How to Start Running: Simple Steps to Find Your Stride

Published on: 09/04/2025, by: Ally Head

It’s officially the workout of the moment, with more people entering the London Marathon 2025 ballot than ever before. Here, top experts impart their wisdom - consider this your ultimate running bible.

You’d have had to have been living under a rock to have missed the boom in interest in running right now. Everywhere you look, another runner is lacing up, joining a club, or posting a beaming selfie from the finish line of a race.

As a seasoned runner myself, it’s been a total joy to watch millions around the globe fall in love with the sport in the same way I did twelve years ago. While I’d run consistently since around 2015, completing my first marathon – the London Marathon in 2018 – was easily one of the best days of my life, showing me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and that there’s so much power in pushing the boundaries of what you can achieve.

And it’s easy to see why - running is totally free, largely accessible to all, and a simple cardio workout that doesn’t require a gym membership or understanding of complex moves. It’s also one of the simplest ways to boost your endorphins, aka your feel-good hormones (what runners endearingly refer to as the “runner’s high”).

That said, it can feel a little overwhelming if you’re new to the sport. While running may seem as simple as putting one foot in front of the other, it can also be a bit of a minefield. You probably have a million and one questions - like what to wear, what distance to aim for as a beginner, or how to improve your running distance, once you’ve cemented your base fitness.

Don’t panic - we’ve got you covered. This handy guide offers a detailed explanation of how to start running, designed to inspire and support you through your journey. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned pro pushing for a new personal best, there are plenty of handy and actionable tips from top experts in the field, with some of my personal anecdotes and learnings included throughout.

Keen to make 2025 your best running year yet? Keep scrolling.

How to start running: Your complete guide

Couch to 5km: a plan for new runners

Let’s start at the very beginning - this section’s for you if you’d love to find your running stride or once ran pretty regularly but haven’t found the time in recent years. “The hardest but most important part is to just start,” shares Sports Direct ambassador and run coach Barry Mullin. “If you keep putting it off, it’ll only become scarier in your head.”

So, what’s his advice for new runners? Simply, to begin slowly, ease into the sport, and make sure not to compare yourself to others - as everyone’s start points are different. “When people think about starting running, they think it means only running. But one of the most effective and safe ways to start your journey is to run/walk,” he explains. “Don't be afraid to take walking breaks or even just a couple of minutes rest to catch your breath. This approach will make your entry to running a lot more enjoyable.”

Sports Direct ambassador, personal trainer and run coach Tommy Trees also stresses how important it is to incorporate walking into your run plan. “It can really help improve your aerobic conditioning without taxing the body too much,” he shares.

Both recommend the NHS-backed Couch to 5km app as a great starting point. The app is one of the simplest and most affordable tools for beginners looking to get into running and offers a totally free, four-week run-walk plan with one simple promise: to have you running 5k without stopping by the time the month is up.

Sports Direct ambassador and running influencer Liz Newcomer also recommends checking out the free plans on the Runners World website. “They’re what I used when I started running,” she shares. And I’d recommend them too - when I started my running journey, I followed my Dad’s advice, who’s run four marathons and always trained using the Runner’s World plans. They’re simple to follow, expert-approved, and for me, made building my cardio fitness far less daunting.

“That said, if you find that any of the paces in your plan are too easy or too hard, it may be time to look elsewhere,” Newcomer continues. “If you have the financial budget, I'd highly recommend working with a coach. While there are apps available, nothing will ever beat talking to a real human who’s certified and educated to help you progress further in your running journey.”

How to run for longer

Now you’ve nailed your base level of fitness and worked up to being able to run for five kilometres, you’ll likely be keen to know how to continue building on your progress and increasing your mileage. Enter: the Sunday long run.

While there’s no hard or fast rule for what day you do your “longer” run, many runners aim for Sundays as it gives them ample time to recover. As Mullin explains: “Once you’re at a good base fitness, I’d recommend adding in one run per week of a longer duration. This is known as “The Long Run” in most plans and is the run you should use to increase your distance.”

As a general rule of thumb, most experts advise the ten per cent rule for beginners. This simply means increasing your mileage by no more than ten per cent each week - if you can run three miles, aim for 3.5 miles the following and build from there. Mullin himself recommends focusing on increasing the number of minutes you’re running each week – say, five to ten minutes – another simple yet actionable approach. If you’re not sure where to start with tracking your mileage or progress, the Strava app is a great place to start (and is totally free to download, too).

Time on feet is an important term to get to grips with, too, if you’re looking to improve how far you can run. This simply means building your aerobic fitness by spending more time – the clue was in the name – on your feet, aka out running. As Newcomer explains: “Runs where you aim to bank a certain amount of time on feet or a certain amount of time at a specific pace are great for building your aerobic system, which in turn will help you be able to run for longer.”

Creating your first running plan

Next up: how to create your first running plan. “As a beginner, the vast majority of your running plan needs to focus on slow, easy running,” advises Trees. “You want to build a base before attempting to add any speed.”

From personal experience, I’d recommend a few things. First, choose your end goal. Would you like to be able to run 5k, 10k, a half marathon or even a full marathon? Once you’ve decided that, it’s time to choose a plan. There are plenty of free options on the Runner’s World website, and newer apps like Runna and Coopah offer more personalised plans with the option to enter time-specific goals, too.

Top tip: whatever you go for, make your life a little bit easier by diarising your workouts. It sounds simple, but it’s the easiest way to visually remind yourself of what workouts you’re doing, and when, and also an effective tool for cementing your new running habit as a part of your weekly routine.

For route planning, Mullin recommends checking out the On The Go Map website, especially if you’re running in an unfamiliar area.

Tips for staying motivated as a beginner or during the winter months

When it’s baltic out and you’re tired from a busy week at work, getting outside and going for a run is often the last thing you want to do. My biggest tip for staying motivated, both as a beginner and beyond? Book a race and set a goal. There’s nothing quite as motivating as a looming distance or time goal. My first ever race was the Race For Life back in 2014, and, spurred on by the buzz of crossing that finish line, I booked the Birmingham Half Marathon, which I ran in just over two hours. By that point, I’d caught the bug and have been chipping away at my times ever since, with my current half personal best sitting at 1 hour and 28 minutes.

Trees agrees, adding: “Setting goals is the best way to stay motivated, especially throughout winter. I always recommend beginners to go to their local parkrun where they can look to improve their 5k on a weekly basis.”

What to wear when running

Long gone are the days when all runners wore were baggy sweat pants and University t-shirts - instead, 2025 has seen lycra everything, running shades and carbon plate shoes dominate. And while you don’t need loads of snazzy kit as a beginner, there are a few essentials that all of our experts recommend.

First up - running trainers. “The most important piece of kit is no doubt a pair of runners,” shares Mullin. “They don’t need to be fancy or too expensive, but they do need to be comfortable.” His advice? Make sure they fit correctly and are well cushioned. Newcomer also advises a gait analysis as a non-negotiable. “Go to a running store to get a gait analysis done so that you can get fitted for the shoes that will best support you,” she encourages. Never heard of a gait analysis before? It simply means getting an expert to look at how your foot lands on the floor when you run - they’ll then recommend a trainer with the appropriate type of support.

As a Health Editor who tests kit for a living, I’m lucky to have tested quite literally hundreds of running shoes in my time and have a few favourites that I wear on repeat. For easy miles, the ON Cloudmonster 2’s, New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4’s, and Hoka Bondi 8’s get my vote. Come speedwork or race day, you’ll find me lacing up in the adidas Adios Adizero Pro 4’s or New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4’s.

For women, a supportive sports bra is an absolute necessity - always make sure the bra you’re buying clearly states that it’s high impact and designed for running, as yoga bras won’t cut it, sadly. Similarly, you’ll be most comfortable in sweat-wicking, breathable kit that has a certain amount of compression - there are plenty of great brands stocked on Sports Direct, so you’re spoilt for choice.

Injury prevention for runners

As Mullin highlights, it’s all too easy to get carried away when you first catch the running bug. Seeing your mileage and perhaps speed improve week on week can be a buzz, but making sure you’re not overdoing it is absolutely key to injury prevention.

“The most important thing when starting out as a runner is not to do too much too soon,” he stresses. “While your enthusiasm is likely high, it's important to ease into running and not increase your mileage too drastically.”