Couch to 5K (C25K) Alternative

Couch to 5K is a great program!

But many beginners may find the C25K training program too aggressive. It starts off slow, but then seems to make unrealistic leaps in how long you need to run for.

Also the Couch to 5K program uses time or distance, which can cause confusion. However, focusing on time rather than distance is more effective for most beginners.

So below is a alternative, progressive plan that begins with more walking than running, and gradually evolves into more running than walking.


W5 = Walk for 5 minutes
R1 = Run for 1 minute


Month 1. The goal is 20 minutes of running

Week	Day	Workout Plan	Total
1	1	W5 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W5	W15 R6
	2	W5 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W5	W16 R7
	3	W5 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W1 R1 W5	W17 R8
2	1	W5 R1 W1 R1 W1 R2 W1 R2 W2 R2 W2 R1 W1 R1 W5	W18 R10
	2	W5 R1 W1 R2 W1 R2 W1 R2 W2 R2 W2 R2 W1 R1 W5	W18 R12
	3	W5 R1 W1 R2 W1 R2 W1 R3 W2 R3 W2 R2 W1 R1 W5	W18 R14
3	1	W5 R2 W1 R2 W1 R3 W2 R4 W2 R3 W2 R2 W5	W18 R16
	2	W5 R2 W1 R2 W1 R3 W2 R4 W2 R4 W1 R2 W5	W17 R17
	3	W5 R2 W1 R4 W1 R5 W2 R4 W2 R3 W5	W16 R18
4	1	W5 R4 W1 R5 W2 R5 W2 R5 W5	W15 R19
	2	W5 R4 W1 R5 W1 R6 W2 R5 W5	W14 R20
	3	W5 R4 W1 R5 W1 R7 W2 R5 W5	W14 R21

Month 2. The goal is 30 minutes of running

Week	Day	Workout Plan	Total
1	1	W5 R4 W1 R6 W2 R8 W2 R4 W5	W15 R22
	2	W5 R4 W1 R6 W2 R9 W2 R4 W5	W15 R23
	3	W5 R4 W1 R6 W2 R10 W2 R4 W5	W15 R24
2	1	W5 R3 W1 R7 W2 R11 W2 R4 W5	W15 R25
	2	W5 R3 W1 R7 W2 R12 W2 R4 W5	W15 R26
	3	W5 R3 W1 R7 W2 R13 W2 R4 W5	W15 R27
3	1	W5 R6 W2 R14 W2 R8 W5	W14 R28
	2	W5 R6 W2 R15 W2 R8 W5	W14 R29
	3	W5 R6 W2 R16 W2 R8 W5	W14 R30
4	1	W5 R6 W2 R17 W2 R7 W5	W14 R30
	2	W5 R6 W2 R18 W2 R6 W5	W14 R30
	3	W5 R10 W3 R20 W5	W13 R30

Month 3. The goal is 40 minutes of running

Week	Day	Workout Plan	Total
1	1	W5 R8 W3 R22 W5	W13 R30
	2	W5 R6 W2 R24 W5	W12 R30
	3	W5 R4 W2 R26 W5	W12 R30
2	1	W5 R2 W2 R28 W5	W12 R30
	2	W5 R30 W5	W10 R30
	3	W5 R32 W5	W10 R32
3	1	W5 R34 W5	W10 R34
	2	W5 R36 W5	W10 R36
	3	W5 R37 W5	W10 R37
4	1	W5 R38 W5	W10 R38
	2	W5 R39 W5	W10 R39
	3	W5 R40 W5	W10 R40

Month 4. The goal is 60 minutes of running

Week	Day	Workout Plan	Total
1	1	W5 R42 W5	W10 R42
	2	W5 R44 W5	W10 R44
	3	W5 R46 W5	W10 R46
2	1	W5 R48 W5	W10 R48
	2	W5 R50 W5	W10 R50
	3	W5 R52 W5	W10 R52
3	1	W5 R54 W5	W10 R54
	2	W5 R56 W5	W10 R56
	3	W5 R57 W5	W10 R57
3	1	W5 R58 W5	W10 R58
	2	W5 R59 W5	W10 R59
	3	W5 R60 W5	W10 R60

Tips

• Our goal is to increase jogging time.
• Don’t worry about the distance, pace or speed.
• Don’t focus on how good your running technique is.
• Never train two days in a row as your body needs time to adjust.
• You can stop at any stage depending on your goal.