Couch to 5K (C25K)

Created on Thursday, 30 January 2014 16:52

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 January 2018 19:08

Written by Neil Gunn

‘Couch to 5K’ (C25K) 9 week course

Macclesfield Harriers (MH&AC) periodically organises ‘Couch to 5K’ courses that run for 9 weeks. We hope the next course will be in autumn 2018 (assuming we have enough demand and volunteer leaders).

Full details about the course are given below.

To apply for a place on the waiting list please email Abi Leyland ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) This course is intended to take ‘novice’ runners (aged 18 and over) through a prescribed 9 week course called ‘Couch to 5K’ or ‘C25K’ and at the end of the course the course participants should be able to run a 5k route without needing to stop!

At the end of the 9 weeks all participants will go to the local Congleton 5K Park Run and run a 5K along with fellow Macclesfield Harriers (E Group).

Course Details

The course will run for 9 weeks and will follow the standard C25K program that has been adapted for the track environment. Each session is on a Thursday evening starting at 7.00pm at the running track behind the Leisure Centre (Priory Lane, Macclesfield). The C25K program requires three sessions per week and the other two sessions will be classed as ‘homework’. The Thursday track session will last approximately 1 hr maximum.

The course on week 1 starts off with brisk walking and small amounts of running and progresses through the 9 weeks to finally run, without stopping, a full 5K.

The course fee will be £40 (paid in advance and non-refundable) which includes all handouts, track fees and non-competing club membership until the end of the club membership year.

The minimum number of participants to make the course viable is 10 and the maximum is 25. Participants will be taken on a first-come-first-served basis.
Note: If there is significant interest then the club may put on additional courses assuming there are enough qualified volunteer leaders available.

Each session will be led by a qualified group leader (with Leadership in Running Fitness qualification) and a number of volunteer helpers from the club.

An outline structure of each session is:-

-           Start with a briefing in the clubhouse at 7.00pm where the plan for the session is explained

-          Out to the outside of the track for a gentle ‘dynamic’ warm up

-          7.15pm – onto the track (lanes 7 & 8) and run the session for that week

-          A cool down

-          Debrief in the clubhouse including a discussion about the homework for that week (usually two repeat sessions)

Course contact for more information

Abi Leyland ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )