A run walk club is a group that runs for a set time, walks for a set time, and repeats, together, all the way round. One minute on, one minute off is a common start. Nobody gets dropped, nobody has to pretend they are fine, and a lot of people who swore they "can't run" find they can do 5K this way within weeks.
Below: how a session works, the method behind it (often called "jeffing"), what the evidence says about speed, which interval to pick, and where to find a group in the UK.
What is a run walk club?
A run walk club, or run/walk group, is a running group where planned walk breaks are the format rather than a sign of struggling. The whole group runs for an interval, walks for an interval, and repeats until the session ends.
Some are standalone groups built entirely around it. Many more are a beginner or social pace group inside a normal club, running the same evening from the same car park as everyone else. England Athletics describes its "Get Me Started" RunTogether groups this way: most use a walk/run format and follow the Couch to 5K programme.
The people you meet are a proper mix. Complete beginners, runners coming back after injury or a baby, people in their sixties and seventies, and more than a few half marathon and marathon first-timers who plan to run-walk the race itself. The walk is not the embarrassing bit. It is the plan.
How does a run/walk session work?
A typical session lasts 45 minutes to an hour, with the run/walk block in the middle. It usually goes like this: meet, a walking warm-up of five minutes or so, then intervals, then a walk back and a stretch.
One person calls the switches. Usually it is the run leader with a watch or an interval timer, shouting "walk" and "run", sometimes with a whistle. Because everyone switches at once, the group stays bunched, which is the whole point. Faster runners slow their running pace rather than their walking pace.
Routes tend to be loops or out-and-backs, with a second volunteer at the back.
If you want to run-walk on your own between sessions, most GPS watches and plenty of free phone apps have an interval timer that beeps or buzzes at each switch. Set it once and you never need to look at the clock mid-run.
What is the run-walk method, and why is it called jeffing?
The run-walk method means taking short, planned walk breaks from the very start of a run, before you are tired, rather than walking only when you have to. In the UK it is widely nicknamed "jeffing" after Jeff Galloway, the American who popularised it.
Galloway ran the 10,000m for the United States at the 1972 Olympics. In 1974 he started teaching a running class through Florida State University, and his beginners, many of whom had not run for years, started with a few one-minute jogs between walks. He adjusted the walk breaks so nobody was huffing and puffing, even at the end.
The NHS uses the same idea. Week one of Couch to 5K is a one-minute run followed by a 90-second walk, three times a week, over a nine-week plan.
It suits beginners, returners, older runners, anyone rebuilding after injury, and people training for a first half or full marathon who want to finish feeling human.
Is run-walking slower than running?
Not by as much as you would think, and in one controlled study not by a meaningful amount. A randomised trial of 42 non-elite marathon runners (Hottenrott et al., Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport) had one group run-walk and the other run the whole way.
The run/walk group averaged 4:14:25 and the running-only group 4:07:40. That difference was not statistically significant. The run/walk group reported less muscle pain and fatigue after the race.
Be honest about the limits. It is one study, it looked at the marathon rather than a 5K, and the walk group was still about seven minutes slower on average. What it does support is the claim that matters for most people at a run walk club: planned walk breaks do not wreck your time, and you are likely to feel better at the finish.
Which run/walk ratio should I use?
Pick your ratio by your easy pace, then adjust using the huff and puff test: if you cannot speak in short sentences, walk more often. These starting points are adapted from the ratios coach Jeff Gaudette publishes at RunnersConnect, converted to kilometres.
| Your easy pace | Starting run : walk | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| New runner (NHS Couch to 5K week 1) | 1 min : 90 sec | First few weeks |
| Slower than 7:27 per km | 15 to 30 sec : 30 to 60 sec | Building tolerance safely |
| 6:13 to 7:27 per km | 2 min : 1 min | The classic starting ratio |
| 5:35 to 6:13 per km | 4 min : 1 min | Long runs and easy miles |
| 4:58 to 5:35 per km | 6 to 8 min : 30 sec to 1 min | Marathon pace with recovery |
| Faster than 4:58 per km | 6 to 9 min : 1 min | Holding pace late in a race |
Not sure of your easy pace? Put a recent parkrun time into our pace calculator and it gives you minutes per kilometre. Walk the walk breaks briskly, and only lengthen the running interval once a session feels easy.
How do I find a run walk club in the UK?
Start with these four, most of which are free.
RunTogether. England Athletics lists thousands of groups on its postcode finder. Filter for "Get Me Started" groups, which mostly run a walk/run format.
parkrun. Free, 5K, every Saturday morning. parkrun says there is no time limit and every event has a volunteer tail walker who is always last to finish, so run-walking is completely normal. Our guide to parkrun and how clubs get involved explains more.
Couch to 5K graduate groups. Many clubs run beginner courses that mirror the NHS plan, then keep a run/walk group going for graduates.
Social run clubs with pace groups. Browse the RunClub directory and look for "all paces" or a named beginner group.
What to ask before you turn up
Message first and ask: is there a run/walk or slowest group, what interval do they use, is there a back marker, how far is it, and do the groups finish together? A good club answers all five without flinching.
How can a club add a run/walk group?
Most clubs can add a run/walk group without changing anything else. You need one run leader, one back marker, a timer, and a route that loops.
Run it on your existing club night. Pick one ratio for the first month (1:1 or 2:1) and write it on the event listing. Finish at the same place and time as the other groups, so the run/walkers are in the post-run chat rather than arriving as everyone leaves. For the wider picture on mixed abilities, language and welcoming new members, read our guide to making your run club inclusive for all abilities.
In RunClub (iOS and Android), an organiser can set a pace range on each event or leave it as all paces welcome, add named pacers with a target pace, and have members check in when they arrive. Clubs that finish at a partner cafe or pub can also add venue deals for RunClub Premium members, which a venue can set to unlock only once enough runners have checked in at that event.
Run walk club FAQs
Is walking allowed at a normal run club?
At most UK clubs, yes, especially in beginner and social groups. A few clubs only run continuous-pace groups, so ask first. If there is no formal run/walk group, tell the back marker your plan so they know you are fine.
Will I hold the group up?
Not in a run/walk group, because everyone walks at the same time. In a mixed club, a good leader loops back for the slowest runner. If this is your real worry, our honest guide, am I too slow to join a running club?, covers the rest.
Can I run-walk a half marathon?
Yes. Plenty of people finish half and full marathons using planned walk breaks, and the study above found marathon run-walkers finished in similar times with less muscle pain. Practise your chosen ratio in training, then start it from the first kilometre on race day, not once you are tired.
How long until I can run 5K without walking?
The NHS Couch to 5K plan takes nine weeks at three runs a week, and our first 5K training plan with a run club covers eight. Plenty of people keep the walk breaks afterwards by choice. Both count as running 5K.
The simplest next step: find your nearest RunTogether group or parkrun, send one message, and go this week. The walking bits are allowed.
