Beginner · 5K
Couch to 5K Training Plan
Go from no running to a continuous 5K in 9 weeks.
- Event
- 5K
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- 9 weeks
- Days / week
- 3
The full 9-week plan as a PDF, every session, styled like the app.
The full plan, week by week
Base, build, peak, then taper: periodised so you arrive on race day fit and fresh, not overtrained.
-
Week 1
Build
Run-walk Run-walk Run-walk
Key session Run-walk intervals 2.92 km
Weekly volume 1h 30m
-
Week 2
Build
Run-walk Run-walk Run-walk
Key session Run-walk intervals 3.18 km
Weekly volume 1h 33m
-
Week 3
Build
Run-walk Run-walk Run-walk
Key session Run-walk intervals 2.88 km
Weekly volume 1h 24m
-
Week 4
Build
Run-walk Run-walk Run-walk
Key session Run-walk intervals 3.59 km
Weekly volume 1h 35m
-
Week 5
Build
Run-walk Run-walk Run-walk
Key session Run-walk intervals 3.50 km
Weekly volume 1h 32m
-
Week 6
Build
Run-walk Run-walk Run-walk
Key session Run-walk intervals 4.46 km
Weekly volume 1h 42m
-
Week 7
Build
Run-walk Run-walk Run-walk
Key session Run-walk intervals 4.46 km
Weekly volume 1h 45m
-
Week 8
Build
Run-walk Run-walk Run-walk
Key session Run-walk intervals 4.90 km
Weekly volume 1h 54m
-
Week 9
Race
Run-walk Run-walk Race Day
Key session Race Day: Run 6.66 km
Weekly volume 2h 00m
Row shading shows each week's training volume against the peak week.
This outline is the skeleton. Gritup makes it yours.
A printed plan can't know that you were travelling last week, that your long run felt awful, or that your fitness jumped. Gritup takes this exact structure and makes it adaptive:
- Calibrated to you. Paces and zones set from your recent results, not a generic label.
- Adapts when life happens. Miss a session or a week and the plan rebuilds the path to race day.
- Fits your real schedule. Choose your training days, and the plan reshapes around them instead of the other way round.
- One app, every sport. Run, bike, swim, or combine them for triathlon, without juggling separate apps.
Get the adaptive version on your phone
Frequently asked
How many days a week is the couch to 5k training plan?
This plan runs 3 days a week over 9 weeks, structured in base, build, peak, and taper phases. If 3 days doesn't fit your week, Gritup can rebuild the same goal around the days you actually have.
Is this 5k plan right for a beginner athlete?
Yes, it's written for a beginner athlete. It assumes you can currently do light exercise and builds gradually with plenty of easy volume. In the app, the plan calibrates to your recent results rather than a one-size label.
What happens if I miss a session or get sick?
With a static plan you're on your own: shift the week and hope the balance still works. Gritup re-plans the remaining weeks around a missed session, an injury, or a busy stretch, so you always have a coherent plan to race day instead of a broken schedule.
Is this training plan really free?
Yes. The full week-by-week outline on this page is free to follow. Gritup itself is a subscription that turns this skeleton into an adaptive, personalised plan, with a free trial and no card required to start.
5K plan
Follow the outline. Or let Gritup run it for you.
Get this 9-week plan as an adaptive, personalised programme that adjusts to your fitness and your week, free for the first two weeks.