Getting Started

What is the structure of the beginners programme?

Our beginners programmes last between 10 - 12 weeks and in that time, you will gradually build up the time you spend running and reduce the time you spend walking. In week 1, the longest chunk of solid running you will do is 60 seconds and by the end of the programme, you’ll run for 30 minutes without stopping! From that point, you’ll be in a great position to join our Steady runs.

Between the weekly group sessions, the leaders will set you some homework and to put yourself in the best position to progress each week, we strongly suggest you complete three runs per week, including the group session. Groups often have a Whatsapp group where you can chat with the leaders and other beginners, share how you’re getting on and even arrange to meet up with others to run in between sessions.

What level of fitness do I need to join a Beginners programme?

Of course we don’t expect you to be able to run already, we will support you to build up your running endurance throughout the beginners programme. However, it’s important to recognise that running places quite a stress on the body and you should consider the following guidance before signing up to a beginners programme:

• You should be physically able to walk briskly for at least 30 minutes before starting the beginners running programme. Running is quite a demanding activity on your body and you may benefit from first working on your cardiovascular endurance through walking regularly for a period of time before starting to run. 

• If you have a medical condition that might be affected by running, we strongly suggest you have a conversation with your medical professional about the suitability of the programme. 

• If you aren’t sure if the Beginners programme is suitable for you, we’d encourage you to contact us beforehand. 

• In the interest of the health and safety of all our participants and our volunteers, Let’s Run Girls reserves the right to refer you back to your GP or health professional to ensure your readiness to take part in physical activity prior to attending any of our running sessions.

I’m ready, when can I start?

Each of our groups choose when in the year to run beginners programmes based on local leader availability and programme demand. All details about the sessions offered by our groups will be shown on their group page along with their contact details.

We suggest you join a beginners programme within the first 3 weeks of the 10-12 week programme, especially if you have never done any running before. If you have some previous running experience you may be able to join the group later on in the programme but we suggest contacting the leaders beforehand.

What happens at the end of the beginners programme?

Here at Let’s Run Girls, we have guided hundreds of women through our beginners course. By the end of the programme, many are able to run for longer than 30 minutes and some even complete their first 5K. Regardless of how far you run in the final week, we encourage all graduates of our beginners program to join our Steady Run sessions, where we will help you gradually increase your distance and/or speed.