Learn to Run Training Plan for Beginner Runners

Running is so much harder than it sounds. You can’t just put one foot in front of the other and expect to complete a marathon. Becoming a runner takes time, training, and planning, especially if you want to avoid injury and enjoy running. This post will lay out a complete Learn to Run Training Plan for beginners. We’ll include 6-week, 8-week, and 12-week Learn to Run Training Plans. 

You can use these training plans to prepare for 5km races, half marathon races, and more. 

You can start from the top of this post or skip to another part at any time. Here’s what we’ll cover in our beginner’s guide to running. 

Complete Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started Running:

• Run Training for Beginners
  • Run/Walk Program for Beginners
  • Learn to Run Training Plans (6, 8, and 12 week plans)

Learn to Run Training for Beginners

Now we get to the good part. It’s time to take your new running gear and put it to good use. Here, we’ll give you four different Learn to Run Training Plans: six weeks, eight weeks, and 12 weeks long. 

But first, we’ll start with the most basic run program for beginners: the Run/Walk Training Program. 

Run/Walk Training Program

We believe that all runners, including those just starting, should follow a structured training program. Structured training is the best learn to run strategy, and the best way to prevent injuries and burnout, especially for new runners. 

Our run walk method is designed for first-time runners training for a race day distance of up to 5km. Using this method, you will alternate running and walking intervals with the goal of increasing the length of your running intervals.

Remember that we all start somewhere, and you will make progress very quickly. 

Our run/walk program prescribes 2-3 runs per week. As you build your new running habit, focus only on increasing the running time in the first few weeks. You should not focus on speed or distance for your first 6–8 weeks of running. 

Everyone will progress at their own pace in the Run/Walk Training Program, but there are a few principles that everyone should follow: 

• Run 2–3 days per week
• Build up to a run/walk total of ~30 minutes each session
• Keep track of how long you can continuously run during each session. Try to push yourself a little further each run/walk session.
  • E.g.) If you continuously run for 60 seconds in one session, try to run continuously for 70 seconds in the next session
• Prepare to be sore after your first few runs. Space your runs out by 1–2 days to allow yourself to rest and recover before the next session
• After the Run/Walk Training Program, see if you can run without stopping for the entire 30 minutes. Stick to a steady and comfortable pace, and I bet you’ll surprise yourself. 

Without further ado, here is the complete Run/Walk Training Program for beginner runners: 

RUN/WALK

Learn to Run Training Plans

Here it is, the pièce de résistance of this post. Below are 6-week, 8-week, and 12-week run training plans for beginners. 

Note: After eight weeks of run training, we recommend adding high-intensity intervals to your first run of the week, and taking a rest week every third week. That means shortening your long run by 30-50%. This will help you recover from the increased training load which includes >60-minute long runs.

6 WEEK 8 WEEK 12 WEEK

Sources

• Complete Beginner’s Guide to Running
• Best Running Shoes for Beginners
• Influence of the Heel-to-Toe Drop of Standard Cushioned Running Shoes on Injury Risk in Leisure-Time Runners: A Randomized Controlled Trial With 6-Month Follow-up
• Maximal running shoes may increase injury risk to some runners
• Influence of Shoe Mass on Performance and Running Economy in Trained Runners
• Everything You Need to Know About Heart Rate Training Zones
• Best Triathlon Watches for Beginners
• Is changing footstrike pattern beneficial to runners?
• Rearfoot striking runners are more economical than midfoot strikers
• 9 Biggest Heart Rate Training Mistakes Triathletes Make