Free tool · Beginners

Beginner Run-Walk Plan

Never run before, or coming back after a long break? Pick a plan, pick your three run days, and get a dated schedule from your first walk to running 30 minutes. Tick off each run as you go. No signup, and it saves on your phone.

Both plans come straight from published sources: the NHS Couch to 5K and Jeff Galloway's "Getting Started" plan. I did not change the workouts. If you're worried about your health, the NHS says to speak to a doctor first.
Your goal

Run 30 min is the NHS Couch to 5K: 9 weeks, ending with 30 minutes of running. Gentle run-walk is Jeff Galloway's start: 10 weeks of very short run bursts inside a walk, for anyone who wants the lowest-impact way in.

Not sure? Start at week 1. You can only skip ahead if you can already do the week before it comfortably.

Three runs a week with a rest day between, as both plans ask.

Optional

I'll tell you if the plan fits before it.

Shows Jeff Galloway's run-walk ratio for that pace.

Your plan

Ticks are saved on this device only. No account, nothing sent anywhere.

Before your first run

The NHS suggests a light, carb-based snack 1 to 2 hours before you go, like a banana or a slice of toast. Take some water on warm days, and wear reflective clothing if it's dark [1].

Go slow. Both plans work because they build up gently. If a run feels too hard, repeat that week. The NHS says that's totally okay [1].

Helpful gear (optional)

Vibrating interval timer Reflective running vest Handheld water bottle

You don't need any of it to start. Galloway suggests a vibrating timer for the run-walk switches [2]; a free phone timer works too. Amazon search links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases; I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

How the two plans work

NHS Couch to 5K (Run 30 min)
Nine weeks, three runs a week, with a rest day between runs. Every run starts with a brisk 5-minute warm-up walk and ends with a 5-minute walk. Week 1 alternates 1 minute of running with 90 seconds of walking. By week 5 you run 20 minutes without stopping, and week 9 is 30 minutes of running [1]. The NHS also has a free Couch to 5K app with audio coaching [1].
Jeff Galloway's Getting Started (Gentle run-walk)
Galloway's plan puts very short runs into a walk: 5 seconds of running and 55 seconds of walking in week 1, building to 10/50, then 15/45 in weeks 5 and 6, 20/40 in weeks 7 and 8, and 30/30 in weeks 9 and 10. He says to run every other day, three days a week, with no running on the day between, and that many new runners stay at the week 4 level for a month or longer [2]. Weeks 5 to 10 use the week 4 session lengths with the new ratio.
Before week 1 of the gentle plan
Galloway's first step is "Walk first": build an easy walk up to 30 minutes, about every other day, with a comfortable stride [2].
The pace ratio
If you enter a pace, the tool shows the matching row of Galloway's "Recommended Run-Walk-Run Strategies" table, per mile or per km [3]. Paces between rows use the nearest row.

Next steps

Finished the plan? Plan a race trip with the Race Trip Planner, and when your runs get past an hour, check your fuel with the Gel Calculator.

Sources

Checked Nov 4, 2026.

  1. NHS Better Health, Couch to 5K running plan: weekly sessions, 5-minute warm-up and cool-down walks, rest days, repeating weeks, snack and kit tips, the free app, and "speak to a GP first if you're worried about your health." nhs.uk Couch to 5K running plan
  2. Jeff Galloway, Getting Started Running Without Aches and Pains: the weeks 1 to 4 sessions and the 15/45, 20/40 and 30/30 steps for weeks 5 to 10. jeffgalloway.com getting started
  3. Jeff Galloway, Magic Mile: Recommended Run-Walk-Run Strategies by pace per mile and per km. jeffgalloway.com magic mile

General information, not medical advice. Stop if something hurts or doesn't feel right, and see a doctor if it continues.