Basic 5K Running Program
Step it up and better your time.

Calculating Your Mileage
To follow the mileage suggestions in this Basic 5K Program measure your run course with your car odometer. Websites like MapMyRun.com and gmap-pedometer.com allow you to open a free account to track your running routes. There are GPS watches that give readings of your mile pace and total distance covered.

Otherwise, go to a track and time yourself running an easy mile (four laps) or 1K (2 and half laps). Calculate your run on time e.g. a 10 minute mile pace runner would take around 20 minutes to run an easy 2 miles.

Covert Mileage
The workouts are in miles. Click here for distances in kilometers.

Flexibility
Some days we feel tired, other days we feel good. With the ranges in this Basic 5K running program choose what's best for you. Swap the running and rest days so they fit into your life. If you need extra days off take them, don't feel pressure to hit the mileage totals every day or week.

Running Together
Training with others can help you get out the door or finish a tough workout. Adjust this Basic 5K running program so you can run together and all get to your goals.

Some days you might start first in the interval workout so your faster friend can try and catch you. You might run a few miles with a running partner who's having a short run, and then keep going.

Hard/Easy Rule
You'll see that each hard day e.g. speed or long run is followed by easy running or a rest day. Sticking to this habit will help you recover from these workouts and stay injury free.

Rest Days
Giving your muscles a day off from running helps them get stronger. These days are important to prevent injuries. If you want to do something on rest days try a low-impact cross training workout.

Warm Up and Cool Down
The daily distances include your 5-10 minutes of easy running to warm up and cool down. Get started with warm up exercises. Remember to spend some time stretching after your workouts.

Run Easy
You'll run most of your runs at a relaxed and conversational pace. If you can't talk to your running partners you're probably moving too fast.

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Long Run (LR)
These runs help increase your strength and endurance for the 5K. Run them at an easy pace as you're working on building distance not speed. It's fun to run your long run with friends of similar ability so you can chat and support each other to help the miles tick by.

Fartlek Training
You'll use fartlek runs for some of your faster workouts in this basic 5K program. Read these tips on fartlek training. Here are some sample fartlek workouts to try:

• 4x2 minute hard with 1 minute easy jog recovery plus 4x1 minute hard with 30 seconds easy jog recovery
• 2x3 minute hard with 2 minute easy jog recovery, 2x2 minute hard with 1 minute easy jog recovery plus 2x1 minute hard with 30 seconds easy jog recovery

Tempo Run
These workouts help prepare you for 5K racing by running at a fast even pace for a few miles. After a good warm up you'll run at 80-85% of your maximum effort, working hard but not flat out.
Click here for instructions on tempo runs.

Intervals
Click here for advice on interval training e.g. pace, recovery, etc. You'll run most of your intervals at 5K pace or slighter quicker.

Time Trial
A few weeks before your 5K race you'll get ready with a time trial. You want to run this comfortably hard but not all out.

It's easier if you enter a low-key fun run so you have others to run against. You can also practice your race day rituals of getting ready, eating, warming up, etc. Otherwise ask some friends to run some or all of the time trial with you in a training session.

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