How to Start Running: A Practical Guide From Someone Who Did It

Start Slower Than You Think

The number one mistake new runners make is going too fast. Your first run should feel embarrassingly slow. If you are breathing so hard you cannot talk, you are running too fast. Walk-run intervals are not cheating — they are the most effective way to build fitness without injury.

A good starting plan: run for 1 minute, walk for 2 minutes. Repeat for 20 minutes. Do that three times in the first week. If it feels too easy, good. That means you will actually do it again next week.

Shoes Matter, Everything Else Does Not

Go to a running shop and get fitted properly. Not a fashion trainer, not whatever is on sale at the supermarket. A proper running shoe that fits your foot. This is the one thing worth spending money on. Everything else — fancy watch, technical clothing, running belt — can wait.

For your first few months, a t-shirt and shorts are fine. You do not need compression gear. You do not need a GPS watch. Your phone has a free app that tracks distance. Start simple.

The First Month is the Hardest

Every run in the first month will feel hard. This is normal. Your body has never done this before and it is complaining. By week 4, something shifts. The same run that felt impossible in week 1 becomes manageable. By week 6, you start looking forward to it. This is not motivation — it is physiology. Your body adapts.

Do Parkrun

Once you can run for 20-30 minutes without stopping, go to a parkrun. Every Saturday morning, 9am, free, no registration required on the day (just sign up online and print a barcode). Running with other people changes everything. The atmosphere, the encouragement, the routine of showing up every week.

Your first parkrun might take 35 minutes. It might take 25. It does not matter. What matters is that you did it, and that you will probably go back next week.

Build the Habit Before the Speed

Do not worry about pace, distance, or improvement for the first three months. The only goal is consistency. Three runs per week, every week. Some will be good, some will be bad. The bad ones count just as much as the good ones.

Speed and distance come naturally once the habit is established. The body improves on its own when you give it regular stimulus. Your only job in the first three months is to keep showing up.

When to Enter Your First Race

Once parkrun feels comfortable, sign up for a 5K or 10K race. Having a race in the diary gives training a purpose. It transforms "I should probably run today" into "I have a race in 6 weeks and I need to be ready." That shift in mindset is the difference between running sometimes and being a runner.