Couch to 5K Plan: The Full 9-Week Run/Walk Schedule

The Couch to 5K plan is three run/walk sessions a week for nine weeks, with a rest day between each one. It starts with eight 1-minute runs separated by 90-second walks and ends with a straight 30-minute run. Every session opens with a 5-minute brisk walk and closes with a 5-minute walk, so you are out for between 25 and 40 minutes. That is 27 sessions in total, and the whole schedule is published free by the NHS, which is where every figure on this page comes from.

Below is the full schedule in one table, then a tracker you can tick off as you go. The ticks are saved in your own browser, so this page remembers where you are the next time you open it. There is no sign-up and no email form, and if you would rather have it on paper there is a printable version and a free PDF.

The 9-week Couch to 5K plan, at a glance

Nine weeks, three identical-length sessions in most weeks, and a clear jump in weeks 5 and 6 where the three runs differ from each other. Session totals are the NHS figures and exclude the stretches it asks for before and after.

Source: NHS Better Health, Couch to 5K running plan. The exact interval for every one of the 27 sessions is in the tracker below.

How the plan works, and the three rules worth knowing

The shape of the nine weeks is simple once you see it. Weeks 1 to 4 are intervals that get longer. Week 5 breaks the pattern: its three runs are different from each other and the third is your first 20 minutes without stopping. Week 6 does the same thing again and ends on 25 minutes. Weeks 7, 8 and 9 are three identical continuous runs of 25, 28 and 30 minutes.

• Rest days are part of the plan, not a reward. The NHS schedule is three runs a week with a day off between each, and its week 4 and week 8 notes both say so explicitly.
• Repeating a week is allowed. The NHS says it in weeks 5 and 7. A repeated week 7 costs you seven days; a strained calf costs a great deal more.
• Pace is not the point. The week 2 note is to focus on time rather than speed. The plan is built on minutes, not miles, which is why none of the sessions above mention a distance.

The plan is also a sensible way to meet the general activity advice. The NHS physical activity guidelines for adults ask for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week, the same figures the World Health Organization publishes. Three Couch to 5K sessions land inside that range from week 1.

If you would rather be told what to do in your ear than read a table, the NHS also publishes the plan as a free Couch to 5K app with a coach who times the intervals for you. The schedule is identical to the one above.

Gear you actually need for Couch to 5K

Short answer: shoes, clothes you can move in, a supportive bra if you need one, and a way to carry your phone. That is the NHS kit list in full. Everything else on the table below is optional, and the column on the right is the week it usually starts to matter rather than something to buy on day one.

The one item worth spending on is the shoes. The NHS asks for "running shoes that support your feet" and its running-injuries page adds that you do not have to spend a lot of money: expensive shoes may simply be more durable and lightweight, which suits long-distance runners, and every brand makes a cheaper model suitable for beginners. What this plan asks of a shoe is modest — easy pace, a lot of walking, nothing faster than comfortable — so one plate-free road trainer covers all 27 sessions.

More options, every width and the budget end are in best running shoes for beginners, with separate lists for women and men. If you are not sure what to look for, start with how to choose running shoes and what size to get. The whole kit list, item by item, is in the Couch to 5K gear checklist.

What to skip until week 9 is done:

• Carbon-plated or racing shoes - there is not a single fast session in the plan
• A second pair of shoes - one pair covers all 27 sessions
• A hydration vest - your longest run is 30 minutes
• An expensive multisport watch - the app already times the intervals

Not ready to buy shoes at all yet? Week 1 is mostly walking, and which pairs in your cupboard are usable is answered in running shoe alternatives for beginners.

Print the plan, or download the PDF

A plan on the fridge gets followed more often than a plan in a browser tab. Both versions below are the same nine weeks, with the tip for each week, and both are free with no email required.

The printable page strips the navigation and fits the schedule onto paper; the PDF is the same thing as a file you can keep or send to someone. Neither carries an affiliate link.

What happens after week 9

Finishing week 9 means 30 minutes of continuous running, three times a week. For most new runners that is somewhere around 5K, though the plan deliberately never says so: it is built on minutes, not distance. If you want the race distance next, the natural step up is Hal Higdon's Novice 10K, eight weeks with the weekend run building from 3 to 5.5 miles — which is the level our 5K & 10K section is written for. How long that takes and what changes is in how long to train for a 10K, and the kit that is new on race day is in the first 10K race day checklist.

Your shoes do not need to change at week 10. One daily trainer still covers a first 10K; a second pair only starts to earn its place at half marathon distance, which our rotation guide explains.