2km Training Plan for Kids
2km is the Junior Parkrun distance and a common school race length. This guide explains how children aged 7 to 14 can build up to running it comfortably over 8 weeks.
How the 8-week plan works
Children train two or three times a week. Early weeks mix short jogs with walking breaks. Each week the jogs get a little longer until your child can run 2km with confidence.
There are three levels — Easy, Medium and Hard — for Years 3 to 8, so younger or newer runners aren't pushed too far.
Which level should my child start on?
Easy: new to running, or finds a few minutes of jogging hard.
Medium: can jog for around 5 minutes without stopping.
Hard: already runs regularly and wants to get faster.
Keeping it fun
Keep sessions short, celebrate effort over speed, and stop while it still feels enjoyable. A warm-up game before each run helps — try our warm-up games for kids.
Need a different distance or timeframe?
The Personalised Race Plan builds a plan for 400m to 2km around your child's year group, days per week and weeks until race day. New to the Junior Parkrun itself? Read our Junior Parkrun guide for parents.