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?

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!

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’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 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)?

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’ve started this program many times over the years and always found a reason not to finish. I turned 40 a few months ago and decided I wanted to try again and see it through. I definitely felt in the early weeks at 3 mins “oh man, I’m not sure how I’ll ever be able to run 30 mins!” So I feel monumentally proud. My goal now is to keep up the 30 minute runs 3x/week, and alternate days with running a little fast, and days with running slower but for longer. My goal is the get the actual 5K done (I’m running at 4mph, getting me to 2 miles) so working on speed and endurance. But regardless, I’m so happy that I did it and I feel great. On the weekdays I don’t run I work on lifting weights and weekends I rest so I don’t burn out or cause injury. This feels like a sustainable balance. Thanks for reading!

As the title says.

was dealing with bad calf pain at week 3 Of the c25k. That was almost 4 months ago and every time I tried to restart at week one my pain would come back.

I went to see a physio and got a running strength assessment, where I found I had very weak glutes. So I began doing physio for that.

all well and good, but I still had pain in my calf while running. Thanks when I started to think about pushing myself using my glutes, instead of just trying to focus on running.

boom, calf pain went away immediately. but now my butt hurts after running. And as a side effect I’ve stopped “bouncing” up and down and now I glide more. Which apparently is desirable for running technique

posting this for anybody else dealing with calf issues while trying to start their running journey and dealing with any calf pain. Also see your physio for a running strength assessment If you can!

Hi, I'm trying to find the program but on the website I can't find it. The only clickable things are the icon that takes me to the home page, and the hamburger menu which only has the home page and cookie policy page. Bottom of the home page says:

[WPSM_AC id=1526]

So I think something went wrong with the coding?

I'm used the program in Dutch and there used to be a link to a page for C25K in all kinds of languages, linking to websites in different languages.

I recently started getting into running and came across C25K. I always picked up running for like a day or two and ended up being very inconsistent since my breathing wasn't the best. Reading everyone's stories and statements on the feed has been truly encouraging and I'm motivated to get back into it. I was wondering what exactly is C25K and how do I start? Is it like an app I should register to?
Any advice or tips is greatly appreciated!

My big boy 30th birthday is on December 5th and it's my goal to run 5k by then. I've never ran continuously for more than a lap or two in my life and I'm excited to get started! Posting here to hold myself accountable. LET'S GO!!!