Some popular running plans take you from the living room to a given distance — most often, a 5K. But if you’ve never run much or at all, that’s a significant amount of ground to cover. After all, it’s the length of more than 50 football fields. Instead, why not aim to first run one mile or 1.6km?

Learning how to run a mile represents a significant accomplishment, but it isn’t quite as demanding on your time or your body as a longer distance goal. It also offers you the chance to build a stronger bond with running before you make a longer-term commitment.

Whatever has kept you from running before — whether it’s childhood memories of being the last to finish your laps in PEs, a lack of time, or just not knowing where to start — if you’re here now, you’re at least run-curious. And we have all the info you need on how to run a mile successfully.

4 Steps to Set Yourself Up for a Regular Running Routine

1. Know It’s Okay to Take It Slow
You might see someone striding down the sidewalk, or crossing the finish line of a race, and think, “How do they even do that?” Well, here’s a little secret: Everyone started somewhere, and gradually built up over time to reach their goals.

“No one came out of the womb running — not even Usain Bolt,” Corey Brown, a certified running coach and co-owner of Rebound Health & Wellness in Coral Springs, Florida, tells Runner’s World.

Literally every runner began walking, and eventually running their first mile. To join them, you just need a smart training plan that begins where you are and builds up, week by week, to the distance you desire.

Fortunately, Runner’s World tapped Bridget McGahen, a certified running and strength coach at Boulder, Colorado-based Get Running, to create an eight-week plan to take you from where you are now to the end of your first mile. In addition, she and Brown have tips and advice to successfully execute the plan.

2. Plan Out Your Schedule
If you’re brand new to running or fitness, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor before you start this or any other plan, McGahen says. That’s especially true if you have a chronic disease like diabetes, heart disease, pain, mobility limitations, or any other health concerns.

Once you’re cleared to exercise, take a few minutes to slot your training into your weekly schedule. On this plan:

• You’ll walk or run four days every week
• Each session will take anywhere between 20 to 40 minutes total, including warm-up and a few post-run strength-training exercises
• Beginning in week three, you’ll add two separate strength-training sessions per week (for a total of six days of training); each should take you about 15 to 20 minutes

Whether you do it online, on your phone, or on paper, pull out a weekly calendar to choose the best days and times for the runs and strength workouts. Book them just like you would any other commitment, Brown suggests, but choose a window of time rather than a hard-and-fast start and end. This way, you’ll have a little grace if life interferes and you’re behind schedule. Also, this should be a fun “want to,” not an onerous “have to.”

For example, tell yourself: “I’m going to come home, do dinner, and somewhere between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., I’m going make sure I’ve carved out a meeting with myself for my health and wellness,” Brown says.

3. Figure Out Where to Run
Decide in advance where you’ll log your miles. Consider routes convenient to your home or office, but also factor in where you will feel safe and happy, Brown says. If you can swing it, a beautiful waterfront trail or a path that veers through a local park can make your workout that much more pleasant.

You can also map out the distance ahead of time using Google Maps, or walk/run on a track or other marked location. In other words, make sure you know where you can run one mile, and figure out if you want to run an out-and-back or drive somewhere and run a loop.

You can use your car, a GPS watch, or an app like Strava to determine how far that is. Another option is to plot it out ahead of time on a website like On The Go Map, Map My Run, or Google Maps — you can pick out a point a block or two away, ask for directions, and receive a readout of the distance.

4. Get Your Gear
While many runners obsess over fancy shoes or expensive watches, you actually don’t need a ton of gear to get started. McGahen and Brown recommend a few key items:

• A watch or app — such as Strava — to track your distance.
• A well-fitting pair of running shoes. If you’re going to spend money on anything, make it new running shoes, as old, worn-down kicks don’t absorb as much impact and can really make running less pleasant.
• A sports bra, if you have breasts.
• Ideally, a moisture-wicking top and bottom to keep you cool, comfortable, and chafe-free.

The How-to-Run-a-Mile Training Plan
Sometimes cliches are true: It is best to walk before you run, McGahen says. This training plan begins with 10 to 15 minutes of walking. Once you’re comfortable on your feet for that long, you’ll start to add in short running intervals, allowing your body time to adjust to the increased impact. Each week, you’ll increase the amount of running until, by the end of week eight, you’ll run a full mile without a walk break.

Now, if you already walk for at least 20 minutes on a regular basis, you can skip ahead to week three. However, you don’t have to do that. There is zero harm in taking a slow, steady approach, and scheduling the training plan walks outside of the activity you already do may lead to your ultimate success. You can also repeat a week anytime you don’t quite feel mentally or physically ready to progress.

Doing too much too soon — say, jumping into running before you have a solid walking base — may leave you burned out or injured. And that’s the goal of the training plan: to help you ease into the sport.

The progression from walking to run-walking to running is common. In fact, experienced racers use it when they’re coming back post-partum, after an injury, or any other prolonged break, McGahen says.

Before each run, do a dynamic warm-up to prepare your muscles for movement. Also, at least once every week, McGahen recommends a longer stretching session, such as a short yoga routine. It’s written into the schedule on Sundays, but you can do it any day that works, and you can also do it more than once each week.

Strength training is in the plan, too, and trainers and coaches consider this almost as important as your actual walk-runs. Runner’s World has a range of workouts for you to try, as does McGahen.

Running is an aerobic activity, which means your heart and lungs work hard, but it also demands a lot of your muscles and joints. Stronger muscles — especially in your legs, feet, and core — improve your running form and also help your body better absorb impact, reducing your injury risk, McGahen says.

Finally, the last component of the plan is rest. It’s essential to balance out your training with downtime for your body to absorb the impact of your workouts. You can take these days off completely or do easy cross-training — for instance, a moderate bike ride — but it’s wise not to do other challenging workouts as you’re building up your running fitness, say the coaches.

Week 1

• Monday: Walk 10 minutes; core strength training
• Tuesday: Rest
• Wednesday: Walk 15 minutes; feet strength training
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: Walk 10 minutes
• Saturday: Walk 15 minutes
• Sunday: Rest or yoga

Week 2:

• Monday: Walk 15 minutes; core strength training
• Tuesday: Rest
• Wednesday: Walk 20 minutes; feet strength training
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: Walk 15 minutes
• Saturday: Walk 20 minutes
• Sunday: Rest or yoga

Week 3

• Monday: Run 200m and walk 400m, repeat for 4 total rounds; core strength training
• Tuesday: Full body (bodyweight) strength training
• Wednesday: Run 200m and walk 400m, repeat for 5 total rounds; feet strength training
• Thursday: Full body (bodyweight) strength training
• Friday: Walk 20 minutes
• Saturday: Run 200me and walk 400m, repeat for 6 total rounds
• Sunday: Rest or yoga

Week 4

• Monday: Run 400m and walk 400m, repeat for 3 total rounds; core strength training
• Tuesday: Full body (bodyweight) strength training
• Wednesday: Run 400m and walk 400m, repeat for 4 total rounds; feet strength training
• Thursday: Full Body (bodyweight) strength training
• Friday: Walk 20 minutes
• Saturday: Run 400m and walk 400m, repeat for 4 total rounds
• Sunday: Rest or yoga

Week 5

• Monday: Run 500m and walk 400m repeat for 2 total rounds; core strength training
• Tuesday: Full body (bodyweight) strength training
• Wednesday: Run 500m and walk 400m, repeat for 3 total rounds; lower-body strength training
• Thursday: Full body (bodyweight) strength training
• Friday: Run 200m and walk 400m, repeat for 4 total rounds
• Saturday: Run 500m and walk 400m, repeat for 4 total rounds
• Sunday: Rest or yoga

Week 6

• Monday: Run 600m and walk 400m repeat for 2 total rounds; core strength training
• Tuesday: Full-body strength training with dumbbells
• Wednesday: Run 600m and walk 400m, repeat for 3 total rounds; lower-body strength training
• Thursday: Full-body strength training with dumbbells
• Friday: Run 600m and walk 400m, repeat for 2 total rounds
• Saturday: Run 800m and walk 400m, repeat for 2 total rounds
• Sunday: Rest or yoga

Week 7

• Monday: Run 600m and walk 400m, repeat for 2 total rounds; core strength training
• Tuesday: Full-body strength training with dumbbells
• Wednesday: Run 600m and walk 200m, repeat for 2 total rounds; lower-body strength training
• Thursday: Full-body strength training with dumbbells
• Friday: Run 500m and walk 200m, repeat for 2 total rounds
• Saturday: Run 600m and walk 200m, repeat for 2 total rounds
• Sunday: Rest or yoga

Week 8

• Monday: Run 1300m, walk 2 minutes, run 600m; core strength training
• Tuesday: Full-body strength training with dumbbells
• Wednesday: Walk 10 minutes; lower-body strength training
• Thursday: Run 500m, walk 2 minutes, run 500m; full-body strength training with dumbbells
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: Walk 10 minutes
• Sunday: Run 1 mile (1600m) without stopping!

5 Tips for Success When Running Your First Mile

1. Dial Down the Pace
Many novices start out at a sprint, then quickly stall out, McGahen says. The goal here is not to run as fast as possible, but to sustain a comfortable pace for a longer distance so you can be a runner for the rest of your life, even if that means running one mile a few times a week.

2. Don’t Make Comparisons
Resist the urge to compare yourself to other runners or those on social media. “If exercise has not been a part of your time, you should expect to be out of breath, you should expect to be tired, you should expect that maybe you can’t go as far as you want to go, because physically, there is a limitation for the moment,” Brown says. Over time, you’ll build up the strength and stamina to go farther and faster.

3. Know Your “Why”
Sticking with a running plan — or really, any new habit — involves two things: motivation and commitment. Trying something new can feel exciting at first, but when the motivation wears off, you’ll need to tap into your commitment to keep things rolling, McGahen says.

Identify your deeper reasons for running up front, Brown suggests — maybe it’s to improve your health, connect with nature, test your limits, or simply claim some time and space of your own. Post this “why” where you can see it regularly (say, your bathroom mirror or on the lock screen of your phone) to remind yourself on days when your motivation dips, which is a normal and natural occurrence for all runners.

4. Keep a Log
Some watches or apps will automatically tally your minutes and kilometres. But even if yours does, it’s a good idea to keep a journal separately, either on paper or digitally. Write down what you did in each session, including how long/how far you walked or ran and what strength exercise you did. Also, make a few notes about how it went and how you felt, Brown suggests.

Over time, you might notice patterns that can help make running easier or more comfortable, and chances to course-correct if you get off track. For instance, if you tend to get sucked into social media in the morning and put off your run, consider heading out the door before you open Instagram or TikTok. If your stomach sloshes when you run after dinner, see if you can swap the order of your meals and kilometres.

5. Celebrate Every Success
Think about a location that’s about four miles from home — maybe your kids’ school, your office, or your favorite coffee shop. Imagine yourself running a quarter of the way there, Brown suggests. Seeing it in your mind’s eye helps you wrap your head around the distance and also gives you a vision of yourself accomplishing the goal.

Then, take a moment after each training session and at the end of every week to congratulate yourself for your efforts. Each run is an accomplishment. This is another good reason to keep a log, Brown says. Glancing back through it will remind you of how far you’ve come since you started.

And we mean “how far” both literally and figuratively. By the end of this program, you’ll have covered a lot of miles, at a variety of paces. More importantly, you’ll make a major shift in your routine, and potentially, in your identity. “The goal, ultimately, is not running a mile,” McGahen says. “The goal is to become a runner.”

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