When will you finish your first 10K?
The short answer
Once you can comfortably run 5K, the 10K is 6–10 weeks away with three runs a week. Lock in a race date, work backwards, and the calculator gives you week 1.
On this page
The natural ladder: Couch → 5K → 10K
Each step roughly doubles weekly volume. The jump from 5K to 10K is gentler than couch to 5K — the engine exists, you're just teaching it to run longer.
What changes from 5K training (it's mostly the long run)
One run per week becomes "long" — 45–75 minutes by the end of the plan. The other two stay easy or short. That's basically it.
How to calculate your 10K date (worked example: 8 weeks)
If you can run 5K continuously today, an 8-week, 3-runs-per-week plan lands you on race day comfortably. Pick the race; the calendar fills itself.
The "easy run" trap — most people run too hard
Easy runs should feel almost embarrassingly slow. If your friends ask why you're jogging, you've got it about right. Going too hard on easy days is the #1 cause of stalled progress.
5K is the proof. 10K is the habit.
Race day pacing for a sub-60-minute 10K
That's roughly 6:00/km. Run the first 3K slightly slower than goal pace, the middle 4K on pace, and let yourself work the last 3K. Even splits beat heroic starts every time.
Try the calculator
Plug in your race date and we'll show you when to lace up for week one.
