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8-Week 10K Training Plan

For: A recreational/intermediate runner currently comfortable running 2–3 miles
Runs: 3 days per week
Goal: Run a strong, comfortable 10K (6.2 miles)

Weekly Schedule

  • Tuesday: Easy run
  • Thursday: Workout / speed day
  • Saturday or Sunday: Long run
  • Other days: Rest, walking, strength training, or light cross-training

Week 1

Tuesday — 2.5 Miles Easy

Run the entire 2.5 miles at a comfortable, conversational pace.

Thursday — 2.5 Miles + Short Fast Runs

  1. Run 2 miles easy
  2. Run 20 seconds fast
  3. Walk or jog easy for 60–90 seconds
  4. Repeat the 20-second fast run 4 times
  5. Jog easy until you reach approximately 2.5 miles total

Fast = about 8/10 effort. Not a sprint.

Weekend — 3.5 Miles Easy

Keep the entire run relaxed. Don’t worry about pace.

Week 2

Tuesday — 2.5 Miles Easy

Comfortable conversational pace.

Thursday — 3 Miles with 1-Minute Intervals

  1. Run 1 mile easy
  2. Run 1 minute fast
  3. Jog easy for 2 minutes
  4. Repeat this 4 times
  5. Run easy until you reach 3 miles total

Weekend — 4 Miles Easy

Slow, steady effort. The goal is simply covering 4 miles.

Week 3

Tuesday — 3 Miles Easy

Relaxed conversational pace.

Thursday — 3 Miles with Tempo Intervals

  1. Run 1 mile easy
  2. Run 3 minutes at tempo effort
  3. Jog easy for 2 minutes
  4. Repeat the 3-minute tempo section 3 times
  5. Run easy until you reach 3 miles total

Tempo = about 7/10 effort. You should be working, but still feel in control.

Weekend — 4.5 Miles Easy

Keep it slow and comfortable.

Week 4 — Recovery Week

Tuesday — 2.5 Miles Easy

Very comfortable running.

Thursday — 3 Miles + Short Fast Runs

  1. Run 2–2.5 miles easy
  2. Run 20 seconds fast
  3. Walk or jog easy for 60–90 seconds
  4. Repeat 5 times
  5. Jog easy to finish 3 miles

Weekend — 4 Miles Easy

This is intentionally shorter than Week 3 to give the body a chance to recover.

Week 5

Tuesday — 3 Miles Easy

Comfortable conversational pace.

Thursday — 3.5 Miles with Tempo Intervals

  1. Run 1 mile easy
  2. Run 6 minutes at tempo effort
  3. Jog easy for 3 minutes
  4. Run another 6 minutes at tempo effort
  5. Jog/run easy until you reach 3.5 miles

Weekend — 5 Miles Easy

First 5-mile run. Don’t chase pace.

Run slowly enough that the first few miles feel easy.

Week 6

Tuesday — 3 Miles Easy

Keep this relaxed. Thursday and the weekend are the important sessions.

Thursday — 4 Miles with Tempo Intervals

  1. Run 1 mile easy
  2. Run 4 minutes at tempo effort
  3. Jog easy for 2 minutes
  4. Repeat the 4-minute tempo section 4 times
  5. Run easy until you reach 4 miles

Weekend — 5.5 Miles Easy

Comfortable endurance run.

If necessary, taking a short walking break is completely fine.

Week 7 — Peak Week

Tuesday — 3 Miles Easy

Relaxed pace.

Thursday — 3.5 Miles at 10K Effort

  1. Run 1 mile easy
  2. Run 5 minutes at approximately 10K race effort
  3. Jog easy for 2 minutes
  4. Repeat the 5-minute section 3 times
  5. Run easy until you reach 3.5 miles

This should feel harder than tempo running but still controlled. Don’t race the workout.

Weekend — 6 Miles Easy

This is the longest training run.

Run it slowly. The goal is simply to become comfortable being on your feet for almost the entire 10K distance.

Week 8 — Race Week

Tuesday — 2 Miles Easy

Very relaxed. You’re no longer trying to build fitness.

Thursday — 2 Miles + Short Fast Runs

  1. Run approximately 1.5 miles easy
  2. Run 20 seconds fast
  3. Walk or jog easy for 60–90 seconds
  4. Repeat 4 times
  5. Jog easy to finish

The fast sections should feel smooth and energetic, not exhausting.

Weekend — 10K Race 🎯

6.2 miles

Start conservatively. The first mile should almost feel too easy.

If you’re feeling good around miles 4–5, gradually increase the pace.

Effort Guide

🟢 Easy — 4–5/10

Comfortable enough to have a conversation.

Used for Tuesday runs and long runs.

🟡 Tempo — 7/10

Comfortably hard.

You can say a few words at a time, but you wouldn’t want to have a conversation.

🟠 10K Effort — 7–8/10

Approximately the effort you expect to maintain during the race.

Hard but controlled.

🔴 Fast — 8/10

Quick, smooth running.

Not an all-out sprint.

Long-Run Progression

3.5 → 4 → 4.5 → 4 → 5 → 5.5 → 6 → RACE

The drop in Week 4 gives the body a recovery week before building toward 6 miles.

Optional 4th Run

If three runs per week start feeling easy, add:

Wednesday or Sunday — 2 miles very easy

This is purely a recovery run. Don’t add speed work.

The Three Rules

1. Easy days stay easy.
Don’t turn every run into a race.

2. Thursday is the quality day.
This is where you practice running faster.

3. Weekend is about distance, not speed.
Building the ability to comfortably cover 5–6 miles is more important than the pace of those miles.