Beginners Guide

You do not need to be fit to start, and you do not need to be fast. Most of our members started exactly where you are.

Before your first run

You need less kit than you think. A pair of cushioned running shoes is the only thing that really matters, because they improve comfort and reduce the shock through your joints. Do not spend a lot at this stage - wait until you know running suits you. Comfortable clothes you can move in are fine for everything else.

Clothing that rubs gets painful over a few kilometres. Running tights, for men and women, are the usual fix.

Start slower than feels necessary. The most common mistake is doing too much too soon. Leave at least one full day between runs at the beginning: that rest is when your body actually adapts.

Breathing is the thing to get right

Breathing is the single biggest difficulty for new runners, and the easiest to improve.

Breathe in and out through your mouth. It is a bigger opening than your nose, so you take in more oxygen and clear more carbon dioxide.

Our coaches teach a simple four-step pattern you can practise while walking:

1. Blow out hard as one foot lands
2. Breathe in slowly over the next three steps
3. Blow out hard again, and repeat

If you feel dizzy or your breathing gets ragged, shorten your stride or drop to a walk - but keep counting. It settles quickly.

Aches, niggles and stitches

Some grumbling from your legs in the first few weeks is normal. Two things catch nearly everyone out:

• Shin splints - soreness down the front of the lower leg, common when tendons and muscles are still weak. It becomes less likely as you get stronger.
• A stitch - a sharp pain under the ribs, usually from breathing that is out of sync with your stride. Slow down and take deep breaths; it normally passes within a minute or two.

Pain is a signal, not something to push through. Running through an injury is a bad idea for a beginner, and painkillers should never be used to mask pain while you run. If something hurts, stop and tell a coach. If it persists, see your GP.

Hills, and other people

Two habits make hills far easier: take deeper breaths before you reach the bottom rather than waiting until you are struggling, and shorten your stride on the way up. Drive your arms, lean from the ankles rather than the waist, and look ahead instead of down at your feet.

The other thing that causes injuries in new runners is trying to keep up with someone else. Run at your own pace. You will be put with a group that runs at roughly your speed, and even our quickest runners join the slow runs.

Eating and drinking

A runner's diet is about fuelling and recovering, not losing weight. Eat a sensible balance weighted towards carbohydrates, with enough protein to repair muscle, and drink through the day rather than all at once before a run.

If you have a health condition that might be affected by exercise, have a word with your GP before you start. Tell your coach too, so they know.

What happens next

Read Your First CRC Run for when and where we meet and what actually happens on the night. If you would rather start right at the beginning with a coached group, our free Couch to 5K programme runs again in January 2027.

Still unsure? The FAQs cover most things, and you can always ask us.

This page is general advice for people starting out, taken from the guide we give to our own Couch to 5K entrants. It is not medical advice. If you have any health concerns, speak to your GP before starting to run.