Heart to Start meets you where you are, literally and figuratively speaking. Rather than focusing on pace or ability, we encourage taking several small steps and working toward a remarkable finish while we celebrate each other as a community along the way. Training for a 5K (3.1 miles) is the foundation of our program as we welcome walkers and runners of all paces and experience.

Our 12th Season is underway with nearly 3,000 participants from across the country and around the world joining us for our free 12-week training program. Please consider joining us for our community walk/run, Providence Heart to Start 5K/10K, on Feb. 17, 2024. The main event is held in-person in Portland, Oregon with a virtual registration also available. This community event is organized through a partnership with Hood to Coast as part of their HTC Race Series.

  • REGISTRATION IS CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR THE FREE 12-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM.

    Our season gets underway November each year as we bring the training program to you, to your home, where you live.

    Important dates:

    • Season begins November 27, 2023

    • In-person meetups (SW Portland, OR), 9am on Saturdays, Dec. 2 - Feb. 10

    • Registration closes December 18, 2023

    • Goal event February 17, 2024 (in-person and virtual options)

    We are proud to partner with Hood to Coast race series in offering our annual Providence Heart to Start 5K/10K event with an option to register and participate virtually or in-person in Portland, Oregon.

  • AUDIO TRAINING RELEASE 2/19/24

    Following our podcast-style audio training? Access helpful resources to support your efforts - link access available at release date.

    Interested in following the training outside of our annual Nov-Feb worldwide group training? You can find our Heart to Start Audio Training on popular podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

  • Currently, our in-person training group is available during the Nov-Feb group training and is held in Portland, Oregon.

    As other groups, coordinated and managed through Providence health system locations, relaunch or become available, we will update this site with all the details.


Past videos sharing all the excitement and inspiration experienced each and every year!

Season 12 Invitation

Season 11 Recap

Celebrating 10 Years - a compilation tribute.

Heart to Start - Still going strong!

What is Heart to Start? Thanks for joining our community!

Heal it Forward with Heart to Start

Season 9 Inspiration