8 October 2026

You can build to your first 5k without dreading it. The trick is to stop picturing one big run and start with a small one you know you can finish. The Thursday Morning Run gives you two options, a 2.5 km lap or the 5 km option, so you can begin with one lap, get comfortable with the routine and step up when you are ready. A single lap is a full run, and there is nothing to apologise for if that is where you stop for now.

Why a club run makes a good 5k training plan

A training plan works best when one session each week is already decided for you. The Thursday Morning Run does that job. It runs every Thursday: meet at 5:45am for a 6:00am start at Glenhaven Oval, 78 Glenhaven Road, Glenhaven, with coffee and a sweet treat afterwards. Having the same time and place every week takes away the planning, which is often where first-timers lose momentum.

Your first 5k, step by step

Move through these stages at your own pace. Repeat any stage for as long as you need.

1. Stage one: one lap on Thursdays. Run the 2.5 km lap at the Thursday Morning Run. Walk whenever you need to, and leave the stopwatch at home.
2. Stage two: run the lap without stopping. Mix running and walking until you can run the whole lap at a pace where you can still talk.
3. Stage three: add a second session. When the Tuesday Night Run falls in your week, run its 3 km option as an extra session, then go back to your Thursday routine.
4. Stage four: step up to 5 km. When one lap feels comfortable from start to finish, try the 5 km option on a Thursday. Keep the walk breaks you need. The 5 km option is the next step, not a test.
5. Stage five: settle in. Keep the same Thursday routine for a few weeks so the longer distance feels normal before you think about going faster.

Before your first club run

• Make a free HRC+ account at hillsrunclub.com/hrc-plus/, then register for the run. Every run is registered in HRC+.
• Check the upcoming runs at hillsrunclub.com/runs/. The next Thursday Morning Run is on 15 October, and the next Tuesday Night Run is on 20 October.
• Read what the first night is like in our guide to joining a running club.
• Walk if you need to. Our guide on whether you can walk a run club explains how walkers fit in.

Where the Tuesday Night Run meets now

The night runs now meet at Castle Hill Showground. Enter via Doran Drive, the entrance closest to the metro, take the first left and follow the road to the lit oval. The group meets at the large shed, and there is plenty of parking around it.

Common questions about a first 5k