Our 0-5km Courses

0-5km Course

Coast Road Runners 0-5km course is designed for people who want to get fit and learn to run 5km.

It is suitable for adult men and women of all fitness levels, age, shapes and sizes. There is no speed requirement for doing our 0-5km running course.

0-5KM Frequently Asked Questions

Who is it designed for?

Coast Road Runners 0-5km course is designed for people who are complete beginners who want to learn to run for the first time or are looking to get back in to running. It is suitable for adult men and women of all fitness levels, age, shapes and sizes. No previous running experience is needed. To date, people’s ages have ranged from age 18 to age 61.

Where does the course take place?

We operate our running courses on Dublin’s Northside (Clontarf, Sutton) and Southside (Sandymount) coasts.

The Clontarf running course takes place on the Clontarf seafront. We meet on the Clontarf Road by the seafront across the road from Casa Pasta/Ebb&Flo etc. Services surrounding areas including Raheny, Killester, Fairview, Eastwall, Artane, Coolock, Drumcondra).

The Sandymount course takes place on the Sandymount strand. We meet by the car park of the Clanna Gael Fontenoy GAA club. Services surrounding areas including Ballsbridge, Blackrock, Donnybrook, Mount Merrion, Ringsend, Grand Canal).

The Sutton course takes place on the Sutton strand. We meet opposite St. Fintan’s High School Sutton. Services surrounding areas including Bayside, Baldoyle, Howth, Portmarnock, Malahide).

How long is the course?

8 week course with 2 running sessions per week, with each session being c. 45 mins to 1 hour, which includes pre and post run stretching time.

How much does the course cost?

• 8 week 0-5km running course costs €125 which is payable before the course starts.
• 4/5 week refresher 0-5km running course costs €65/€85.
• 1 week trial option of €20 or €10 pay as you go also available.

What days and times are the sessions?

Session Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays. In week 1 only, session days/times may differ slightly.

Session Times: 10.30am, 6.30pm & 7.30pm. The morning and evening sessions run concurrently with each other, so you can switch between the morning and evening sessions whenever suits.

What happens if I miss some sessions?
Most people miss some sessions during the course due to work, holidays, children, being sick, life in general. It is no problem if this happens. We will give you the intervals that you missed which you can do in your own time. Where our 0-5km course differs to using a Couch to 5k app is that you are more incentivised to make up your missed session with a group as it is one thing to fall behind yourself but falling behind a group is harder to catch up with.

How do the sessions work?
Each running session is a combination of walking and running intervals. Each week, the amount of walking decreases and running increases gradually such that by the end of the course, everyone is running for 5km non-stop. There is no set pace for the running sessions, Everyone can run at whatever pace that they are comfortable with so no one is under any pressure to keep up with or stay back with people.

What happens at the end of the course?

At the end of the course, the group takes part in an official 5km Parkrun race (Clontarf & Sutton: St. Anne’s Park; Sandymount: Poolbeg). This is a really special day for the group. Everyone gets such a sense of achievement when they do their first 5km run and the Parkruns offer such a friendly environment to do it in. After weeks of training, getting to know each other, sharing stories, laughing (crying!) and egging each other on, to run your first 5km together is the perfect end to the course….and you can regale in your glory together for coffee afterwards.

Parkruns are at 9.30am every Saturday morning and are free to do. When you register for it, make sure that you put Coast Road Runners as your running club so that you are in with a chance to win the annual Coast Road Runner of the Year award!

What should I wear?

Wear runners that are designed for running. Regardless of the temperature, wear light breathable clothing. This applies for tops and bottoms. In winter it is better to wear light breathable layers that you can easily remove when you warm up rather than wearing heavy clothing.

What is a mother/father and buggy babies 0-5km running course?

Our mother/father and buggy babies 0-5km in our Clontarf location is the same as the normal 0-5km running course except you run with your buggy baby. It is available at 10.30am either exclusive to buggy babies or you join the regular morning 10.30am group with your buggy (dependent on numbers).

• No specific running buggy required
• No previous running experience required
• On days your baby doesn’t play ball feel free to jump in to our normal morning/evening 0-5km sessions

What is a refresher 0-5km running course?

A refresher 0-5km running course is a course designed for people who aren’t complete beginners but are struggling to reach 5km. It is a 4/5 week course that is part of the normal 0-5km running course but you start during week 3/4 of the 8 week course vs at the start of it.

When does the next course start?

The 0-5km courses take place every 6-8 weeks. To find out when the next course starts please see the latest timetable below.

How do I sign up?
To sign up simply use our booking form 

Course Start Dates, Locations & Times

Session days Tuesdays and Thursdays for all courses. Scroll below timetables to sign up.

Course Start Dates, Locations & Times

Session days Tuesdays and Thursdays for all courses. Scroll below timetables to sign up.