TARGET RACE PACE 06:26 PER MILE / 04:00 PER KM FOR A 40 MINUTE 10K
The sub 40 minute 10k is a key benchmark for many runners. There’s an unwritten rule that say’s a sub 40 minute 10k means you have turned into rather a decent runner. Much like the sub 20min 5k, there is much kudos to be had by achieving this particular distance below such a nice round number.
Successfully running a 40 minute 10k means you will need to be capable of running at a sustained pace of 06:26 for each of the 6.1 miles. That is 4min per km.
Your Speed/Distance Training Zones: 40 minute 10k
| Pace per Mile | Treadmill Pace | 400m / 800m Splits | 1km Pace | 5km Race Pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:26 | 9.3 mph/ 15 km/h | 1:36 / 3:12 | 04:00 secs | 20:00 min |
Like all of our training plans, the 40 minute 10k training plan will occassionally require you to run at a slightly faster pace than this for short durations so before starting ensure that you are able to run at your target race pace for at least 1km or preferably a mile.
If you are not quite there yet then take a look at the 45 minute 10k training plan first and then come back to this one once you are in a position to run at this pace for a km.
40 minute 10k Training Plan
| Week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45mins easy | 30mins easy | Rest/ cross-train | @6:26 p/m (4:00 p/km) 2 min Rec | Rest/ cross-train | 45mins easy | Long run, gentle pace: 60-75 mins |
| 2 | Rest/ cross-train | Quicker than 10k race pace +1 mile warm up and down | 30mins easy | Aim for : 20:00min | Rest/ cross-train | @6:26 p/m (4:00 p/km) 90s Rec | 45mins easy |
| 3 | 30mins easy | Rest/ cross-train | Rest/ cross-train | @6:26 p/m (4:00 p/km, 3:12 per 800m) 90s Rec | Rest/ cross-train | 45mins easy | Long run, gentle pace: 60-75 mins |
| 4 (recovery week) | Rest/ cross-train | Quicker than 10k race pace +1 mile warm up and down | Rest/ cross-train | 30mins easy | 45mins easy | Rest/ cross-train | Rest/ cross-train |
Time commitment: You will need to commit roughly 3-4 hours of work a week over the course of the 40 minute 10k training plan in addition to any time spent cross training.
Breakthrough Sessions: These sessions are meant to be challenging intense efforts, treat them as mini-milestones towards your target:
- 800m Reps – should be reps at 06:26 p/m pace (3:12 per 800m) with a 90sec jogged recovery.
- 1km Intervals – 06:26 p/m pace (4:00 per km) with a 90sec jogged recovery.
- 2km Intervals – 06:26 p/m pace (4:00 per km) with a 2min jogged recovery.
- 5km Time Effort – run a 5k race/training run at your maximum, try and aim for a sub 20:00.
Breakeven Sessions: These sessions are used for recovery and maintaining fitness. They should afford you the opportunity to prepare both mentally and physically for the breakthrough sessions.
- Easy Run – this should be no quicker than 07:45 p/m.
- Long Run – this doesn’t need to be any longer than 75 minutes.
The 40 minute 10k plan has been put together so it is cyclical and can be used over a period of weeks until you feel you are ready for your 10k event. At the end of each cycle you can repeat from the beginning or tweak the plan to suit your current ability and time commitments etc. As you improve you’ll maybe want to incorporate some sessions from our other 10k training plans.
If, after a couple of rotations you want to make the plan harder, you could slowly increase the number of reps for the breakthrough speed sessions. Introduce changes slowly and over a few weeks, i.e., Week 1 = 3x2km Reps, Week 5 = 4x2km Reps, Week 8 = 5x2km reps, etc. Obviously there is only so far you can go with this, there would be no point in extending these way beyond the 10k distance. The other way of making the plan harder is to adjust the pace slightly and run faster!
It is recommended that after three months of using the 40 minute 10k plan that you reduce your training for a period of one to two weeks to allow your body time to recover from the impact of running. This should mean more time cross-training with a couple of nice easy runs every few days to keep the legs ticking over.
To realise improvements it’s worth remembering that training is cumulative and it takes time and dedication to follow any training plan and achieve the results you want.
Hi Matt. First, thank you for this resource. I followed your sub 20 5k plan with great success. My first 5k race time: 19:25. Now about this 10k plan: why are there no hill runs? I thought that the hills were key to building strength required for faster overall pace. Is this just part of cross training?
Hi Matt,
Is it right that I should run in 4min/km 3 of the days in week 2? One 3mile a little faster, one 5k at 4min/km and 5x1km at 4min/km?
How would you adapt the training plan if the race you want to do a sub 40 10k in is quite hilly, not flat please?
Hi Matt,
Just a query re strength training, and when to fit it in. You will always find publications such as Runners World, running articles explaining the benefits of strength training for runners, but you will not find strength training in their training programmes..
Any thoughts/suggestions.
Hi Matt can you please explain the tempo run in more
Detail for me please
Hi Matt, Is there a mistake here?
800m Reps – should be reps at 06:27 p/m pace (3:36 per 800m) with a 90sec jogged recovery
as 3.26 p/ 800m interval is eqiuvalent to 7 m/m not 6.2 as stated.
Hi Antony, yes thanks for letting me know. I’ve tidied it up so should be correct now. Cheers.
Just starting to look at programs for a sub 40 10k. What are your thoughts on treadmill vs. outside runs? Just finished my first sub 19 minute 5k on a treadmill and hope the consistency of the treadmill will help me understand my speed better, but not exactly sure. Thoughts?
Hi Jens, it’s an interesting question. I know many people who swear by treadmill training and the positive effect it has had on their training where some won’t do any training on the treadmill at all citing reasons ranging from perceived increase in sore knees to boredom, etc. My view is that it is a great for certain types of training sessions but not all running. I would typically do one treadmill interval session per week and then all my steady & long runs would be outside. Doing the interval session on the treadmill allows you to really push yourself to the edge and make sure you are running at your required race pace.
Hope that helps and good luck.
Thanks for the schedules. I credit you to getting me sub 20 for a 5k which is something I thought I’d never manage. I even got down to a 19.20 pb! Just looking at sub 40 for the 10k now and noticed 2 errors – the 800m training zone (should be 3:12?) and the timed 5k effort (“aim for sub 17.30” should be 20:00?). They confused me for a while before I realised they were errors. Thanks again
Hi Ella, thanks for pointing those typo’s out to me; should be corrected now :-). Pleased to hear that the plans have worked so well for you. I’ll defer the credit though as you did all the hard work, well done! :-).
Yes! Sub 40 today at Mermaid 10k, Marske, absolutely buzzing! Thanks again 🙂
Well done, Ella! Great stuff.