Inspect: /training-programs/5k-training/novice-5k/

Source: src/content/training-plans/novice-5k.md

Frontmatter

title: Novice
hub: 5k-training
summary: This Novice 5K Training Plan is designed for beginning runners or for
  runners who want to take a low-mileage approach to their training. Never run
  before? This one's for you. This program works best if you have a goal 5K in 8
  weeks. Set that race as your end date and use it as a focus of your training.
  Even if you do not have a goal 5K at the end of 8 weeks, Hal Higdon's 5K
  Novice program is a great way to begin your life as a runner.
atAGlance:
  author: Hal Higdon
  lengthWeeks: 8
  lengthText: 8 Weeks
  typicalWeek: 3 Run, 3 Day Walk, 1 Day Off
  longestWorkout: 3 miles
whatDoIGet:
  - Stay motivated for your 5K race with daily tips from Hal in your inbox
  - Monitor your progress within TrainingPeaks’ online tools, apps, and wearable
    integrations
  - Access charts and graphs to understand training load
  - Tap into TrainingPeaks experience
trainingPeaksUrl: https://www.trainingpeaks.com/training-plans/running/5km/tp-15910/hal-higdon-5k-novice
improveYourTime: >-
  ## How to Improve Your 5-K Times


  IF YOU HAVE RUN A NUMBER OF RACES AT THE 5-K DISTANCE, you probably are not
  going to be content to merely finish your 5-K race. You'd like to finish it
  with grace, in style and maybe improve your time (known as setting a Personal
  Record, or PR). The above training schedule will take you to PR Territory.
  This intermediate Program is one step up from the novice program, but not
  quite as difficult as the advanced program. To set a PR, you need to improve
  your endurance and your speed. You can do this by (1) running more miles, (2)
  running faster, or (3) some combination of both. In order to achieve full
  benefit from this program, you probably need to have been running 3-4 days a
  week for the last year or two and averaging 15-20 miles weekly, It helps if
  you have an understanding of the concepts of speedwork. Here is the type of
  training you need to do, if you want to improve your 5-K time. To motivate
  yourself even more, consider signing up for the interactive version available
  through TrainingPeaks.


  **Run:** When the schedule says "run," that suggests that you run at an easy
  pace. How fast is easy? You need to define your own comfort level. Don't worry
  about how fast you run; just cover the distance suggested--or approximately
  the distance. Ideally, you should be able to run at a pace that allows you to
  converse with a training partner without getting too much out of breath.


  **Fast:** For several of the Saturday runs, I suggest that you run "fast." How
  fast is "fast?" Again, that depends on your comfort level. Go somewhat faster
  than you would on a "run" day. If you are doing this workout right, you
  probably do not want to converse with your training partner, assuming you have
  one. It's okay now to get out of breath.


  **Long Runs:** Once a week, go for a long run. Run 5 to 7 miles at a
  comfortable pace, not worrying about speed or distance. You should be able to
  carry on a conversation while you run; if not, you're going too fast. Don't be
  afraid to stop to walk, or stop to drink. This should be an enjoyable workout,
  not one during which you punish yourself.


  **Interval Training:** To improve speed, you sometimes need to train at a pace
  faster than your race pace for the 5-K, about the pace you would run in a 1500
  meter or mile race. Run 400 meters hard, then recover by jogging and/or
  walking 400 meters. Before starting this workout, warm-up by jogging a mile or
  two, stretching, and doing a few sprints of 100 meters. Cool down afterwards
  with a short jog.


  **Tempo Runs:** This is a continuous run with an easy beginning, a buildup in
  the middle to near 10-K race pace, then ease back and cruise to the finish. A
  typical tempo run would begin with 5-10 minutes easy running, continue with
  10-15 faster running, and finish with 5-10 minutes cooling down. You can't
  figure out your pace on a watch doing this workout; you need to listen to your
  body. Tempo runs are very useful for developing your anaerobic threshold,
  essential for fast 5-K racing.
schedule:
  miles:
    - week: 1
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 1.5 mi run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 1.5 mi run
        - Rest
        - 1.5 mi run
        - 30 min walk
    - week: 2
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 1.75 mi run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 1.5 mi run
        - Rest
        - 1.75 mi run
        - 35 min walk
    - week: 3
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2 mi run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 1.5 mi run
        - Rest
        - 2 mi run
        - 40 min walk
    - week: 4
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2.25 mi run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 1.5 mi run
        - Rest
        - 2.25 mi run
        - 45 min walk
    - week: 5
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2.5 mi run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2 mi run
        - Rest
        - 2.5 mi run
        - 50 min walk
    - week: 6
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2.75 mi run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2 mi run
        - Rest
        - 2.75 mi run
        - 55 min walk
    - week: 7
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 3 mi run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2 mi run
        - Rest
        - 3 mi run
        - 60 min walk
    - week: 8
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 3 mi run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2 mi run
        - Rest
        - Rest
        - "**5K Race**"
  km:
    - week: 1
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2.4 km run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2.4 km run
        - Rest
        - 2.4 km run
        - 30 min walk
    - week: 2
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2.8 km run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2.4 km run
        - Rest
        - 2.8 km run
        - 35 min walk
    - week: 3
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 3.2 km run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2.4 km run
        - Rest
        - 3.2 km run
        - 40 min walk
    - week: 4
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 3.6 km run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 2.4 km run
        - Rest
        - 3.6 km run
        - 45 min walk
    - week: 5
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 4.0 km run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 3.2 km run
        - Rest
        - 4.0 km run
        - 50 min walk
    - week: 6
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 4.4 km run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 3.2 km run
        - Rest
        - 4.4 km run
        - 55 min walk
    - week: 7
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 4.8 km run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 3.2 km run
        - Rest
        - 4.8 km run
        - 60 min walk
    - week: 8
      days:
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 4.8 km run
        - Rest or run/walk
        - 3.2 km run
        - Rest
        - Rest
        - "**5K Race**"
image:
  src: /_astro/446-hal-chicago.BFrZMLKH.jpeg
  width: 960
  height: 960
  format: jpg
status: published
level: novice
distance: 5k
legacy:
  wpId: 134
  wpUrl: /training-programs/5k-training/novice-5k/
  oldSlugs:
    - 5-k-training-novice
    - 5k-novice
seo:
  description: This Novice 5K Training Plan is designed for beginning runners or
    for runners who want to take a low-mileage approach to their training. Never
    run before? This one's for you. This program works best if you have a goal
    5K in 8 weeks. Set that race as your end date and use it as a focus of your
    training. Even if you do not have a goal 5K at the end of 8 weeks, Hal
    Higdon's 5K Novice program is a great way to begin your life as a runner.
todos:
  - "seo.title: no _yoast_wpseo_title in export"
  - "seo.description: falling back to summary"

Body

The following 5K novice training program lasts eight weeks and climaxes at the end of Week 8 with a 5K (3.1 mile) race. It is among the easiest programs I offer both online and in books. If you are a beginning runner, just about to take your first running step, this is the program for you. “Do you need to race to call yourself a runner?” I ask in my book, _RunFast_. Not really. Nevertheless, nailing a fast time in a 5K and comparing it a few months or years later to a time previously run can be an important motivational tool. 5K Novice assumes that you have no major health problems, are in reasonably good shape, and have done at least some jogging or walking. If running 1.5 miles for your first workout in Week 1 seems too difficult, you might want to begin with my [Beginning Runner's Guide](/training-programs/more-training/beginning-runners-guide/). If 5K Novice seems too _easy_, consider [5K intermediate](/training-programs/5k-training/intermediate-5k/) or even [5K advanced](/training-programs/5k-training/advanced-5k/). The terms used in the training schedule are somewhat obvious, but let me explain what I mean anyway.

**Rest:** Rest days are as vital as training days. They give your muscles time to recover so you can run again. Actually, your muscles will build in strength as you rest.

**Run:** Don't worry about how fast you run; just cover the distance--or approximately the distance suggested. Ideally, you should be able to run at a pace that allows you to converse comfortably while you do so.

**Run/Walk:** There's nothing in the rules that suggests you have to run continuously, either in training or in the 5K race itself. Run until fatigued; walk until recovered.

**Walk:** Don't worry about how fast you walk, or how much distance you cover. Begin with about 30 minutes and add 5 minutes a week until you peak with a full hour in Week 7.

The following schedule is only a guide. Feel free to make minor modifications to suit your work and family schedule. You will find more information on 5K training in my book, _RunFast_.

Improve Your Time (visible only in the inspector)

## How to Improve Your 5-K Times

IF YOU HAVE RUN A NUMBER OF RACES AT THE 5-K DISTANCE, you probably are not going to be content to merely finish your 5-K race. You'd like to finish it with grace, in style and maybe improve your time (known as setting a Personal Record, or PR). The above training schedule will take you to PR Territory. This intermediate Program is one step up from the novice program, but not quite as difficult as the advanced program. To set a PR, you need to improve your endurance and your speed. You can do this by (1) running more miles, (2) running faster, or (3) some combination of both. In order to achieve full benefit from this program, you probably need to have been running 3-4 days a week for the last year or two and averaging 15-20 miles weekly, It helps if you have an understanding of the concepts of speedwork. Here is the type of training you need to do, if you want to improve your 5-K time. To motivate yourself even more, consider signing up for the interactive version available through TrainingPeaks.

**Run:** When the schedule says "run," that suggests that you run at an easy pace. How fast is easy? You need to define your own comfort level. Don't worry about how fast you run; just cover the distance suggested--or approximately the distance. Ideally, you should be able to run at a pace that allows you to converse with a training partner without getting too much out of breath.

**Fast:** For several of the Saturday runs, I suggest that you run "fast." How fast is "fast?" Again, that depends on your comfort level. Go somewhat faster than you would on a "run" day. If you are doing this workout right, you probably do not want to converse with your training partner, assuming you have one. It's okay now to get out of breath.

**Long Runs:** Once a week, go for a long run. Run 5 to 7 miles at a comfortable pace, not worrying about speed or distance. You should be able to carry on a conversation while you run; if not, you're going too fast. Don't be afraid to stop to walk, or stop to drink. This should be an enjoyable workout, not one during which you punish yourself.

**Interval Training:** To improve speed, you sometimes need to train at a pace faster than your race pace for the 5-K, about the pace you would run in a 1500 meter or mile race. Run 400 meters hard, then recover by jogging and/or walking 400 meters. Before starting this workout, warm-up by jogging a mile or two, stretching, and doing a few sprints of 100 meters. Cool down afterwards with a short jog.

**Tempo Runs:** This is a continuous run with an easy beginning, a buildup in the middle to near 10-K race pace, then ease back and cruise to the finish. A typical tempo run would begin with 5-10 minutes easy running, continue with 10-15 faster running, and finish with 5-10 minutes cooling down. You can't figure out your pace on a watch doing this workout; you need to listen to your body. Tempo runs are very useful for developing your anaerobic threshold, essential for fast 5-K racing.

Schedule (raw)

← 5K Training hub

Legacy

WP id

134

Old URL

/training-programs/5k-training/novice-5k/

Old slugs

5-k-training-novice, 5k-novice

Live page

https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/5k-training/novice-5k/

SEO

frontmatter seo.title

—

rendered <title>

Novice ⚠ differs

frontmatter seo.description

This Novice 5K Training Plan is designed for beginning runners or for runners who want to take a low-mileage approach to their training. Never run before? This one's for you. This program works best if you have a goal 5K in 8 weeks. Set that race as your end date and use it as a focus of your training. Even if you do not have a goal 5K at the end of 8 weeks, Hal Higdon's 5K Novice program is a great way to begin your life as a runner.

rendered meta description

This Novice 5K Training Plan is designed for beginning runners or for runners who want to take a low-mileage approach to their training. Never run before? This one's for you. This program works best if you have a goal 5K in 8 weeks. Set that race as your end date and use it as a focus of your training. Even if you do not have a goal 5K at the end of 8 weeks, Hal Higdon's 5K Novice program is a great way to begin your life as a runner.

Canonical URL SeoHead will emit

https://higdon-running.com/training-programs/5k-training/novice-5k/

Media

• image: /_astro/446-hal-chicago.BFrZMLKH.jpeg (960×960)

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