Your first 10K in 8 weeks: from your first jog to the finish line

How long

8 weeks, 3 runs a week

Where it starts

Short blocks of running and walking

The pace

Easy enough to hold a conversation

Rest

At least one day off between two runs

Race day

Start slower than your legs want to

Before you start

See your doctor if you are starting from zero or have a health condition

This plan is for someone who walks comfortably but is not in the habit of running, or who stopped a long time ago. If you can already run for half an hour without stopping, you can jump straight to week 4 or 5.

Pulse is not a medical service and this article is no substitute for professional advice. If you have a health condition, take medication, feel discomfort when you exert yourself or are starting from a fully sedentary routine, check with your doctor before beginning any training plan.

Three runs a week on non-consecutive days, for example Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Rest days are not wasted time: they are when your body absorbs the work. If you feel like moving, a walk, an easy bike ride or some simple strength exercises fit in well.

The plan counts minutes, not kilometres, because everyone has their own pace. Always run at a comfortable effort, one where you could chat. If a week felt like too much, repeat it: getting there a week later beats not getting there at all.

• Begin every session with 5 minutes of brisk walking.
• Finish with a few minutes of walking and some gentle stretching.
• One of the three weekly runs is the longest one, usually at the weekend.

The first month builds the habit and gets your legs and joints used to the impact. The running blocks grow little by little while the walking breaks shrink:

• Week 1: run 1 minute, walk 2, eight times.
• Week 2: run 2 minutes, walk 1, eight times.
• Week 3: run 4 minutes, walk 1, five or six times.
• Week 4: run 8 minutes, walk 2, three times.

From here on you run continuously. Two sessions are easy runs and the third, the long one, grows a little each week. If you need a one-minute walk in the middle of the long run, take it: it still counts.

• Week 5: two easy runs of 25 to 30 minutes and a 35-minute long run.
• Week 6: two easy runs of 30 minutes and a 45-minute long run.
• Week 7: two easy runs of 30 to 35 minutes and a 55 to 60-minute long run.
• Week 8: two short, gentle 20-minute runs, rest on the two days before and, on Sunday, your 10K.

You do not need to have covered 10 km before the race. The most reliable sign is finishing the week 7 long run at a comfortable pace, pain-free, and waking up the next day tired but fine.

If you missed some weeks or the long run felt like a struggle, that is all right: you can run the race mixing running and walking, or pick a 10K a few weeks later.

• You can run continuously for about as long as you expect the race to take.
• You can talk while you run on your easy days.
• No aches that get worse from one run to the next.

The classic first-10K mistake is going out too fast, swept along by the buzz at the start. The first kilometres should feel almost easy; through the middle, hold the pace of your training runs, and if you still have something left over the last two kilometres, that is the time to push.

Nothing new on the day: no new shoes, kit or breakfast you have not tried on your long runs. Collect your bib early and arrive with time to warm up with a walk. If the race is away from home, Pulse packs bundle the bib with the hotel and transfer, so running is the only thing left on your mind.

• Can I follow the plan if I have never run before?

  Yes, that is who it is for: you start by walking more than you run. If you are starting from zero or have a health condition, though, talk to your doctor first.

• What if I miss a week?

  Go back to the last week you completed feeling good and carry on from there. Pushing the race back is better than forcing it.

• Is it wrong to walk during the race?

  Not at all. Plenty of people finish their first 10K mixing running and walking. What matters is crossing the line and enjoying the way there.

• What shoes do I need?

  A comfortable pair of running shoes you have already trained in. If you are buying new ones, do it at the start of the plan, never in race week.

• What should I do if something hurts?

  Stop. Muscle soreness and tiredness are normal; pain that does not ease, gets worse or makes you limp is not. Rest and see a professional before carrying on.