Couch to 5k Calculator

The 9-Week Couch to 5K (C25K) Training Science

The Couch to 5K (C25K) program uses progressive Run/Walk Interval Training to transition sedentary individuals into 30-minute continuous runners:

• Key Program Milestones:

• Week 1: 8 reps of 60s jog / 90s walk (8 min running)

• Week 4: 3 min & 5 min intervals (16 min running)

• Week 5 Day 3: The famous 20-Minute Continuous Run (psychological breakthrough)

• Week 7: 25 min continuous run

• Week 9 (Graduation): 30-Minute Continuous Run

• Caloric Expenditure (ACSM Formula):

Calories = (MET × 3.5 × Weight (kg)200) × Duration (min)

where Walking MET ≈ 3.5 and Jogging MET ≈ 8.

5.

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your C25K Training Week — choose from Week 1: 60s Run / 90s Walk (8 reps), Week 2: 90s Run / 2m Walk (6 reps), Week 3: 90s & 3m Run Intervals, Body Weight (kg) (e.g. 70), Jogging / Running Pace (mph) (e.g. 5.5), Walking Pace (mph) (e.g. 3.0), and Workout Stage Benchmark — choose from Custom Speeds, Week 1 Starter (8 min running / 22 min walking), Week 4 Step-Up (16 min running / 15.5 min walking). Results update instantly as you type — adjust any value to compare scenarios.

The Formula

Conversion factors (to SI base unit or reference unit):

runMin: 8.0

walkMin: 22.0

totalMin: 30.0

pct: 15.0

Worked Example

A runner on Week 5 Day 3 completing the 20-minute non-stop run covers 2.33 miles in 30 minutes, burning 249 calories and reaching 65% program completion.

Understanding Your Result

Unit conversion precision: round to the same number of significant figures as your original measurement. Converting 6 feet to meters gives 1.8288 m — but if your measurement was approximate (±1 inch), expressing more than 2 decimal places is false precision. For international trade and technical specifications, SI units (meters, kilograms, liters) are the standard. US customary units (feet, pounds, gallons) differ from Imperial UK units: 1 US gallon = 3.785 L vs. 1 UK gallon = 4.546 L.