How do I train for a 10K run?

Many people ask themselves...

"How do I train for a 10K run?"

You should be able to run for at least for 30 minutes and have experienced 3 months of consistent running before you can train for a 10K.

If you aren't quite at this level...You can surely train for a 5K. If you are a beginner runner get your free training plan by signing up!

If you've been running for awhile and want to spice up your running and run a 10K, just add a little more training by following this program below.

Your 12 Week 10K Training Program

Week 1

• Run 5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4K run
• Thursday Rest and Walk for 45min.
• Friday an easy 2/3K or walk for 45min.
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is the long run 5.5K

Week 2

• Run 5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4K run
• Thursday Rest and Walk for 45min.
• Friday an easy 2/3K or walk for 45min.
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is the long run 6K

Week 3

• Run 5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4K run
• Thursday Rest and Walk for 45min.
• Friday an easy 2/3K or walk for 45min.
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is the long run 6.5K

Week 4

• 
  
• Run 5.5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4Km run
• Thursday Rest and Walk for 1hour
• Friday an easy 3K or walk for 1hour
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is the long run 6.5Km

Week 5

• 
  
• Run 5.5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4Km run
• Thursday Rest and Walk for 1hour
• Friday an easy 3K or walk for 1hour
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is the long run 7Km

Week 6

• Run 5.5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4Km run
• Thursday Rest and Walk for 1hour
• Friday an easy 3K or walk for 1hour
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is the long run 7.5Km

Week 7

• Run 5.5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4/4.5Km run
• Thursday Rest and Walk for 1hour
• Friday an easy 3K or walk for 1hour
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is the long run 8Km

Week 8

• Run 5.5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4/4.5Km run
• Thursday Rest and Walk for 1hour
• Friday an easy 3K or walk for 1hour
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is the long run 8Km

Week 9

• Run 5.5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4/4.5Km run
• Thursday Rest and Walk for 1hour
• Friday an easy 3K or walk for 1hour
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is the long run 8.5Km

Week 10

• Run 5.5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4/4.5Km run
• Thursday Rest and Walk for 1hour
• Friday an easy 3K or walk for 1hour
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is the long run 9Km

Week 11

• Run 5.5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4/4.5K run
• Thursday Rest and Walk for 1hour
• Friday an easy 3K or walk for 1hour
  
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is the long run 9.5K

Week 12

• Run 5K starting your day on a Monday or Tuesday/ Switch and Rest or cross-train on Monday if your Sunday was a long run.
• Wednesday 4/K run
• Thursday Rest / Walk for 1hour
• Friday a walk for 1hour
• Saturday rest
• Sunday is Race Day 10K run!=

Important Things to note:

1. You can change your days around to suit your schedule. For example if you want to start your training program week on a Sunday and end it on a Saturday it is perfectly fine.
2. On your rest days, pay attention to the way your body is feeling. If you are not able to cross-train, strength train or walk do not and/or make it up another rest day. Shin Splints are a runners most common injury give your body time to heal. Do not forget to stretch before and after!
3. On the walk days make sure your walk is leisurely.
4. The long runs on Sunday should be slow...Map your run before you go out and train running without a watch. -Not knowing your pace will make the run more enjoyable knowing that you can go slow...
5. The two other running training days of the week, mix them up - run hills, a tempo runs, speed drills. Alternate weeks, example do not do hills two weeks in a row.
6. The week of the race, train gently and relax.
7. Go to where the race is and get familiar with it by walking and/ running it.
8. Figure out what you are going to wear for the 10k .
9. Go over the 10K race in your head before hand.
10. Ask yourself pertinent questions about the 10K race. Example: When are going to speed up? How do I want to start? Are you going to walk some of the race or run/walk? If you trained with a friend are you going to run the whole race with your friend?
11. Have a blast running your 10K and rest the next week with no running!

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Learn more about running a marathon from Jago