[Photo provided to China Daily]

To start with:

For starters, a simple 5-kilometer stretch is good to begin with. It is attainable for any runner, and it is full of fun. In the five weeks leading up to your first 5k, you need to run at least three days a week, according to The New Complete Guide to Running compiled by Runner's World magazine. Here are some tips:

1. Most of your running during the week should be at a comfortable pace

2. First time runners can do some faster running one or two days a week

3. Remember to have warm-ups and cool-down jogs before and after hard runs.

From 5k, you can scale it up to 10k, the half marathon and finally the full marathon. During the course of this, you will find the pleasures of running, and marvel at the extent of how adaptable your body can be. As the Chinese proverb goes, one thousand miles start from the first step. So the following schedule will serve as necessary first footsteps leading to your first full marathon.