How Often Should Beginners Run Each Week?

One of the first questions most new runners ask is, how often should I run as a beginner? It usually comes with a bit of worry, am I doing enough, or am I doing too much?

The honest answer is much simpler than the internet often makes it. You do not need to run every day to make progress. In fact, running too often is one of the fastest ways to end up injured, exhausted, or ready to quit.

Two to three runs a week is plenty

For beginner runners, two to three runs per week is ideal. This gives your body enough stimulus to adapt, while still allowing time to recover.

If you are brand new to running, two runs a week is a great place to start. Once that feels comfortable, you can build to three. Anything beyond that is not necessary at this stage and often does more harm than good.

Progress comes from consistency over time, not cramming as many runs as possible into one week.

Rest days are part of training

Rest days are not optional extras, they are part of the plan.

When you run, your muscles experience small amounts of stress. It is during rest that your body repairs and strengthens them. Without rest, you are simply stacking fatigue on top of fatigue.

For beginners, rest days help:

• Reduce injury risk
• Prevent burnout
• Keep running feeling enjoyable

If you are running on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the days in between are doing just as much work as the runs themselves.

More is not better when you’re starting out

It is very tempting in the early weeks to think more running equals faster progress. This is rarely true for beginners.

Running too often can lead to:

• Persistent aches and niggles
• Feeling constantly tired
• Loss of motivation

Your cardiovascular fitness improves quite quickly, but your muscles, joints, and tendons take longer to adapt. This mismatch is why beginners often feel capable of running more, but their bodies are not quite ready yet.

Less running done consistently will always beat more running done for a short time.

Why beginner plans get this right

One of the benefits of following a beginner running plan is that the spacing is done for you. Runs are placed far enough apart to allow recovery, and mileage increases gradually.

Good beginner plans are designed to stop you doing too much too soon, even when motivation is high. They remove the guesswork and give you permission to rest.

Apps like Runna are often used by beginners because sessions are structured sensibly and adapt as you improve, rather than pushing you to do more just because you can.

You are not behind

If you are running two or three times a week and taking rest days, you are not slacking. You are training.

The goal in the early stages is not to run as often as possible, it is to build a habit you can maintain. If running fits comfortably into your week and you feel okay afterwards, you are doing it right.

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Ready to keep going?

I’ve got a growing library of beginner running guides on the blog, designed to help you build confidence without pressure. Have a browse and pick the one that feels right for you right now.