Lesson 14 · Resources · 10 km plans
Build your 10 km
Combine mostly easy running with one controlled quality session. In two selected weeks, a short steady section replaces part of Tuesday's easy run rather than adding another outing.
- Length
- 10 weeks
- Running days
- 4 a week
- Approach
- Controlled quality
Before you begin
You can run 10 km comfortably and already run four days and about 20–25 km a week.
These starting requirements describe this general plan, not an individual health assessment. Build a consistent base first if they do not fit your current running.
How the plan fits together
Weeks 4 and 8 reduce load. Only weeks 3 and 6 have a second light exposure; Thursday and Sunday are otherwise separated by easy recovery or rest. The final two weeks taper.
No finish-time target or personalised pace is assumed.
Effort, recovery and looking after yourself
Easy means a comfortable effort with room to talk in sentences. Slow down or use walking breaks to keep that effort. No finish time or personal pace is prescribed.
Warm-up and cool-down are included, not extra work. For distance sessions, start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within the listed distance. Timed sessions state their full warm-up, work and cool-down.
Rest days have no scheduled running. Optional gentle movement is a choice, not another workout. If recovery is poor, take rest rather than forcing a session.
Do not double up after missed sessions. If you miss several, reassess your preparation and event date instead of trying to catch up. Stop running when pain develops; seek qualified advice for persistent pain or health concerns.
Practise your own food, drink and equipment choices during preparation. Choose safe routes and a way home if you stop. This general plan cannot assess your health or individual readiness.
Weekly totals separate kilometres and timed session duration. Timed sessions include any walking, warm-up, cool-down and easy recoveries, not just running. Do not add kilometres and minutes together or treat timed sessions as zero distance. A week containing timed sessions has no complete kilometre total without your actual distance.
These general references inform effort, looking after yourself and reducing training before an event. They do not supply or endorse this RGN schedule, promise a result or establish that it is suitable for everyone.
Your 10 weeks
Every day is here. Session times and distances include their warm-up and cool-down; they are not extra work.
Week 18 km Sunday
15 km + 30 minutes of timed session duration. Minutes include any walking and recoveries. This is not a complete kilometre total; timed sessions have no invented distance.
3 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
4 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
10 minutes easy, then 5 repeats of 1 minute controlled quicker running and 1 minute easy, then 10 minutes easy. Quicker is purposeful, never a sprint.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
8 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
Week 29 km Sunday
17 km + 32 minutes of timed session duration. Minutes include any walking and recoveries. This is not a complete kilometre total; timed sessions have no invented distance.
3 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
5 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
10 minutes easy, then 2 repeats of 5 minutes comfortably hard and 1 minute easy, then 10 minutes easy. Keep the work controlled enough for short phrases, not an all-out test.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
9 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
Week 310 km Sunday
19 km + 34 minutes of timed session duration. Minutes include any walking and recoveries. This is not a complete kilometre total; timed sessions have no invented distance.
4 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
5 km total: 2 km easy, 1 km relaxed steady running, then 2 km easy. This light second exposure replaces part of the easy run; it adds no distance. The easy opening and finish are your warm-up and cool-down. Keep it easier than Thursday's quality.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
10 minutes easy, then 7 repeats of 1 minute controlled quicker running and 1 minute easy, then 10 minutes easy. Fartlek means changes of effort, not sprinting.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
10 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
Week 47 km Sunday
14 km + 30 minutes of timed session duration. Minutes include any walking and recoveries. This is not a complete kilometre total; timed sessions have no invented distance.
3 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
4 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
30 minutes total: 5 minutes gentle walking or jogging, 20 minutes easy running with walking breaks as needed, then 5 minutes gentle walking or jogging.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
7 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
Week 510 km Sunday
19 km + 36 minutes of timed session duration. Minutes include any walking and recoveries. This is not a complete kilometre total; timed sessions have no invented distance.
4 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
5 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
10 minutes easy, then 4 repeats of 2 minutes controlled quicker running and 2 minutes easy, then 10 minutes easy. Finish feeling able to do another repeat.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
10 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
Week 611 km Sunday
21 km + 38 minutes of timed session duration. Minutes include any walking and recoveries. This is not a complete kilometre total; timed sessions have no invented distance.
4 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
6 km total: 2 km easy, 1 km relaxed steady running, then 3 km easy. This light second exposure replaces part of the easy run; it adds no distance. The easy opening and finish are your warm-up and cool-down. Keep it easier than Thursday's quality.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
10 minutes easy, then 3 repeats of 5 minutes comfortably hard and 1 minute easy, then 10 minutes easy. Ease back if the effort stops feeling controlled.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
11 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
Week 712 km Sunday
22 km + 40 minutes of timed session duration. Minutes include any walking and recoveries. This is not a complete kilometre total; timed sessions have no invented distance.
4 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
6 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
10 minutes easy, then 5 repeats of 2 minutes controlled quicker running and 2 minutes easy, then 10 minutes easy. Keep the easy recoveries genuinely easy.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
12 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
Week 89 km Sunday
17 km + 30 minutes of timed session duration. Minutes include any walking and recoveries. This is not a complete kilometre total; timed sessions have no invented distance.
3 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
5 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
30 minutes total: 5 minutes gentle walking or jogging, 20 minutes easy running with walking breaks as needed, then 5 minutes gentle walking or jogging.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
9 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
Week 98 km Sunday
15 km + 26 minutes of timed session duration. Minutes include any walking and recoveries. This is not a complete kilometre total; timed sessions have no invented distance.
3 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
4 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
8 minutes easy, then 5 repeats of 1 minute controlled quicker running and 1 minute easy, then 8 minutes easy. Keep this light, not a fitness test.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
8 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
Week 10Event Sunday
15 km + 20 minutes of timed session duration. Minutes include any walking and recoveries. This is not a complete kilometre total; timed sessions have no invented distance.
2 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
3 km at comfortable conversational effort. Walking breaks are welcome. Start and finish with at least five gentle minutes within this distance, not added on. Take rest instead when you are not recovered.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
20 minutes total: 5 minutes gentle walking or jogging, 10 minutes easy running with walking breaks as needed, then 5 minutes gentle walking or jogging.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
No scheduled running today. Gentle everyday movement is optional, not another workout.
Your event day. Start at an effort you can sustain. Walking breaks are welcome. Follow your own event preparation and stop if health or safety concerns arise.
About this plan
Written for RGN as a general 10 km plan, not individual coaching or a promise of a result. Later changes never rewrite your saved copy.
General references: CDC guide to relative effort, NHS running injury guidance, Research on tapering in endurance athletes. These sources do not endorse this schedule.