How to Start Running: A Beginners Guide

Updated on December 31, 2025

Getting started is the hardest part. If you want to know how to start running routine, we compiled all our best advice here to help you jump start your new habit.

Ready to start a new running routine in 2026? We’re here to help! Running might seem intimidating at first, but it’s worth the challenge. From your physical and mental health to your social life and sense of accomplishment, running can make you feel like the best version of yourself.

Before you start, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor. If you’ve been sedentary for a while, or have a pre-existing health condition that could affect your approach, it’s important to get the green light beforehand.

So, how to begin? No matter your goal or your reason, the key is to start small and progress slowly. Here’s the bird’s eye view:

1. Walk first to build up fitness. Then use the run/walk method to gradually incorporate running.
2. Gradually increase your running intervals and total exercise time.

Bonus: Add strength training, cross training and speed workouts to get stronger, faster and prevent injuries.

Let’s get started!

When you start a new running routine, we recommend you think in terms of minutes rather than miles. Here is our suggested plan of action as you begin to establish a weekly running schedule:

Choose Running Shoes and Gear

Your shoes, socks and apparel can mean the difference between an enjoyable run and a blister-filled sufferfest. To keep your feet happy, start with expert outfitting for the perfect pair of shoes, socks and insoles.

Read our expert outfitting advice in our article: Essential Gear You Need to Start Running .

Your comfort is the most important thing, and an expert outfitter can help you find your best fit. Get a 3D scan of your feet, recommendations for your foot shape, then try on shoes to see what you like the best.

Learn more about Fleet Feet’s fit id® outfitting process (it’s free!)

Find the freshest styles and performance technology in our wide selection of men’s and women’s running apparel :

Find the Best Running Clothes

These are our top five tips to choosing the best running shoes:

1. Plan Ahead: Looking to get into a consistent running routine? Or maybe take on your first race? No matter your goals, create a plan around the surface you want to train on and how you want your shoes to feel while you’re running.
2. Get Started By Walking : Running shoes are great to walk in, and walking is often a segue for beginning runners as you feel out the way your body moves for prolonged periods of time.
3. Learn How You Move: The natural alignment of your joints and the degree to which you pronate can make a big difference in how you search for shoes to support your body. Using our in-store fit process or at-home wear analysis can help you determine how much you pronate and what kind of running shoe to buy.
4. Find Your Fit: A good rule of thumb to determine that you’re wearing the right size is to keep a thumb’s width of space between the end of your toes and the tip of the shoe. Your foot should feel secure from heel to toe, without any squeezing or pinching. Pay attention to the way your foot aligns over the midsole to determine if you need a wide size shoe.
5. Put On Some Miles: Once you find shoes with the support you need and a comfortable fit, hit the road! The average running shoe lasts about 300 miles for regular runners.

Find more details and tips to finding the just right pair of running shoes for you in our article: How to Choose Running Shoes.

Are running shoes good for walking?

Yes! The soft cushioning and accommodating fit of running shoes makes them great for walking too.

How long do running shoes last?

A premium running shoe lasts between 300-500 miles. It all depends on how often you run in them, the surface you run on, and how many miles you put on your shoes. It is important to pay attention to when your shoes do begin to wear out, so you can get new ones and prevent discomfort or even injury.

How Do You Pick the Right Running Shoes For You?

Start Running

Sometimes new runners make the mistake of trying to run too much too soon, and wind up quitting because they’re discouraged or injured. So, try easing into your new routine gradually.

The best way to start running is by using the Run-Walk method, especially if you have not had much aerobic activity in the past few months.

The Run-Walk Method

Start by walking 10 to 30 minutes on a regular basis, and increase that time gradually. Once you can walk comfortably for 30 minutes, you’re ready to incorporate some running.

Before you get too far down the road, check with your doctor if you have a pre-existing condition that may require you to alter your plan.

Here are some suggestions based on your familiarity with aerobic activity:

• Beginners: completely new
• Intermediate: some aerobic exercise, but not frequent
• Advanced: frequent aerobic exercise

This chart suggests interval lengths based on level of activity. Repeat run-walk intervals as many times as you’d like within a 10-30 minutes period of activity.

How to breathe while running

When you start out running, breathe however feels natural to you. If you are prone to asthma or find yourself frequently gasping for air, consult a doctor before continuing to run. Some runners prefer a method called “square breathing”, where they breathe in for two counts through their nose, and breathe out for two counts through their mouth. The most important thing is to find what works best for you!

Muscular strength is an important piece of injury prevention and overall health. It is especially important if you are looking to build speed. Strong leg, core and back muscles help generate momentum and propel your body forward.

Strength Training

This activity can range from body-weight exercises to traditional weighted exercises at the gym. It is essential to focus your strength training on your whole body, that means arms, back and core in addition to legs!

Here are a few of our favorite strength workouts:

• Squats: there’s a ton of fun variations you can try, weighted or unweighted, but overall squats are a great way to build muscle and improve your range of motion.
• Side lunges: these engage the muscles around your hip to not only build strength, but also to prevent injury as you put on more mileage.
• Power bridges: with or without a resistance band around your knees, power bridges focus on your hamstrings and glutes to build strength in your posterior chain. This can help you get faster and improve your running form.

5-Minute, Full-Body Strength Workout for Runners

Find a Training Group or Coach

Training groups provide a social environment to help you work on your fitness and speed with other runners. Running with others is shown to increase happiness related to social connection. It also has a huge effect on motivation, making you more likely run faster and for longer distances. You've probably even heard that running groups are "the new dating app."

You don’t have to be competitive in order to be a runner. Many people love the simple joy of finding community while logging miles with their friends and family. Many others prefer to use running as a sacred opportunity to be alone. Do what feels right to you, and make running your own.

Nutrition and Hydration for Running

Whether you’re running for weight loss or training for a race, nutrition and hydration are key elements of a healthy lifestyle.

But it’s not all about counting calories and heavy dieting; fueling your body to feel and perform its best involves listening to its needs and giving yourself the healthiest, most effective nutrition possible.

What to Eat Before Running

When it comes to running, a bit of trial and error is required to discover what energizes your run without upsetting your stomach.

You will want to match your fuel to the type of run. Keep the planning simple and stress-free (your gut prefers simplicity, too!).

• Easy runs: All you need are fluids and electrolytes. If you’re hungry, add simple carbs like crackers or a banana.
• Hard runs or speed work: Go for simple, clean-burning carbs. Try sports drinks or gels, toast with jam or a banana.
• Long runs: Complex carbs will keep your energy up. Aim for a carb-heavy meal a few hours before (time for digestion is key), and add a bit of protein and healthy fats. Try overnight oats with a scoop of almond butter.

No matter what you eat, be sure to drink plenty of water, which aids digestion and energizes your system.

How Much To Eat Before A Run

Eating about 100-200 calories every hour before your workout will generally provide your body enough fuel to get through your run.

But your nutrition isn’t just about on-the-run fuel. What you eat is crucial for your recovery and general everyday health. To replenish your body, it’s important to eat a balance of protein, carbs and healthy fats from wholesome, nutrient-dense foods.

When you start running you are likely to burn more calories and may feel hungrier than usual. It’s important to be mindful not to go on a hangry binge, but to eat (mostly) healthy foods to replenish your system.

Read more about all things nutrition and hydration, and how it helps to improve your running:

How to Run a Race

As a basic rule of thumb, the longer the race distance, the more weekly mileage you’ll need to prepare for and the more time you’ll need to spend running. But whether you break down your training by time on the move or mileage, here are some basic 5K training plan outlines you can use to build out your training plan for even longer races!

If setting a weekly mileage goal isn’t for you, try setting a time goal instead. Allow yourself a certain amount of time each day to run, and see how far you can go.

Both are equally effective ways to get in shape for race day, it’s all about finding what works best for your mind and body.

How to Build Endurance

Whether you’re training for your first long-distance race or want to push yourself to see how far you can go, building endurance is essential to running well.

Incorporating these two types of runs into your workout schedule can help you build the endurance you need to run farther.

The best time to begin endurance training is after you’ve already established a strong running routine, running about 30 minutes for 5 days a week, and can run 3 miles without stopping. This way, you know your body can handle running for longer periods of time.

Here’s a suggested week of endurance training:

How to Run Faster

A with anything, practice makes perfect. If you want to be a faster runner, practice running fast. Luckily, there are plenty of dynamic and engaging workouts that will help you build the strength and anaerobic endurance you need to achieve your fastest speeds.

A week of speed training might look like this:

Speed Workouts

Hard effort; can barely talk, breathing heavily, reasonably outside your comfort zone (you’re not Usain Bolt).

Tempo Runs

Running 10-15 seconds slower than goal race pace (or the fastest you can go for a sustained period). As you gain experience, increase temp distance to 75% of your goal race distance.

Intervals

Any combination of running and jogging or walking. This is a great way to begin running or to build speed endurance. Push your limits by running for a longer distance or time, and walking or jogging for a shorter period.

Hill Repeats

Good for endurance, good for the booty, good for everyone. Find an incline near you and run for a period of time or distance, allowing yourself at least an equal time/distance to recover.

Want more? Here’s How to Improve Your Pacing and Run Faster.

Nike Pegasus Plus 2: Ready for a Change of Pace.