This plan is designed to start around the end of a beginner 5km plan. It is assumed you are able to run for a minimum of 30 minutes non-stop and complete a 5km in around 40-45 minutes.
The plan builds from 3 to 4 sessions in the week and focuses on increasing the duration of the longer run so that achieving the distance is possible. Speed is not so important with this plan. The longer plans here are an advantage because you have more time to build aerobic fitness and therefore have a greater change of achieving your time goals.
The main difference between a 5km plan and a 10km plan is the basic aerobic fitness needed to run twice the distance. At the start of this plan it is expected that you can already run steadily for 30 minutes 3 times per week.
I’m a high-performance triathlon and endurance coach with 20+ years of experience coaching athletes from beginner to elite level, including World and National Champions. With Master’s degrees in Exercise Physiology and Sport Psychology, I combine evidence-based training with mindset support to help athletes improve sustainably. I offer personalised coaching, race preparation, performance analysis, and athlete development across all triathlon, running, cycling and swimming distances.