Running Program to Go from the Couch to 5 Km in 9 Weeks (C25K)

The couch to 5k plan is available as a PDF, an image, and a Word file. I did the C25K running program about 8 years ago. I went from a couch potato to 5K and then eventually went on to a full marathon and a few halves on the way. When I started I could barely run for 1 minute! It’s a great running program for beginners.

PDF | Word | For image files, click on the images above.

The couch to 5K schedule lists how long you need to run each day, whether or not you completed it, and how you felt. It also has a section to write how long it was since the last run, which will help you understand if a run was difficult, etc.

What is the C25K Program?

The C25K running program is a 9-week program designed to bring you from the couch to running for 30 minutes in only 9 weeks. If you run fast enough, then you will be running 5k in 30 minutes but not everyone manages to do this. If you can go from sitting on the couch to running 30 minutes straight, then that seems good enough to me. Your speed eventually improves.

How does it work?

It is based on intervals – alternating running and walking as you improve your fitness. The duration increases slowly.