Three extra minutes on top of week 7. Not a big jump on paper, but you're deep enough into the plan now that most of what's left is mental — you already know your body can hold this pace.
Run 28 minutes continuously. No walk breaks, all three sessions.
The pace question sorts itself out by this point in the plan — if 25 minutes felt sustainable last week, 28 should feel like the same run with a slightly later finish, not a different effort level. If it doesn't, easing your pace slightly is a better trade than pushing through and dreading the next session.
You already know how to run 25. The extra three minutes is mostly a mental test. Keep the same easy pace as last week and think in two halves: the first 14 minutes are settled, the second 14 are where you stay steady. Many people are at or near 4 to 5 km by now, depending on pace.
Plan where you will run the final session. Some people choose a favourite route or a park, and some choose a local parkrun to run the last one in company. It helps to pick it now.
Repeating a week is a normal part of Couch to 5K, not a failure. If you could not finish the sessions, or you finished them but felt wrecked for a day or two, do this week again before you move on. The plan is time-based, so nothing is lost by taking an extra week.
Week 9 is the 30-minute finish. Go to week 9.
Session structure follows the NHS Couch to 5K plan. Updated 27 October 2026.
One week from the finish line, Exhale Exhale starts paying off the threads it planted back in week 1 — this is where a serialized mission structure earns its keep, because the story has been building toward this exact stretch the whole time.
▶ Run week 8 as a missionThis is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or haven't exercised in a long time, check with your GP first. Stop if you feel chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness. Last updated 27 October 2026.
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