Whatever level of runner you are, a 10K race is a great challenge to focus on. If you’ve never run a 10K before, just completing the distance will be a great achievement. For more experienced runners who have tried all the distances over the years, it offers a great opportunity to focus back on speed rather than miles, and get those fast twitch muscles working again.

Another bonus of this distance is that you don’t need months to train for it. We have plans that take just 4 weeks, all the way up to 10-week plans. There are 10K races happening all over the world, all year round. You can pick one that suits your schedule and preferences perfectly.

10K Training Plans

Here are the training plans that you can download below:

• • Your first 10K training plan
  • 10 weeks to 10K using time, not distance
  • 4 week 60-minute 10K training plan for beginner runners
  • 4 week 45-minute 10K  training plan for advanced runners
  • 8-week 10K training plan on 3 runs a week
  • 8-week 10K training plan on 2 runs a week
  • 8-week 10K PB training plan
  • 10-week 10K PB training plan – sub 1:30
  • 10-week 10K PB training plan – sub 1:15
  • 10-week 10K PB training plan – sub 60 mins
  • 10 weeks to your best 10K ever

Training plans can be tricky to understand at first. Scroll down for our training plans glossary.

Still have questions about how training plans work? Here’s training plans explained by an expert.

10K training guide

How to prepare for a 10K – other than running

Concentrate on both your nutrition and your cross-training as well as following whichever one of our plans suits you. What you eat before running and strength exercises are just as important as your weekly mileage. If this is your first 10K, try keeping a running diary to help you see firsthand the improvements you’re making with every run. And don’t forget to reward yourself with those all-important rest days. With a few weeks’ training, you can see some real improvements in your pace. You might even bag yourself a shiny new PB in no time.

Getting ready for a 10K race

Not all 10Ks are created equal. Some are flat, fast road races designed for PBs. Others wind over rolling trails, through parks or along country lanes. When choosing your race, think about what motivates you. Do you thrive on big crowds and city energy, or do you prefer quieter routes and scenic views?

Once you’ve entered, make your training specific to the event. If you’re racing on the road, include plenty of road running in your build-up. If you’ve signed up for a trail 10K, practise on uneven terrain so your legs are used to it. As race day approaches, try running at the same time of day as your event, especially if you usually train in the evening but your race starts early. Small details like this can make race day feel far less daunting.

Top tips for running a faster 10K

It’s not all about speed, but if you’re looking to run a speedy 10K then here are some tips.

• Pick the right race
  If you’re looking to hit a PB, you’ll definitely want to check out the course first. You want one that’s fairly flat, doesn’t have too many twists and turns, and isn’t too exposed to potential strong winds. Think about the crowds, too. A lot of support could pull you along, but a busy race with lots of other runners can make it tricky to get into your stride.
• Pace your training
  If you’re following one of our plans, you should be hitting the right pace for each run – but we also know what we runners are like! When you’re training for speed, some training runs can feel slow and it’s tempting to speed them up. Try to resist, though – it’s really important to build mileage slowly and steadily to give your body the best fitness base and avoid injury.
• Don’t go too fast on race day
  10K is a great middle distance, and really gives you the opportunity to pace yourself consistently. Resist the temptation to begin too quickly, no matter how good you feel. Focus on hitting your split times for each kilometre. If you feel OK in the last kilometre or two, feel free to nudge the pace a little, but only if you’re sure you can maintain that slightly higher tempo to the finish line and reach the target time for which you have worked so hard.

Here are more tips on how to run faster.

Your first 10K training plan

Running your first 10K is a big deal, but don’t let the distance intimidate you. With enough time and some consistent running under your belt, you’ll be well placed to take on the challenge. We recommend

Whether you’ve just completed your first 5K or you’re a regular at parkrun, the thought of running twice as far as you do now can be daunting. However, working up from 5K to 10K is much simpler than building up from zero to 5K. After all, you already have the skills you need to run 10K. It’s just a case of extending them.

Maybe you’ve decided to enter your first formal race to challenge yourself. If it’s your first time pinning a number to your chest and attaching a timing chip to your shoe, it can be a nervous but exciting occasion. Of course, you don’t have to book a race to run 10K, but it’s a great motivator to have a date in the diary.

Below is a preview of the plan, but if you click the link underneath you can download it and print it out to stick on your fridge.

Week 1

Run 1: 4K, easy pace
Run 2: 5K with 10 mins easy jog, 5x 1 min fast/1 min jog. Easy pace to 5K total
Run 3: 5K, moderate pace

Week 2

Run 1: 4K, easy pace
Run 2: 5K with 10 mins easy, 6x 30 sec uphill, walk back down. Easy pace to 5K total
Run 3: 6K, moderate pace

Week 3

Run 1: 5K, easy pace
Run 2: 5K with 10 mins easy, 1 min fast/1 min easy, 2 min fast/2 min easy, 3 min fast, 1 min easy. Easy pace to 5K total
Run 3: 7K, moderate pace

Week 4

Run 1: 5K, easy pace
Run 2: 5K with 2K easy, 2K at 7/10 effort, 1K easy
Run 3: 5K, moderate pace

Week 5

Run 1: 5K, easy pace
Run 2: 5K with 10 mins easy, 4x 1 min uphill, walk back down. Easy pace to 5K total
Run 3: 8K, moderate pace

Week 6

Run 1: 5K easy pace
Run 2: 5K with 2K easy, 2K at 7/10 effort, 1K easy
Run 3: 9K, moderate pace

Week 7

Run 1: 5K, easy pace
Run 2: 5K with 2K easy, 2K at 7/10 effort, 1K easy
Run 3: 8K, moderate pace

Week 8

Run 1: 30 mins easy
Run 2: 20 mins easy
Run 3: Race day!

10 weeks to 10K using time, not distance

Some runners, particularly beginner runners or those with a slower pace, prefer to train by number of minutes rather than kilometres or miles. This allows you to build up fitness as time on your feet and takes the pressure off completing a particular distance. It’s very much in the same way that Couch to 5K works. If you have a time-based PB in mind then this might not work for you, but it’s a great method if you’re tackling your first 10K, returning to running after time off or your primary goal isn’t dependent on time.

The below plan focusses on the length of your sessions, rather than on distance covered. Give it a go and you should be ready to run 10K in just ten weeks. We suggest that you make sure you can run for 30 minutes relatively comfortably before you tackle it.

Here’s a preview, to give you an idea of what the plan looks like.

Click the link below for the full, printable plan.

4 week 60-minute 10K training plan for beginners

A four-week plan for those running three times a week and aiming to run a 10K in around 60 minutes or more. If you’ve not got long, and your aim is to complete rather than compete, then this plan is for you. It starts at 3 miles easy pace and will have you running a 10K with just 11 pre-race runs.

Here’s a condensed version of the training plan to give you an idea of what your downloadable plan will look like:

If you want a handy printable version of the plan, click the button below:

4 week 45-minute 10K training plan for advanced runners

A four-week plan for those running six times a week aiming to run a 10K in 45 minutes or more. This is perfect if you’ve recently run a longer distance race and want to capitalise on your endurance. It focuses on pacing, with a long nine-mile run halfway through.

Here’s a condensed version of the training plan to give you an idea of what your downloadable plan will look like:

If you want a handy printable version of the plan, click the button below:

8-week 10K training plan on 3 runs a week

Designed for the time-impoverished among us (i.e., all of us), this training plan will build you up gradually and safely from 5K to 10K – on just three runs per week. Easy pace should be enjoyable, and you should be running at about 50-60% effort level. Fast pace shouldn’t involve sprinting, but should be at about 80% effort level.

Here’s a condensed version of the training plan to give you an idea of what your downloadable plan will look like:

Click the button below to download the full plan:

8-week 10K training plan on 2 runs a week

This plan will take you from 5K to 10K on just two runs per week. You should try to fit in two gym or circuit sessions as well and you can also supplement it with cross training. Easy pace should be enjoyable, and you should be running at about 50-60% effort level. Fast pace shouldn’t involve sprinting, but should be at about 80% effort level.

Here’s a condensed version of the training plan to give you an idea of what your downloadable plan will look like:

Click the button below to download the full plan:

8-week 10K PB training plan

If you’ve been goal is to run faster, this training plan is for you. You’ll be training at faster paces than your normal running pace in some of the sessions in this plan. It’s going to feel a bit uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t hurt – if it does, then back off the pace a little!

It might also take you a while to find all your different ‘gears’. If you’re just starting pace training, you might think that you only have one running pace currently. By doing some interval training sessions, you should see that you can run at lots of different speeds – even if you normally don’t choose to use them.

Click the button below to download the full plan, or check out the condensed version below.

10-week 10K PB training plan

10 weeks of focused, consistent training can make a real difference to your 10K time. We’ve created three training plans to match three clear goals. Each plan is structured to suit your experience, level and target time, building gradually over 10 weeks. Choose the time goal that reflects where you are right now, not where you think you should be.

Click the button below to download the full plans, or check out the preview of the sub-60 minute plan below.

10 weeks to your best 10K ever

This training plan follows the time-not-distance method, but can still help you run a speedy 10K. The aim here is to train hard, build stamina and be able to really enjoy every second of your 10K race. It isn’t prescriptive about pace or distance, so you should be able to take each session at your own pace. Go for it and work up a sweat – but don’t push it if things get really uncomfortable.

Click the link below for the the full, printable version of this plan, or see below for a condensed version to give you an idea.

10K training plan glossary

Pace

As you progress as a runner, training plans give you guidance on how fast you should be running each mile. This is usually based upon the effort you feel you’re putting in (RPE, or rate of perceived effort), or upon a calculation you’ve done ahead of time to work out your goal pace for 5K. Here’s an explanation of the race pace terms you’ll find in our intermediate and advanced 5K training plans:

• Easy pace: This is a slower running pace that you could hold for a long time. Most runners run these too fast! A good way to check if you’re running slow enough is to run with friends – if you can hold a conversation, you’re probably at the right speed.
• Moderate pace: This is your average running pace: not as fast as you’d push yourself in a race, but a little faster than your easy jog.
• 5K pace: This is your current 5K race pace.
• 10K pace: This is your current 10K race pace. If you’ve not run 10K yet, try a pace calculator to work it out.

Uphills

These are exactly what they sound like, unfortunately! You’ll need to find a hill if you’re running outside, or get ready to turn the incline up on your treadmill. They appear in repeating intervals, part way through your run, and you usually jog or walk afterwards for recovery. They help you to prepare for hilly routes and improve your strength and stamina.

Intervals

Interval training is simply periods of running faster, and then recovering by either walking or jogging. Some sessions will measure your effort and recovery in time, while other will use distance.

Here are some examples of how an interval looks in our 5K training plans:

• 10 x 1 min run, 1 min walk
• 4 miles: 1 mile easy, 5 x 1 min at 5K pace, 2 min easy

Shorter, faster intervals of running can not only help you become fitter and faster, but offer an opportunity to work on your running form. And the mental strength you’ll build to get through each rep will help in the final miles of a race.

Rest days

Rest days are as much a part of your training as your runs, and rest should mean no running at all. We build strength by challenging our muscles and causing them to break down a little, and then providing them with enough rest that they can rebuild stronger. The rest and recovery is where the adaptations happen. If we don’t give our bodies the right conditions for recovery, we’re not going to get the full benefits of training so you should view them as an important part of your training plan.