i see the "which shoes for c25k" question a lot here so here's what i'd tell a friend before their first pair. none of this is medical, if something hurts talk to a physio not the internet

what matters

- fit first. about a thumb width between your longest toe and the end of the shoe, your feet swell on a run. heel shouldnt slip, toes shouldnt be squeezed

- try them late in the day and with the socks you run in

- comfort when you jog a bit in the store or around your living room. if it feels weird in 2 minutes it wont feel better in 30

- a return policy. lots of shops let you run in them and still return, ask before you buy

- last years version of a popular model often gets a lot cheaper once the new one is out and its basicaly the same shoe

what matters way less than people think

- drop. i looked at the specs of ~300 current shoes and almost 8 in 10 are between 6 and 10 mm, so you will land in the normal range without trying. only go hunting for low drop if you know why you want it

- carbon plates and race shoes. they are made for going fast, for week 1 of c25k you want something soft and stable enough to feel boring

- the brand your friend swears by. same shoe can feel great on one person and awful on another, feet are just different shapes

- stability shoes by default. in those same ~300 shoes about 1 in 6 is a stability shoe, the rest are neutral. most beginners are fine in neutral, if your ankles feel like they cave in try one stability pair next to a neutral one and see if you even notice

a cheap trick if you're curious about your stride: prop your phone at hip height, run away from it for 10 sec in slow mo and look at your heels when they land. not a diagnosis, just interesting and free

and honestly the best shoe is the one that gets you out the door 3 times a week. you dont need a 180 pair to finish week 9

I started running about 12 months ago, usually twice a week. Yesterday I ran 15 minutes straight at a 12-minute-mile pace and felt like I could keep going.

Today I decided to try a full 5K and actually did it. 3.2 miles in 37:25, including a short warmup and cooldown.

Got pretty tired toward the end but managed to keep running without stopping. Never thought I'd be able to do this a few months ago.

I'm very happy with it. Going to work toward a sub-30-minute 5K next.

Couch and alcoholism to half marathon!

Been almost I month since I last updated on my progress.

Thought I would share how I decided to continue when I got sick in case it helps others who get sick as well.

I had just finished W6 R3 when I started feeling sick, I decided to stop running for a bit until I felt better.

When I started back up I did W4 R1, then W5 R1 then all of week 6 again, however when I did W6 R3 I wasn't able to run non-stop so I decided to do it one more time to make sure I could run the full time.

W7 R1 went pretty good, my heart rate average was the same as W6 R3, it was a warm day as well so I felt really good about it, very excited to be working back up again and can't wait to hit W9

I’m currently on Week 3 of Couch to 5K, and I’m finding the 3-minute running intervals slightly difficult, especially towards the end of the last interval.
I repeated Week 1 twice and then Week 2 felt easy . Now Week 3 feels like a big jump and I’m wondering whether I should repeat it for another week or just continue with the programme even if some intervals feel hard.

Heya, Ive never posted here before but i was worried about a change in my jogging/running recently. Im 23M, roughly 90kg and trying to lose weight for surgery.

Ive been doing C25K since the start of August, and have been doing it 3 times a week since i've started. I was not fit before starting so i had to start with mild jogging. But my stamina improved and i slowly got faster overtime. Not quite full running but definitely faster jogging.

Within the past week i decided to join a run club who said they were beginner friendly, however they were way too quick for me to keep up with. Lots of them had been running for years and were very fit. They had to keep stopping for me to catch up. Luckily someone would slow down to help me along, whilst the others sprinted out of view.

During those runs I went far quicker then my usual speed, and had to make multiple stops. I figured the intensity was too high and did my 3rd run solo and at my usual pace (I usually have a day of rest between runs. I also found the second group run far harder then the first? In my mind i thought the second run would be easier)

When i did my solo run, even at my slowest i had to keep stopping. I could barely manage 5 minutes before i felt completely drained even though i could do 25 minutes before.

It felt like whatever stamina I gained was just reset. Im worried I've ruined whatever progress I've made. Im sure the answer is probably to get some rest but what if it makes it harder for me to start running again?

Should i stop going to the group sessions?

Any advice would be great, thank you!

I know this sounds dumb but it just feels misleading. This isn’t a program where someone sedentary would get to a 5k easily so I don’t understand why it’s called couch to 5k. It’s for someone already active.

Maybe a minor thing, but I see a lot of people on here struggling with it and thinking the intention is starting sedentary. I realize it’s just a catchy name but I do think it makes people feel worse about their performance.

But we’re getting there! This is my third time doing week 3 and it’s actually clicking now

Thanks for all the motivation I found throughout the community on this sub. Will try to be consistent and improve my pace so I can achieve 5k in 30mins at some point!

I was never a runner, but over the past year or so I have been trying to get into it and build endurance. I have been using C25K and have mostly loved it. I have started and stopped the program several times over the past couple of years because I always get to a point where shin splints show up and I have to take weeks off (sometimes close to a month) to recover.
This last attempt was my best yet. I bought good running shoes, found a solid warm-up and cool-down routine, and paid attention to my form. My shins bothered me a little during runs but never to the point of real pain. Then I hit the end of week 5 and ran 20 minutes straight, which I was so proud of. But after that, the shin splints came in badly. It has now been over three months since my last run.
I really enjoy running and want to get back to it, but I feel like my lower body can't keep up with my cardio, even though I am increasing in small increments. Does anyone have advice for avoiding shin splints when I start again? Are there specific strengthening exercises I should be doing, or anything else that helped you?

When I first started out in August and felt like death at the end of a few 90 second intervals I never thought I'd get this far. 44 years old (m) and reasonably active to begin with, but I'd never really ran before starting C25K.

Well week 8 got completed on Friday and I still had loads of energy left at 28 minutes, so I just carried on until I hit 5k. This is a bit quicker than my usual runs, and from runs 1 and 2 that week I expected sub 30 to still be a long way away. I guess taking it easier on previous runs was worth it, as I had no problem keeping this pace up. Started off trying to stay below peak HR zone, then just gave in and ran at a comfortable pace.

I also ran for another 30s before this, as my watch didn't seem to be recording pace, hence the high starting HR.

Hello all, I’m week 7 and somewhat comfortably able to run 25 mins nonstop. However, I’ve been felled by a terrible cold, I guess it may even be COVID, so have had to cancel the second and now third runs of this week. I’m wondering whether, when I’m feeling better, I can pick up where I left off or if I need to build up again, like from 10-min runs with breaks or even gentler. Do any of you have experience of falling ill mid-programme, and what did you to get back on it?

Hi everyone! I've been moving along toward longer runs, feeling physically good while doing it (yay!) but I struggle with the mental part. I think half the challenge for me is the monotonous stretches of time where I have already thought about my form, done a little math, made a grocery list, and I'm yearning to zone out.

Can you share (possibly weird) tips on how you kick start yourself into the spaced out zone mentally or how you endure the time when you can't?

For example, when I'm running on the treadmill, I take off my glasses so the world gets fuzzy and that helps me zone out.

I normally keep my phone in my pocket while running and haven’t been too focused on the distance that I’m running as I figured if I just follow the app I’ll get there when I get there

Just finished week 6 day 1 and it reckons I only went 1.73km. Treadmill says I went over 4. This was running 10 minutes, 5 minute break, then running 10 minutes again.

The previous day was 8, 5, and 8 again and it says I went 2.03 (0.3 more)

Would you guys recommend getting a watch, holding my phone in my hand, or is this just a quirk of the app?

Never ran in my life so gave C25K a go because I realised I have free will. The first 2 runs of the last week I based on the 30-min limit and thought I’d give the 5k a go on my last official day on the programme!

I think the heart sensor on my watch is broken because it also says most of my runs I am in zone 5 for 20 mins which I actually don’t think is physically possible - but other than that I’m glad I started C25K!

I’m 38, I’ve never had weight issues but I’ve always hated running. Cardio has always been my least favourite part of working out.

But on September 7th, I decided it was time to step out of my comfort zone and give running a try.
I started with 30-minute sessions, alternating between walking and running, twice a week, on top of my usual two gym sessions.

It wasn’t easy. I was out of breath, my legs hurt, and every run was a challenge. But I kept going. My mind is stronger than my body.

And today I ran my first 5K without walking for a single second.

Today, I’m so damn proud of myself!

So I managed to complete C25K!
This is especially a proud moment because I struggled with depression and anxiety a lot. I’m 24 years old and I’ve spent the last 8 years essentially stagnating as a person and trapped with mental health.
It’s been a lot of time wasted and that really pushed my change in mindset this year. I became determined to break that mental health cycle and not let life pass me by any longer. Running is one of the ways I’m doing that!

The main thing that I thought would happen was that I’d struggle to be motivated enough to stick to C25K. Surprisingly, that didn’t happen as each run I did was proof that I was making progress and could do it if I kept going. Each run made me more determined to keep going and not go back to how I was living life.

On the physical side of things, I’d say that what I learnt the most with C25K was listening to what my body was telling me.
I kept my pace in check and made sure to not tun too fast. Throughout the weeks, I would also take extra rest days if my legs were feeling off and not 100%. I always kept in mind that it’s better to take extra rest days when needed than to risk injuring myself and not being able to run for weeks.

The improvement in my mental health has been immense. I’m really glad I gave C25K a try and if anyone else struggling with mental health is thinking of doing C25K, I highly recommend you go for it!

I have been consistently running since February, 2026.
I started out slow, running for a minute at a time, then walking for 2 minutes, until I reached a mile. It’s been a solid 8 months, and I’m up to running about 3-4 miles at a time, without having to take breaks most of the time.
But I’m still very slow, and I find that running on a treadmill is much easier (though less enjoyable) than running outside.
I feel like I’ve hit a bit of a wall. I can run 2-3 miles with a little knee or foot pain, but if I run more than that, or I try I increase my speed, my knees tend to hurt pretty bad, the next day especially, or I am too tired to workout the next day or even two days sometimes. I often end my runs feeling like I could run another 1-2 miles, but I’m worried I’ll be in too much pain to run again the next day., or too tired to function.
I have googled running information, but I find a lot of lacking in detail or helpful ways to make changes. I have used chatgbt to make running plans, but a lot of the time it doesn’t match up with my actual progress.
Recently I’ve been trying to figure out cadence, and I thought I did, but my last run was significantly slower than my usual runs. I feel stuck!

My running goals are to improve speed and endurance, and eventually run a half marathon.

My current weekly runs look like this:
Mon: 1 mile run w/1 hour weight training
Tues: 2 mile run w/1 hour weight training
Wed: 1 1/2 hour weight training + mobility
Thurs: 2.5-3 mile run
Fri: 1 1/2 hour weight training + mobility
Sat: 3.5-4 mile run
Sun: rest
I usually add 4-6 sprints onto my 1 or 2 mile run, once a week.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Im on my Week 2 Day 2 of Just Run C25K this morning and didn't finish it. I bought new running shoes and everytime I use them I experience the pain on my right foot arch and cramps on left calf. Any advice on this? The shoes I'm using is Brooks adrenaline and im also doing stretches before running. I will appreciate all the help/advice.

Can anyone recommend any training apps? I’m going to be purchasing a pair of glycerins soon from my local running store.

I've been sober for 45 days and want to get into running as part of building a healthier routine.

I'm a complete beginner, so I'm wondering if Couch to 5K is a good place to start. Did you follow the plan exactly as written, or make any changes along the way?

Also, how did you stay consistent during the first few weeks?

Would appreciate any advice from people who've been through it!

I graduated the Watch25K today, and it feels incredible. I only did about 2 runs per week, all at my job's gym's treadmill at 1% incline and at 3.3-ish MPH. So it took longer than 9 weeks, but the point is, I did it!

But now, I want to transition to running outside exclusively, which I know is harder on the legs; I definitely don't think I could do 30 mins on concrete lickety-split. But I don't think I need to restart the program entirely either. Should I pick it up at a specific week, or would it depend on my shoes (which are definitely in need of replacing now) or pace (about 8min/km)?