May 28, 2021

Looking to start training? Get expert coaching and a dynamic training plan for a 5K, 10K or half marathon race with Garmin Coach.

It can be intimidating and often takes lots of research to find a plan that meets your needs — from distance to goal to accountability. Garmin Coach does all that for you.

Whether you’re looking to run your first race with hopes of finishing or aiming for a PR (the fastest plans support 20-minute 5Ks and 1:32 half marathons), there’s a plan and coach for you. Once you select your distance and goal, you’ll be set up with a personalized training plan, tailored to how many weeks and how many days per week you want to train, that syncs to your compatible Garmin smartwatch.

Each plan is adaptable, meaning it changes based on your performance — it even gives you a confidence score as you complete runs to let you know if the training you put in aligns with your race-day goal.

Plus, your coach will be cheering you on along the way (and holding you accountable). Get to know the three Garmin coaches below before you choose who you want in your corner.  

Coach Jeff Galloway, Olympian and best-selling author

Maybe you’ve heard of the Galloway method of run-walk-run? That’s coach Jeff’s plan. He wants to prevent injury and fatigue in training and believes that by mixing both running and walking, you can meet your distance and pace goals. And if you’re ever lacking motivation, he knows his way around that too. He’s an inspirational speaker in the running and fitness space.

Coach Greg McMillan, physiologist and online running coach

Coach Greg builds his plans for people who want to complete distances either running continuously or with a mix of running and walking. He has experience coaching all types of runners, from just-want-to-say-I-did-it runners to those who cross the finish line first. As creator of the “McMillan Training Calculator,” he focuses on the connection between physiology and performance prediction to help create pace-based plans.

Coach Amy Parkerson-Mitchell, physical therapist and running expert

If a gradual approach to running is more your speed, coach Amy is for you. She suggests building up to a running distance and puts emphasis on the importance of cross training to create a good strength and conditioning base that’ll help improve your runs. She’s also a licensed physical therapist and specializes in the prevention and treatment of running injuries.