10K Running Plan
The 10K is a brilliant distance — long enough to test your endurance, short enough to stay exciting. Whether you're running your first 10K or chasing a new personal best, we've put together three free training plans to help you get there. Pick the one that matches your current fitness and timeline.
Plan A: 8-Week Beginner
- Goal: Complete a 10K
- Fitness level: Beginner — can run 2-3 km comfortably
- Timeline: 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week + rest days
This plan gently builds your distance and introduces light speed work so that race day feels controlled and achievable. Every week follows the same rhythm: run Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with rest on the remaining days. Keep easy runs truly easy — you should be able to hold a conversation.
Week 1-2: Building Base
Tuesday
Easy run 3 km
Thursday
Easy run 3 km with 4 × 30 s pickups (faster strides with 1 min easy between)
Saturday
Long run 4 km easy pace
Rest Days
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Week 3-4: Increasing Distance
Tuesday
Easy run 4 km
Thursday
Fartlek — 5 min easy, then alternate 1 min fast / 2 min easy for 20 min, 5 min easy cooldown
Saturday
Long run 5 km easy pace
Rest Days
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Week 5-6: Building Endurance
Tuesday
Easy run 5 km
Thursday
Tempo — 10 min easy warmup, 10 min at comfortably hard pace, 10 min easy cooldown
Saturday
Long run 7 km easy pace
Rest Days
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Week 7: Peak Week
Tuesday
Easy run 5 km
Thursday
Tempo — 10 min warmup, 15 min tempo, 10 min cooldown
Saturday
Long run 9 km easy pace
Rest Days
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Week 8: Taper and Race
Tuesday
Easy run 4 km
Thursday
Easy run 3 km with 4 × 30 s pickups
Saturday
Race day — 10K!
Rest Days
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Plan B: 8-Week Intermediate
- Goal: Improve 10K time
- Fitness level: Intermediate — can already run 10K, wants to go faster
- Timeline: 8 weeks, 4 sessions per week
This plan layers structured intervals and tempo work onto a solid mileage base. Heart-rate zones keep effort honest — MHR means maximum heart rate. If you don't have a heart-rate monitor, use perceived effort: easy means conversational, tempo means "comfortably hard," and interval pace means you can only manage a few words at a time.
Week 1-2: Base and Speed Introduction
Monday
Easy run 6 km (65-70% MHR)
Wednesday
Intervals — 15 min warmup, 6 × 400 m at 90-95% MHR (90 s recovery jog), 10 min cooldown
Thursday
Recovery run 4 km (60-65% MHR)
Saturday
Long run 10 km (65-70% MHR)
Week 3-4: Building Intensity
Monday
Easy run 7 km (65-70% MHR)
Wednesday
Tempo — 15 min warmup, 20 min at 80-85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
Thursday
Recovery run 4 km (60-65% MHR)
Saturday
Long run 12 km (65-70% MHR)
Week 5-6: Peak Training
Monday
Easy run 7 km (65-70% MHR)
Wednesday
Intervals — 15 min warmup, 5 × 1 km at 85-90% MHR (2 min recovery jog), 10 min cooldown
Thursday
Tempo — 10 min warmup, 25 min at 80-85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
Saturday
Long run 13 km with last 3 km at tempo pace (80-85% MHR)
Week 7: Sharpening
Monday
Easy run 6 km (65-70% MHR)
Wednesday
Intervals — 15 min warmup, 8 × 400 m at 90-95% MHR (90 s recovery), 10 min cooldown
Thursday
Recovery run 4 km (60-65% MHR)
Saturday
Long run 10 km (65-70% MHR)
Week 8: Taper and Race
Monday
Easy run 5 km (65-70% MHR)
Wednesday
10 min warmup, 4 × 400 m at 90% MHR (90 s recovery), 10 min cooldown
Thursday
Recovery run 3 km
Saturday
Race day — 10K! 15 min warmup jog, race at target pace
Plan C: 4-Week Intermediate
- Goal: Sharpen 10K fitness
- Fitness level: Intermediate — strong base, race-ready sharpening
- Timeline: 4 weeks, 4 sessions per week
Already fit and just need a structured run-in to race day? This four-week block assumes you have a solid aerobic base and focuses on sharpening speed endurance, threshold fitness, and race-specific pacing. MHR means maximum heart rate.
Week 1: Speed Endurance
Monday
Easy run 6 km (65-70% MHR)
Wednesday
Intervals — 15 min warmup, 5 × 1 km at 85-90% MHR (2 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
Thursday
Recovery run 5 km (60-65% MHR)
Saturday
Long run 12 km (65-70% MHR)
Week 2: Threshold Focus
Monday
Easy run 7 km (65-70% MHR)
Wednesday
Tempo — 15 min warmup, 25 min at 80-85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
Thursday
Recovery run 5 km (60-65% MHR)
Saturday
Long run 13 km with last 3 km at tempo pace
Week 3: Race-Specific
Monday
Easy run 6 km (65-70% MHR)
Wednesday
Intervals — 15 min warmup, 3 × 2 km at 85-90% MHR (3 min recovery), 10 min cooldown
Thursday
Tempo — 10 min warmup, 20 min at 80-85% MHR, 10 min cooldown
Saturday
Long run 10 km (65-70% MHR)
Week 4: Taper and Race
Monday
Easy run 5 km (65-70% MHR)
Wednesday
10 min warmup, 6 × 400 m at 90% MHR (90 s recovery), 10 min cooldown
Thursday
Recovery run 3 km
Saturday
Race day — 10K!