---
title: 'How to Start 5k Run Training in 2024: Absolute Beginners Guide'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=oLjatOYru1k'
video_id: 'oLjatOYru1k'
date: 2026-06-28
duration_sec: 0
---

# How to Start 5k Run Training in 2024: Absolute Beginners Guide

> Source: [How to Start 5k Run Training in 2024: Absolute Beginners Guide](https://youtube.com/watch?v=oLjatOYru1k)

## Summary

This video presents an improved 8-week training plan for absolute beginners preparing for their first 5k race. The creator critiques traditional couch to 5k plans for being boring, promoting a single running speed, neglecting proper technique, and lacking personalization. The new plan addresses these issues with personalized run/walk intervals, technique drills, sprints, strength work, and long hikes.

### Key Points

- **Downsides of Couch to 5k** [1:46] — Traditional plans are boring, build a single-speed runner, ignore technique, and are not personalized.
- **Personalized Run/Walk Intervals** [5:06] — Start with a run interval you can manage (e.g., 15 sec or 3 min). Each week, add 15 sec to run time and subtract 15 sec from rest time.
- **Technique Drill for Every Run** [7:39] — At the start of each run interval, jump in place, do butt kicks, then lean forward from the ankles and run. This teaches landing under your center of gravity.
- **Sprint Workout on Wednesdays** [9:19] — Wednesday: 10-second sprints with full recovery (walk/jog). Progresses by reducing recovery time and eventually increasing sprint duration. Activates fast-twitch fibers.
- **Strength Training on Fridays** [11:50] — Friday: 15-20 min bodyweight strength session focusing on hips, core, and stabilizers. Exercises progress from squats/lunges/planks to jump squats, jumping lunges, and Turkish get-ups.
- **Long Hike on Saturdays** [14:31] — Saturday: 25-45 min hike (vigorous walking) with a very slow continuous jog at the end. Builds low-intensity endurance and mental toughness.

## Transcript

if you're thinking about training for
your first 5k running race that is
awesome number one I totally believe in
you you can absolutely do it number two
you're probably considering a couch to
5K training plan for this now this is
great because couch to 5K training plans
will certainly help you get ready for
your first 5k running race however 5K
training plans have always had a
downside that resulted in Runners
actually not performing to their best on
race day or in future races well for
this year we are going to undo that and
give you a training plan that you can
use that overcomes a lot of the
shortcomings of couch to 5K while
getting you ready just as reliably as
all of those historical couch to 5K
training plans what's up motivators my
name is Taryn when Ordinary People want
to accomplish something extraordinary in
Endurance Sports they choose our totally
free motive training plans you're ready
to take on that next big challenge let's
do it this is an example couch to 5K
training plan that would be real really
common lasts anywhere between about six
and eight weeks long and just about
every couch to 5K training plan has this
breakdown of three maybe four runs per
week specific rest days per week and
they start out with run walk intervals
of maybe one minute of running one
minute of walking two minutes of running
four minutes of walking and then just
gradually as the weeks go on the running
periods get longer and then the walk
periods get shorter it builds you up to
the point at which you are running a lot
more than you are walking and at the
very end of these training plans you are
going to be able to do a 5K race because
you really aren't needing that much rest
because you've built yourself up to do
it there are a few significant downsides
to this however first thing is that it's
boring you can look at every single
workout and it's basically just the same
workout with a slightly different
version run after run after run going
between running and walking this tends
to not be very motivating for people so
a lot of people drop off because they
just figure hey running's boring why am
I doing this the second thing this is
really significant in limiting your
performance on race day and in future
races is it tends to build a very single
speed shuffling kind of Runner now this
run period this run period that run
period every single run period in these
couch to 5K workouts does the exact same
thing just tells you to go out and run
and what happens is most people do all
of the running at the exact same speed
and this is not good training you need
to vary your speed for your body to
constantly adapt and make improvements
which then leads to the next issue the
next issue is that this does nothing to
promote good running technique and
because you are just going to run the
exact same same speed the entire time
and you're building up fairly quickly
people are going to tend to gravitate
towards a very slow plotting shuffling
kind of heel striking running stride and
this is developing a lot of problems for
runners in the long term because you
aren't actually running efficiently you
also are running in a way that is very
likely to add injuries because you're
adding a lot of impact and imbalances in
your running and then finally it's not
personalized what if you are just
starting but you are actually a very
quality athlete and you can run for
three minutes at a time well you're
going to start off quite a bit slower
than you're actually capable of doing or
what if you're just getting started
which is completely fine and you can
only run for 15 seconds at a time this
training plan and all of the 5K training
plans do nothing to account for all of
our individual differences what I've
created here that's free for all of you
to use is is a motive training plan that
is a couch to 5K preparation training
plan that will take eight weeks and
it'll overcome all of those shortcomings
of typical couch to 5K training plans so
let's dive into it I'm going to reveal
the entire training plan for you here
cell by cell week by week workout by
workout and give you all the full
details but just so you know you don't
have to write this down you don't have
to go and download something all you
need to do is just take a screenshot of
this you can do that for free and use
this entire training plan for your
training to get you ready for your first
5k let's start out with the Monday walk
run and I'll reveal all of the workouts
as we go what we're going to start with
is a 30 minute total workout here and
where we are going to start deviating
from traditional couch to 5K training
plans is right in this very first
workout so what we're going to do is
we're going to say that this workout
should be 30 minutes total in length I
want the rest period to be two minutes
so start out the workout with two
minutes of walking and then where we're
going to deviate from traditional couch
to 5K training plans is the run is
whatever you can do so if you can run
for 15 seconds then run for 15 seconds
if you can run for three minutes already
run for three minutes and this is where
we're going to start personalizing this
training plan for you because what we
are going to do for the rest of the
eight weeks is this
we are going to gradually take away 15
seconds
her rest interval so we're starting out
resting and walking for two minutes then
you're going to walk for only a minute
45 then a minute 30 then a minute 15 a
minute 45 seconds 30 seconds and 15
seconds but every week you are going to
add on 15 seconds to how much you are
able to run in the previous week so if
you start in week one running for 15
seconds then in week two run for 30
seconds in week three run for 45 seconds
conversely if you are already able to
run three minutes well run for three
minutes 15 seconds and then week three
three minutes 30 seconds and then week
four three minutes 45 seconds I'll show
you over here with something that I
created just to show you an example of
how this becomes personalized is let's
say you can only run 15 seconds at a
time at the start well you're going to
get a much more significant work to rest
ratio you're going to get a lot more
rest based on how much you can run
however it's still going to build you up
over eight weeks to the point at which
you are running two minutes continuously
with 15 seconds rest very doable over
the course of eight weeks now what if
you are that person who can already run
for three minutes well that's great it's
still going to build you up gradually
it's going to build you up to a nice run
to rest ratio the ratio is just going to
be skewed so that you do a little bit
more running than the people who aren't
able to run quite so much but it's still
going to build you up to that point at
which you don't need a lot of rest
coming back to this getting into the
second shortcoming of couch to 5K
training plans where it does nothing to
actually train you how to run with good
technique what I want you to do at the
start of every single run interval here
is I want you to start with a running
drill that teaches good technique
instead of Landing out front of your
body and and putting on the brakes I
want you to land basically directly
underneath your body so what I want you
to do at the start of every run interval
in this workout is start by jumping in
place up and down what's going to happen
is your body is going to naturally land
directly under your center of gravity
then start doing some butt kicks so
you're simulating a running stride then
start leaning forward from the ankles
and run for as long as you intend on
running during that run interval by
doing this you are going to start
ingraining into your brain and your body
what it feels like to run with good form
because those first few steps are
naturally going to have you Landing
under your center of gravity building
that excellent run technique so we're
already overcoming two of the major
issues that couch to 5K run training
plans have let's get into Tuesday and
we're going to reveal arrested so
actually I can share that all of Tuesday
all of Thursday
all of Sunday just like a lot of the
couch to 5K training plans out there are
all going to be our rest days getting
into Wednesday here and revealing what
we're doing here this is completely
different from couch to 5K training
plans we're almost all couch to 5K
training plans just have you developing
into a single speed Runner and shuffling
along in just air quotes running we want
you to learn how to run well and run
fast and recruit all your different
running muscle groups so what we're
going to do on Wednesday are Sprints you
might think well hey I'm just a beginner
Runner should I really be doing sprints
yeah so what this workout is is it's
going to be 30 minutes in total it's
going to be a 10 second Sprint followed
by four minutes of just walking or
easily jogging around doing a complete
recovery the entire focus is this Sprint
and the reason for that is all of us
adult athletes when we're learning to
run as adults what we don't actually
move that fast day to day we kind of
just walk around we plot around and our
body loses all of the activation of our
fast twitch muscle fibers so unless we
turn that on we are always going to be a
slow shuffling kind of Runner these
Sprints are going to waken up all of
those fast twitch muscle fibers teach
our body how to go fast and recruit a
bunch of new running muscle groups so
that we can activate more of those
muscle groups helping not just these
Sprint workouts but all of the other
running that we do how this is going to
progress over the course of the eight
weeks I'll reveal here and what we're
going to do is we are going to keep that
at 30 minutes total it's going to be 10
seconds of sprinting in week two and
then three and a half minutes of walking
around and fully recovering so we're
taking off 30 seconds of that recovery
time allow allowing us to do an
additional Sprint maybe two and then
we're still going to keep with 10
seconds of sprinting in week three but
it's going to be three minutes of
walking and jogging in week four it's
going to be still 10 seconds of
sprinting two and a half minutes of
walking and jogging so we're adding in
intervals the entire way we're adding
load we're adding a training plan so our
body is actually adapting and getting
faster as we go in week five still a 10
second Sprint but two minutes of full
recovery week 6 15 seconds of sprinting
two minutes of full recovery week 7 15
seconds of sprinting 1 minute and 45
seconds of recovery and then at the end
15 seconds of sprinting one and a half
minutes of total recovery so what's
happening here in Monday is we're
building up the ability to run steadily
with fewer and fewer run breaks we're
also developing excellent run technique
here on Wednesday we are teaching our
body how to run actually very well
recruit a bunch of muscle fibers move
very quickly in doing so that is also
going to improve our run technique so
we're not just learning how to shuffle
along we're learning how to run well
with this training plan Friday which I'm
going to reveal here is actually going
to be a small strength day it's not
going to require a gym we're going to do
this with only body weight exercises but
remember how I said that most of us as
adults who haven't run our entire lives
we have some limitations with our muscle
groups because they haven't been trained
for this and to not actually dedicate
time in a strength session every single
week which is what most couch to 5K
training plans do is really doing us a
disservice because us adults we have
body limitations we have tight chests
our backs don't activate and move quite
as easily our hips and our core are a
little bit sloppy leading to energy
leakage with every single foot strike
that we do we're going to start you off
with this very short strength workout to
open up the body and strengthen and
stabilize it what we're going to do in
this workout which should take only
about 15 or 20 minutes at most is we're
going to focus on activating the lower
half but doing it in a way that opens up
the hips and the core area to get rid of
some of those limitations caused by
day-to-day life where we tend to sit a
lot so we're going to start off with
body weight squats lunges and a 20
second plank to create stability
revealing the next week we're going to
instead of body weight squats we'll do
jump squats so we are simulating jumping
like we do from every single running
stride to the other then we're going to
have 10 lunges and a 30 second plank to
build it up we'll build that up to 10
jumping lunges this is fairly intense so
we're going to just focus on jumping
lunges where we're jumping from one leg
and one lunge position to the other leg
and then a 30 second plank on our left
side 30 second plank on our right
getting all of our stabilizer side
muscles nice and strong and then I'll
reveal everything and you'll see that it
just progresses into slightly more
complex slightly more stabilization
required workouts where we're building
up from Kozak squats where we're
squatting from side to side scorpions to
really open up that t-spine rotation
that we need to rotate as we're running
all the way into some Turkish getups
some single leg deadlifts some Planks on
all sides where we're planking on our
right side planking on our front
planking on our left side and then doing
a bridge in behind it's just working our
way towards opening ourselves up and
creating nice stability that is going to
transfer really well into our run
technique finally let's get into
Saturday and this is what I've termed as
a hike day what we're looking at doing
here on the Saturday workout is kind of
similar to a long run a long run is long
steady it's going to build endurance
these are very sub-maximal runs that
Runners typically do this is our easy
long run day well because you're just
learning to run we're not going to tell
you to go out and run continuously but
what I want you to do is get in the
habit of being on your feet at a higher
heart rate than you're used to
continuously so what I want you to do is
on this first week have 25 minutes of
total work where you can do this on a
trail you can do this actually on roads
if you can't get to a trail but just be
out there working pretty vigorously
walking getting that heart rate really
high so that you're breathing heavily
and then at the very end of this hike or
hike walk whatever you want to call it I
want you to jog for as long as you can
but I want it to be a super super easy
shuffly basically like as slow as you
can possibly make it and still call it
running continuous jog I'm expecting for
most people this is going to be
somewhere in the range of
two to four minutes stretch it out as
long as you possibly can and then what
we're going to do in week two is we're
going to make this total time two and a
half minutes longer so 27 and a half
minutes so you're on your feet you're
working a little bit harder for two and
a half minutes more and then I want you
to do that shuffle period at the very
end of the workout for two minutes more
so if you started at the very end of
this workout by continuously jogging for
two minutes in week two I want it to be
four minutes if you start with just one
minute I want it to be three minutes and
we're going to progress that exact same
way throughout all eight weeks where we
start with 25 total minutes build our
way up to 45 total minutes which is
going to be much longer than most of you
will need for a 5k so we're getting used
to working for a longer period of time
than a 5k will even take so all of a
sudden the duration of a 5k mentally is
not going to be much of an issue for
this is also going to build that nice
endurance that low level long-lasting
endurance where we're burning a lot of
fat we're building a lot of mitochondria
and energy producers in our muscles that
all happens at a very low intensity
which is why instead of just making this
another run walk like most couch to 5K
training programs do we've specifically
made this less intense than this typical
walk run on Monday
so if you haven't done it already take a
screenshot of this with your phone and
save it to your phone you can print it
off you can do whatever you want for it
consider this completely free of any
copyright issues take this for free I
just want you to get out and do that
first 5k race now if you want a more
personalized training plan than this or
if you do this and you want to step up
to the next big endurance Adventure that
you want to go on maybe a 10K maybe a
half marathon maybe a full Marathon you
can get a free personalized training
plan from us from the motive training
app all you need to do is go to
mymotive.com go through the sign up
process and all you have to do is enter
the race dates that you have the goals
that you have for those races and your
current capabilities and we will
generate a completely free personalized
training plan for you there's a link in
the description below to it thank you
for watching motivators you are ready to
take on that next big endurance
Adventure later