Most people choosing a 10K plan have run a 5K, or are close to it, and want to know what twice the distance will ask of them. Mostly it asks for patience. You'll run a little more, a little longer, and learn to hold an effort instead of hanging on to one.
The long run grows past the race. In 91 of the 104 plans here, the longest run goes beyond 6.2 miles, and in most of them it reaches 8 miles or more. Even among the beginner plans, two thirds go past race distance at least once. That extra distance is what lets the last 2 miles of the race feel like running rather than surviving. Our first-10K plans stay closer to home, with a longest run of 5.5 to 6.5 miles.
One steady day a week. The 10K is where threshold running (a comfortably hard effort you could hold for about an hour) earns its place. Gains at that effort are specific to the pace you train them at, so most plans give it its own day, as a tempo run or as longer repeats with short breaks. In a good plan, the runs around it stay easy. If a plan has you running hard 3 or 4 days a week, it's asking a lot.
Start from your week, not your goal. The plans run on 3 to 7 days a week, and 44 of them ask for 4 days or fewer. Their biggest weeks range from about 10 miles to 65. A plan's starting point should match the running you already do, not the peak it builds toward, so look at week 1 first. Our first-10K plans start from about 6 to 8 miles a week. If week 1 asks for more than you run now, choose an easier plan, or spend a few weeks building up before you start.
What keeps you healthy. Mileage should climb gradually, because sharp jumps in weekly running raise the risk of injury. Every few weeks a lighter week lets your body absorb the work that came before. Every review on this page says how a plan handles both. If you've been hurt, talk to your doctor or physical therapist first, and give the return-to-running plans a look before a 10K build.
Picking a time goal. About 40 of the plans are named for a finish time. If you've raced a 5K recently, start there, and pick a goal you'd call ambitious but believable. You can always choose a faster plan for the next one.
If none of these fits your week, Buena Vida can get you a personal 10K plan set to your schedule and pace. Try it free for 7 days.
No plans match. Try another level or a different number of run days.
Buena Vida 10K training plans
10K training plans from coaches you know
10K training plans by coach
Want a plan made for you?
Buena Vida is a running app that puts training plans, workout tracking and daily nutrition in one place. Tell it your race, your fitness and the days you can run, and you'll get a personal plan set to your schedule and pace, with coaching on every run and food targets that keep up with your training.
Try it free for 7 days. After that, it's $99.99 a year or $14.99 a month, and you can cancel anytime.