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Beginner 10K Training Plan
Ten weeks from running 30 minutes to your first 10K. Three runs a week plus an optional fourth: easy runs, one long run that grows from 35 to 70 minutes, a lighter week in week 5, some optional faster running in weeks 6 to 8 and an easy race week at the end.
The plan, week by week
| Week | Run 1 | Run 2 | Run 3 (long) | Optional run 4 | Total running |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Start | 30 min easy | 25 min easy | 35 min easy | 20 min easy | 90 min110 with run 4 |
| 2Build | 30 min easy | 30 min easy | 38 min easy | 20 min easy | 98 min118 with run 4 |
| 3Build | 32 min easy | 30 min easy | 45 min easy | 20 min easy | 107 min127 with run 4 |
| 4Build | 35 min easy | 32 min easy | 50 min easy | 20 min easy | 117 min137 with run 4 |
| 5Easier week | 30 min easy | 25 min easy | 40 min easy | 20 min easy | 95 min115 with run 4 |
| 6Build + faster bits | 35 min easy | 35 min easy with 6 × 1 min a bit faster, 2 min easy jog between Optional: run it all easy instead | 55 min easy | 20 min easy | 125 min145 with run 4 |
| 7Build + faster bits | 40 min easy | 35 min easy with 5 × 2 min a bit faster, 2 min easy jog between Optional: run it all easy instead | 60 min easy | 20 min easy | 135 min155 with run 4 |
| 8Build + faster bits | 40 min easy | 35 min easy with 3 × 5 min at a comfortably hard effort, 3 min easy jog between Optional: run it all easy instead | 65 min easy | 20 min easy | 140 min160 with run 4 |
| 9Longest run | 40 min easy | 35 min easy | 70 min easy | 20 min easy | 145 min165 with run 4 |
| 10Race week | 30 min easy | 20 min easy with 4 × 1 min at 10K effort | 10K race or timed 10 km run, 2 or 3 days after run 2 | Rest | Race week |
Free plan from runperform.com/training-plans/10k-beginner/. Easy = you can talk in full sentences. General plan, not medical advice.
How the plan works
- Easy runs are the core. Use the talk test: you can talk, but not sing.
- One long run a week at the same easy pace, growing from 35 to 70 minutes.
- Slow build: total running time never rises more than 10 % above the biggest week so far, with or without run 4.
- Week 5 is easier so your body can catch up.
- Faster bits in weeks 6 to 8 are short and optional. “A bit faster” means quicker than easy but still relaxed. “Comfortably hard” means you can only say a few words at a time, which the CDC uses as the sign of vigorous effort.
- Race week is shorter so you start fresh.
Rest days
Spread the runs over the week and put a rest day after the long run. If you add run 4, keep it short and easy and do not put it the day before the long run.
If a week feels too hard
Repeat it, or swap run 2 for an easy run. Missing a few days is not a problem. Do not squeeze two weeks into one.
What pace for race day?
Start steady rather than fast. To set a goal from a recent 5K, use the race time predictor, then check the even pace in the 10K pace chart. To compare your times as the years go by, try the age-grade calculator.
This schedule was written for RunPerform. It is a general plan and not personal coaching.
Questions and answers
Who is this plan for?
Runners who can already run about 30 minutes without stopping, for example after finishing the beginner 5K plan.
How much does the plan increase each week?
Total running time never goes up by more than 10 % on the biggest week so far. That “10 % rule” is a common rule of thumb. A randomized trial in novice runners (Buist and colleagues, 2008) found no fewer injuries with a 10 % plan than with a standard plan, so treat it as a sensible pace of building, not a guarantee.
Why is everything in minutes, not kilometres?
Minutes work at any pace. A beginner and a faster runner do the same effort for the same time, and you do not need GPS.
Do I have to do the faster sessions?
No. They are optional in weeks 6 to 8. Running everything at an easy pace still gets you to the finish.
How long is the longest run?
70 minutes in week 9. At 7:00 per km (11:16 per mile) that covers 10 km.
What if I miss a week?
Do not try to catch up. Repeat the last week you finished comfortably, then carry on.
Sources
- CDC, How to measure physical activity intensity (the talk test).
- Buist I. et al. (2008). No effect of a graded training program on the number of running-related injuries in novice runners. American Journal of Sports Medicine 36(1): 33–39. doi:10.1177/0363546507307505
- NHS Better Health, Couch to 5K running plan (9 weeks, 3 runs a week with a rest day between, 5-minute warm-up and cool-down walks, repeat a week if you need to).