If you’re getting into running or want to train for a 5K, the free Nike Run Club App is a great tool to help you get started and stay motivated. You can follow the Nike Run Club 5K training plan to prepare for a race, or use it to stay on track and be consistent as part of your fitness routine.
As someone who’s just a recreational runner, I’ve used the Nike Run Club app for both. In the past, I used the app to train for my first 5K race. Now, I use it to run for fitness and to keep myself motivated. I like having a plan to follow, but I also like that I can switch things up, move my run days around or pick a shorter Guided Run.
The Nike Run Club app has a lot of great features. First, it’s free! The app tracks your runs, includes training plans and hundreds of Guided Runs with Coach Bennett and guest coaches. You can also listen to Spotify while you run, which is one of my favorite features.
New to running? Check out my Nike Run Club beginner running guide, where I share more about getting started with shorter runs and building a regular running routine.
What Is the Nike Run Club 5K Training Plan?
The Nike Run Club 5K plan gives you a schedule of different workouts leading up to a 5K.
If you have a race coming up, enter your race date and use the plan to work toward it. No race on your calendar? You can still use the plan. Pick a goal date or use the workouts as a guide for your weekly runs.
The plan mixes up your workouts, so you’re not doing the same run every time. Depending on the week, you’ll see:
- Recovery runs
- Distance runs
- Speed and tempo workouts
- Longer runs to build endurance
- Rest days
- A final 5K
The workouts also change as you move through the plan. Earlier weeks may include 20-, 25- and 30-minute runs along with speed workouts. Later, you’ll start seeing longer distances such as 3K, 4K and 5K.
Even the recovery runs may get longer as you build endurance.
You Can Adjust the 5K Plan to Fit Your Routine
One of my favorite things about Nike Run Club is the flexibility.
You can move workouts around, change your rest days or choose a different run. If Wednesday is supposed to be your long-run day but Thursday works better, move it.
I usually run three to five times a week and try to space out my runs. I also don’t complete every longer-distance workout in the plan. If the schedule calls for a long run that doesn’t work for me, I’ll pick a shorter Guided Run instead.
That’s one reason I like using the 5K plan for fitness. It gives me a goal and a schedule without making me feel locked into every workout.
If you’re training for an actual 5K, you may want to follow the plan more closely as you get closer to race day. If you’re running for fitness, make the plan work for you.
Using Nike Run Club for Fitness Instead of a Race
You don’t need a race bib or finish line to have a running goal. Sometimes the goal is getting outside a few times a week. Maybe you want to improve your endurance, add more cardio to your fitness routine or get back into running after taking some time off.
A training plan can help with all of those things.
Instead of deciding from scratch what kind of run to do, open the app and see what’s on the schedule. You might have an easy recovery run one day, speed work another day and a longer run later in the week.
That variety keeps things interesting and gives you something to work toward.
If you’re using the plan mainly for fitness, your goals might include:
- Running consistently each week
- Building endurance
- Adding some speed workouts
- Mixing shorter and longer runs
- Staying active
- Having a fitness goal to keep you motivated
And if you decide later that you want to sign up for a 5K, you’ll already have some training behind you.
Try Nike Run Club Guided Runs
Don’t feel like following a training plan? Pick a Guided Run instead.
This is one of the features that keeps me coming back to Nike Run Club.
The app has a huge collection of Guided Runs with different times, distances and workout styles. Many feature Coach Bennett, but you’ll also find guest coaches and other voices leading runs.
I’ve done a mix of the guided runs from 20- and 25-minute runs to 30-minute recovery runs and distance-based workouts.
The coaching is one of the things that makes these runs different from starting a timer and heading out on your own. The coaches talk to you throughout the workout, give you something to focus on and offer encouragement along the way.
Guided Runs also make it easy to build your own fitness routine.
For example, you could choose a shorter 20-minute run when you’re busy, add a speed run another day and pick a longer Guided Run when you have more time.
I also use Guided Runs when I want to swap out one of the longer runs in my 5K plan. I still get my workout in, but I choose a distance or time that works better for me that day.
Listen to Spotify While You Run
Music can make a big difference during a run, especially when you need a little extra motivation.
Nike Run Club works with Spotify, so you can listen to your own playlists while you’re using the app. During the Guided Run coaching, your music continues play in the background.
I like having both. I can listen to my music while Coach Bennett or another coach checks in throughout the run.
It’s a small feature, but it’s one of the reasons I enjoy using the app.
Running Gear to Get Started
You don’t need a lot of gear to start running.
A good pair of running shoes and comfortable workout clothes can get you started. Over time, you’ll figure out which extras make your runs easier.
Here are a few things I regularly use:
- Comfortable running shoes
- Running clothes for the weather
- Running belt or pack
- Phone
- Earbuds
- Water or a collapsible water bottle
- Sunglasses
- Hat or visor
- Sunscreen
- Small towel or cooling towel for hot-weather runs
Start with what you already have and add things as you need them.
Keep Your Running Gear in One Place
Here’s a running tip that has nothing to do with pace or distance: find a place in your house for your running gear that’s easy to access.
I keep my running pack, hat, sneakers and other running gear together on a shelf in my closet. My phone, earbuds and collapsible water bottle are in the kitchen area where they’re easy to grab on my way out.
It sounds like a little thing, but it helps.
When I’m ready to run, I don’t want to spend 15 minutes looking for an earbud, sunglasses or my water bottle. I want to grab everything and go.
The easier you make it to get out the door, the easier it is to stick with your running routine.
Check the Weather Before Planning Your Runs
If weather affects when you can run, check the forecast for the whole week before deciding which days you’ll work out.
Here in Arizona, that makes a big difference during the summer.
I’ll look at the week ahead and find the “cooler” mornings for my runs – although an Arizona summer morning can still be 85 to 90 degrees. I check again the night before, especially when we’re dealing with heat advisories.
If the weather isn’t right for an outdoor run, you can change the day, shorten the workout or take it indoors.
This is another reason NRC’s flexibility works well for me. I can move a rest day or longer run instead of forcing a workout into a day when the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Make Your 5K Training Plan Work for You
Whether you’re getting ready for your first 5K or running to stay fit, the best plan is one you’ll actually stick with.
That’s what I like about the Nike Run Club App.
You can follow the 5K training plan closely when you have a race coming up. You can adjust the workouts when you’re running for fitness. Or skip the training plan and create your own routine from the Guided Runs.
I’ve used NRC when there was an actual 5K on my calendar, and I’ve used it when my only goal was to keep running. Using the app helps motivate me to lace up my shoes and get out the door.
And really, that’s the goal: find a way to keep moving that works for you.
