10K training plan
Ten weeks and four days a week to prepare for a 10K: threshold work, VO₂max intervals, long runs up to 85 minutes, two deload weeks and a taper week, with your zone-based paces.
By My PR ·
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- 10 weeks
- Days a week
- 4
- Longest run
- 85 min
A 10K is run close to threshold, in Z4: it is the quality that matters most at this distance and the backbone of the plan. VO₂max intervals raise the ceiling; threshold work teaches you to use it for longer.
- Prerequisite
- 15-20 miles (25-30 km) a week
- With a recent long run of about 60-65 minutes.
- Key sessions
- 20-25 min tempo and 3 × 2 km at 10K pace
- First quality day Tuesday, second Thursday.
Before you start
This is a generic plan, not a prescription. If you have pain that gets worse when you run, a recent injury, heart disease or any medical concern, check with a health professional first. If a session leaves you sore for more than a day, cut the volume; do not repeat it to “make it up”.
10K plan, week by week
| Week | Phase | Tuesday | Thursday | Saturday | Sunday · long run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1 | Base | vVO₂max test: 6′ at the fastest pace you can hold | Easy run 40′ Z2 | Easy run 35′ Z2 + 4 strides | Long run 60′ Z2 |
| W2 | Base | Tempo 15′ Z4 (85-90 %) | Easy run 40′ Z2 | Easy run 35′ Z2 + 4 strides | Long run 65′ Z2 |
| W3 | Base | Hills 8 × 1′ hard · jog down | Easy run 45′ Z2 | Easy run 35′ Z2 + 4 strides | Long run 70′ Z2 |
| W4 | Build · deload | 10 × 30/30 Z5 (100-105 %) | Easy run 30′ Z2 | Easy run 25′ Z2 | Long run 50′ Z2 |
| W5 | Build | 4 × 3′30″ Z5 (95-100 %) · equal jog recovery | Tempo 18′ Z4 (85-90 %) | Easy run 40′ Z2 | Long run 75′ Z2, last 12′ in Z3 |
| W6 | Build | 14 × 30/30 Z5 (100-105 %) | Threshold 4 × 5′ Z4 (86-90 %) · 2′ recovery | Easy run 45′ Z2 | Long run 80′ Z2, last 15′ in Z3 |
| W7 | Build | 5 × 4′ Z5 (95-100 %) · equal jog recovery | Tempo 25′ Z4 (85-90 %) | Easy run 40′ Z2 | Long run 85′ Z2, last 15′ in Z3 |
| W8 | Specific · deload | Threshold 3 × 8′ Z4 (86-90 %) · 2′ recovery | Easy run 25′ Z2 | Easy run 25′ Z2 + 4 strides | Long run 60′ Z2 |
| W9 | Specific | Threshold 5 × 6′ Z4 (86-90 %) · 2′ recovery | 3 × 2 km at 10K pace Z4 (87-90 %) · 3′ recovery | Easy run 40′ Z2 | Long run 75′ Z2 |
| W10 | Taper | 3 × 3′ Z5 (95-100 %) · equal jog recovery | Easy run 30′ Z2 + 4 strides | Easy run 20′ Z2 | Race day (10K) |
How it is organized
- 1
Base (weeks 1-3)
vVO₂max test, a short tempo and hills. One quality session a week while volume rises.
- 2
Build (weeks 4-7)
Opens with a deload, then alternates long intervals and 30/30s with tempo and threshold. Long runs finish progressive.
- 3
Specific (weeks 8-9)
Another deload, then the week that looks most like the race: threshold on Tuesday and 10K pace on Thursday.
- 4
Taper (week 10)
Half the volume, a few short intervals and two easy days before the race.
Deload and taper
To arrive fresh, cut volume and keep intensity
The reference meta-analysis on tapering found the most effective approach was a taper of about two weeks, cutting volume by 41-60% progressively without dropping intensity or session frequency. That is why the last weeks of each plan still include short intervals or race pace, just less of it.
What is most linked to injury is suddenly lengthening a single run
In a cohort of more than 5,000 runners, a session more than 10% longer than the longest of the previous month was associated with more overuse injuries; week-to-week changes in volume were not. The weekly 10% rule was never validated, while the risk of big jumps does show up in the literature. It is an observational study: a guide, not a guarantee.
How to adapt it
- With three days, drop the Saturday easy run and keep one quality session a week: Tuesday’s.
- If the tempo feels like a race, you are going too fast: in Z4 you can still say three or four words.
- If you miss a week, repeat the previous one; do not stack two hard sessions to catch up.
- If week 9 does not go well, rethink the goal: it is the most reliable warning you will get before race day.
Takeaways
- Ten weeks, four days, threshold as the backbone.
- Deloads in weeks 4 and 8; taper in week 10.
- No long run more than 10% longer than the longest of the past month.
- First 2 km slightly slower than goal pace, then settle.
Sources
- [1]Bosquet L, Montpetit J, Arvisais D, Mujika I (2007). Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. meta-analysis
- [2]Frandsen JSB, et al. (2025). How much running is too much? Identifying high-risk running sessions in a 5200-person cohort study. British Journal of Sports Medicine. trial
- [3]Damsted C, Glad S, Nielsen RO, Sørensen H, Malisoux L (2018). Is there evidence for an association between changes in training load and running-related injuries? A systematic review. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. review
- [4]Nielsen RO, Parner ET, Nohr EA, Sørensen H, Lind M, Rasmussen S (2014). Excessive progression in weekly running distance and risk of running-related injuries: an association which varies according to type of injury. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. trial
Other plans
Your plan, at your paces, for your race date
Tell the app your race, the days you have and what you run now: it builds the weeks, warns you if the goal is optimistic and adjusts the plan when life does not follow the table.
