Training plans and race-day pacing

10K Training Plan Generator

Pick plan length, running days, level and goal time to get a full 10K plan with paces.

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This 10K training plan tool builds a week-by-week schedule for a 10K race, with the runs, distances, and paces or effort for every day. It runs entirely in your browser, is free, and needs no account or sign-up. You choose the plan length (8 to 14 weeks), how many runs fit into your week, your level, and optionally a goal time and race date. The page opens with a 10-week plan for intermediate runners who run four times a week, so you can see a full example before you change anything. Each week appears as seven day boxes from Monday to Sunday, with its training phase and total distance. The taper for a 10K is one week, and it comes right before race day. Nothing you type is uploaded or stored on a server.
10k training plan example

How to use the 10K training plan tool

  1. Set Race to 10K.
  2. Set Plan length to a number of weeks from 8 to 14. The page starts at 10.
  3. Set Runs per week to 3, 4, 5, or 6 days.
  4. Choose a Level: Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced.
  5. Optionally, enter a Goal time, such as 0:50:00. With a goal time, every run gets a pace range. Without one, runs are described by effort.
  6. Optionally, enter a Race date. The race then falls on that day, and week 1 starts on a Monday.
  7. Pick Units: miles or km.
  8. Read the summary line, then the training paces box (if you entered a goal time), then scroll through the weeks.

The buttons above the plan help you use it away from the screen. Print prints only the plan. Download PDF saves a text PDF of the whole plan, made in your browser. Add to calendar (.ics) exports your runs to a calendar app, with one all-day event per run for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook. Copy link shares the exact result, because your settings are kept in the page address, so a bookmark saves them too. The miles/km switch changes every pace and distance, and your choice is remembered in this browser. Changing the plan length, runs per week or level rebuilds every week, so one change can alter the whole schedule.

How long does it take to train for a 10K?

The tool lets you choose 8 to 14 weeks for a 10K, and the page starts with 10. Every plan length follows the same rules, so a longer plan spreads the same progression over more weeks.

Each plan moves through phases. The base phase (the first 40% of the build weeks) uses easy runs, strides, and hill repeats. The build phase (the next 40%) adds tempo runs and 1 km interval repeats. The race-specific phase (the last 20%) uses 2 km repeats at goal race pace. A 10K plan then ends with a 1-week taper, which reduces training before race day. Every fourth week is a cutback week at about 80% of the load before it, so your body gets a lighter week to recover.

How many miles a week should I run for a 10K?

The tool does not use one fixed weekly mileage. No week can be more than 10% above the largest earlier week, so the peak depends on your plan length, level, and runs per week. In the worked example (10K, 10 weeks, 4 runs a week, intermediate, goal 0:50:00), the peak week is 23.5 mi (37.5 km) and the longest run is 9.5 mi (15 km).

The long run is capped as a share of the week and at a maximum distance: 13 km for beginner, 16 km for intermediate, and 20 km for advanced 10K plans. Hard sessions such as hills, tempo runs, intervals, and race-pace runs never fall the day before or after the long run. Easy runs are at least 3 km.

Can I train for a 10K on 3 runs a week?

Yes. You can choose 3, 4, 5, or 6 runs a week, and the rules for the long run and hard sessions apply to every option. The weekly-increase limit and the cutback weeks also apply whatever number you choose. Pick the number you can keep up with week after week, because the same run count is used in every week of the plan.

What day does a 10K plan start?

Enter a race date, and week 1 starts on a Monday, with the race on that day. Without a race date, the plan starts next Monday and the long run falls on Sunday.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a 10K training plan for beginners?

Yes. Set Level to Beginner, and the long run tops out at 13 km. Without a goal time, each run is written as an effort, such as “easy, conversational effort.”

What should my training paces be?

Enter a goal time, and the tool calculates a pace range per mile or km for every run and shows a training paces box. The paces come from the Daniels & Gilbert (1979) equations with RunPacePlan’s zone definitions. For a 0:50:00 goal, the easy pace is 10:04 to 11:23 per mile, threshold is 8:08 per mile, and goal race pace is 8:03 per mile.

Can I add the runs to my calendar?

Yes. Click Add to calendar (.ics) to create one all-day event per run for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook. If you enter a race date, each run gets its own date and the race falls on that day.

What happens if I change the runs per week or the level?

The whole plan is generated again from your inputs. Changing the plan length, runs per week, or level changes every week, not just one.

Should I check with a doctor first?

Yes, if you have a health condition. The plan is not medical advice. Build up gradually, and ask a doctor before you start if you have any health concerns.

Can I use the plan commercially, for example with runners I coach?

Yes. Plans, PDFs and calendar files you make here are free to use for any purpose, including handing them to runners you coach, with no credit needed. You may not copy the generator or the site itself; see the terms.