RunPackGuides · 6 min read
10K training plan: 8 weeks, 3 or 4 runs a week (free)
A free 8-week 10K training plan for runners who can already run 5K: easy runs, one quality session and a long run each week, with paces and race-day tips.
This plan takes you from comfortably running 5K to racing 10K in eight weeks. It assumes you can run 30 minutes without stopping. Three runs a week are the core; a fourth easy run is optional.
The plan
| Week | Quality session | Easy run | Long easy run |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 × 2 min at 10K effort, 1 min jog | 30 min | 6 km |
| 2 | 15 min tempo | 30 min | 7 km |
| 3 | 5 × 3 min at 10K pace, 90 s jog | 35 min | 8 km |
| 4 | Fartlek, 25 min | 30 min | 6 km (lighter week) |
| 5 | 20 min tempo | 35 min | 9 km |
| 6 | 4 × 1.6 km at 10K pace, 2 min jog | 35 min | 10 km |
| 7 | 2 × 12 min tempo, 3 min jog | 35 min | 11 km |
| 8 | 4 × 3 min at goal pace, 2 min jog | 20 min | Race day |
Warm up for 10 minutes before every quality session and cool down for 5–10. If you add a fourth run, make it 20–30 minutes easy.
Paces
- Easy and long runs: conversational, about 60–90 seconds per km slower than 5K pace. See zone 2 running.
- 10K pace: your goal time divided by ten. The 10K pace chart lists it for every time from 35 to 90 minutes.
- Tempo: comfortably hard, a few words at a time. More on tempo runs.
Not sure what to aim for? Put a recent 5K into the pace calculator for a predicted 10K.
Race day
- Pass 5 km a few seconds slower than half your goal time, then pick it up.
- Kilometres 6 to 8 are where it gets hard. Focus on the next kilometre only.
- Same shoes and breakfast as your long runs.
With friends
Follow the same plan at your own paces, do the long run together, and share every session. More ideas in 10K training with friends. RunPack, our free iPhone app, puts everyone’s runs in a private feed for your crew, from any watch or just a phone.
General guidance, not medical advice.