually a mix of experienced, fast runners, and beginner runners and walkers. The winner may run the 5K course in under 14 minutes, while some walkers may take over an hour to finish. To give you an idea of some possible finishing times, someone who runs an 8 minutes/mile pace would finish in 24:51; someone running a 10 minutes/mile would finish in 31:04; and someone doing a 12 minutes/mile pace would finish in 37:17.
It’s possible to get an estimate of how long it might take you to run a 5K using a previous race time and plugging it into a race time prediction calculator. Of course, most people doing their first 5K have never raced before. If that’s the case, do a fitness assessment by running a mile at the fastest pace you can comfortably go.
Runner’s World Race Time Predictor: To use this calculator, just plug in your time/distance from a recent race or your mile fitness test and select 5K as your goal race. The calculator will show how you might perform in the 5K.
How Accurate is that 5K Time Estimate?
Keep in mind that the prediction is an estimate of what you might achieve, if you do the appropriate training for your 5K race and race to your potential. It doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically run that time because of your fitness level. In addition, the difficulty of the course, weather conditions, racing experience, and how you’re feeling that day will also factor into your race time.
More About 5K Times
Some beginner runners who’ve never raced before worry that they’ll be the last person to finish. (They’re almost always wrong.) If you’re curious where you might place (top 10%, back of the pack, etc.) in a particular 5K, look online at the results from last year’s race. The number of finishers and the range of finishing times are probably similar from year to year.
More Training Schedules:
Running coach, avid runner, and fitness writer Christine Luff is an RRCA-certified running coach and ACE-certified personal trainer. Founder of the website Run for Good and author of the book Run for Good: How to Create a Lifelong Running Habit, she coaches runners, from beginners to advanced, who are training for races, from 5Ks to marathons.
