Training plan
A 12-week 10K training plan with week-by-week structure, workouts, adaptation rules, and built-in pace and race-time tools. Variations are included on one page.
Updated Jul 22, 2026
Your training plan
See what each week is trying to achieve, then choose the number of training days that fits your life. The schedule comes first; workouts, adjustments, and calculators are below it.
This is general training information, not medical advice.
Week by week
Start with the first phase. Open later phases when you are ready for them. Each week shows the long session, priority work, and a load guide when one is available.
Weeks 1–3
Build consistency and mechanics; keep easy days easy.
Weeks 4–7
Add threshold work while protecting recovery.
Weeks 8–10
Sharpen race-specific speed without racing workouts.
Weeks 11–12
Reduce load; keep rhythm; arrive fresh.
Build consistency and mechanics; keep easy days easy.
Opens with: 50 min long run (easy + relaxed strides)
Week
1
Weekly load guide: 23–35 km
Week
2
Weekly load guide: 24–37 km
Week
3
Weekly load guide: 25–38 km
Add threshold work while protecting recovery.
Opens with: 55 min long run (easy; finish steady when recovered) · 1 cutback week
Week
4
Weekly load guide: 26–40 km
Week
5
Weekly load guide: 27–41 km
Week
6
Weekly load guide: 28–42 km
Week
7
Weekly load guide: 29–44 km
Sharpen race-specific speed without racing workouts.
Opens with: 1h 12m long run (easy; add controlled steady blocks) · 1 cutback week
Week
8
Weekly load guide: 30–45 km
Week
9
Weekly load guide: 31–47 km
Week
10
Weekly load guide: 32–48 km
Reduce load; keep rhythm; arrive fresh.
Opens with: 1h 16m long run (short + relaxed strides)
Week
11
Weekly load guide: 33–49 km
Week
12
Weekly load guide: 34–51 km
Weekly schedule
The phase progression stays the same. Your choice only changes how you spread the priority sessions, easy work, and recovery across the week.
4 days/week · Beginner
5 days/week · Intermediate
6 days/week · Advanced
Adjust the plan
Open the situation that matches your week. Do not cram missed work into the next few days.
Workout guide
Use this as a reference when a workout name appears in your week. You do not need to read every entry before starting.
Why: Build volume without accumulating fatigue.
Do: 25–55 min at conversational effort. If you can’t talk in full sentences, it’s too hard.
Why: Improve mechanics and economy without a heavy metabolic cost.
Do: After an easy run: 6–10 × 15–20 sec fast-but-relaxed, full walk/jog recovery.
Why: Raise sustainable pace and teach controlled discomfort.
Do: 2–4 × 8–12 min at ‘comfortably hard’ with 2–3 min easy between.
Why: Improve speed and economy without turning every session into a test.
Do: 5–8 × 3 min hard with 2–3 min easy; finish with form, not desperation.
Why: Practice race-specific rhythm and pacing discipline.
Do: 5–8 × 1K at controlled 10K effort with 2–3 min easy; finish feeling like you could do one more rep.
Why: Build durability and the aerobic base that supports faster running.
Do: Mostly easy. When stable: finish the last 10–20 min steady (not a race). Add strides occasionally.
Why: Support durability and running economy with minimal interference.
Do: 2×/week, 20–35 min: hips, calves, hamstrings, trunk. Leave 1–2 reps in the tank.
More guidance
Open this for day-of-week examples, run/walk options, goal-specific notes, and useful links.
Pick a days/week variant you can repeat without drama. Keep easy runs truly easy so you can execute the workout and long run consistently.
Glossary (useful concepts):
Tools
Start with the weekly schedule. Use a calculator when you need pace, fueling, cutoff, or printable-plan details.
Why this structure
Adaptive AI coach for iPhone
Your adaptive AI coach reviews completed work and adjusts upcoming sessions after missed training, poor sleep, unusual fatigue, or a disrupted week.
For many runners with a base, yes. If you’re building durability from low volume, extend the timeline and keep intensity conservative.
A good default is one quality workout plus one long-run focus. If you add a second quality session, keep it short and only when recovery is stable.
Yes. Long runs build durability and aerobic capacity, which makes your speedwork more effective and your racing more repeatable.
Easy means conversational. If you can’t talk in full sentences, slow down or add walk breaks. Easy days are what make workouts possible.
Don’t cram. Keep the next session easy, protect the long run, and resume structure when your legs feel normal again.
Two short strength sessions per week can support durability. Keep them consistent and avoid soreness before key runs.
Compare 10K plan lengths by current frequency, long-run readiness and schedule, with practical missed-week rules.
Open guideConvert distance and time into pace per kilometre or mile and generate a splits table for workouts and race planning.
Open guideEstimate an equivalent race-time range from a recent performance, then adjust for distance gap, terrain, weather and training specificity.
Open guideCalculator
Enter distance and finish time. Get pace per km/mile and a simple splits table.
Same unit as distance.
Pace / km
Pace / mile
Total time
| Split | Distance (km) | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 5:00 |
| 2 | 2 | 10:00 |
| 3 | 3 | 15:00 |
| 4 | 4 | 20:00 |
| 5 | 5 | 25:00 |
| 6 | 6 | 30:00 |
| 7 | 7 | 35:00 |
| 8 | 8 | 40:00 |
| 9 | 9 | 45:00 |
| 10 | 10 | 50:00 |
Assumptions: steady pacing; no terrain/wind adjustments. Use this to plan, then calibrate by effort in real conditions.
Calculator
Start with one recent performance, then estimate equivalent 5K / 10K / half marathon / marathon times. Useful for goal-setting and workout planning.
Default 1.06. Higher = more slowdown as distance increases.
Known result
Predicted half
A good checkpoint for endurance readiness.
Predicted marathon
Assumes you train the endurance + fueling required.
| Distance | Predicted time | Pace / km | Pace / mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5K | 23:59 | 4:48 | 7:43 |
| 10K | 50:00 | 5:00 | 8:03 |
| Half marathon | 1:50:19 | 5:14 | 8:25 |
| Marathon | 3:50:01 | 5:27 | 8:46 |
This is a simplified model. It does not account for heat, hills, fueling, or whether you’ve trained the durability needed for longer races. Use it for planning — then execute by effort.