done at goal marathon or half marathon pace as you’re pushing even faster than goal pace

Anyone who saw Grant Fisher race for the bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 10,000 meters How Resistance Bands Transformed My Running Routine Kara Goucher and Des Linden to host “Save the 10,000 with Des and Kara” on May 2. The invitational was meant to help professional runners chase minimum qualifying standards—33:20 for women, 28:35 for men—for the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Top performers at that meet who have hit even faster standards this season—30:20 for women and 27:00 for men—can go on to compete at the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo this September.

“We just want to show that the event is awesome,” Goucher says. “There’s a lot of exciting things and storytelling that can happen in a 30- to 33-minute race, and we just want to show that.”

But even for runners who aren’t going to finish a 10K in 30 minutes (and very few can!), preparing for that distance can boost a Other advantages of 10K training, according to coaches and experts. A Part of Hearst Digital Media, endurance, and mental toughness, which can then make you faster and stronger when you go back to the longer distance training.

In fact, Goucher says when she was training for the Boston Marathon a coach with Triathlon Lifestyle Coaching. This workout trains you differently than.

“Just to spin the legs, get a good hard effort in,” she says.

Goucher ran with training partner Shalane Flanagan, and they both finished faster than expected—31:04:85 for Flanagan and 31:46.64 for Goucher.

“We wanted a hard effort that was just a shock to the system, and that's exactly what it was,” Goucher says. “When you increase that speed for yourself, it forces you to get up on your toes a little more and lift your knees a little bit more and it just helps you be a better athlete. And then when you go back to slightly slower paces, you are actually more efficient because they feel a little bit easier.”

Elite marathoner Sara Hall also says she starts her marathon buildups with 10K training before she is running at high volume and her legs are tired, which makes those paces more difficult.

“Training for a 10K is the perfect way to prepare for a half marathon, especially as an aging runner,” she says. “The effort level and pace are more similar than the half and the full marathon.”

minutes recovery after that set Run to the Finish. She will have her athletes do 10K-paced speedwork in the first few weeks of a 12- or 16-week marathon training plan, because it then makes marathon pace feel a little more comfortable.

A 10K has the perfect combination of endurance and speed, says Amanda Brooks, a coach with.

“Even as a master’s runner I’ve been able to set some PRs,” she says. “It is just an enjoyable distance in that you don’t have to take so much time off after it, you can race them more frequently if you want to, it allows you to get back to your routine a little bit faster.”

Other advantages of 10K training, according to coaches and experts:

Health - Injuries
in 30 minutes and very few can!, preparing for that distance can boost a
Teaches pacing at higher effort levels
Improves lactic acid tolerance and clearance
Unlock Faster Paces With a Plyometric Warmup
Strengthens the entire body for racing demands
Builds VO2 max Maiorano suggests this
Develops mental toughness under physical discomfort

Convinced? Here are a few 10K workouts you can use in any training block.

Intervals

After a thorough warmup, run 6 x 800 meters at slightly faster than your current 5K race pace. After each one, jog for the same amount of time it took you to run the 800 meter. (If you’re too gassed to jog, then slow down for the next 800, says Brian Maiorano, a coach with Triathlon Lifestyle Coaching. This workout trains you differently than traditional 800 repeats (done at goal marathon or half marathon pace) as you’re pushing even faster than goal pace.

Each interval should take 3–5 minutes, which means faster runners may want to extend the distance to 1,000–1,200 meters
Note: Beginners should ease into these sessions. The first week, start with 2 x 800 meters. The next week 3 x 800 meters.

Tempo

Labor Day Shoe Deals tempo run to try holding that 10K pace for longer. Warm up, then run 2 x 15 minutes at a pace slightly slower than 10K race pace (slightly slower means maybe 10 seconds/mile). Jog 3 minutes in between.

Note: Beginners will want to ease into tempo runs. The first week, run only 5:00 at slightly slower than 10K pace. Build that by 5:00 each week, until you can hold 15:00 steady. The following week, do a 15:00 interval, 3:00 rest, and then another 5:00 interval. Keep building until you’re at 2 x 15:00.
Advanced runners should build to 45–60 minutes worth of these intervals, if their weekly mileage supports it.

Mix It Up

Brooks recommends the following workout to mix up your paces, allowing you to run harder than goal race pace even on tired legs.

Warm up for 2 miles or 20 minutes
5 x 30 seconds hard effort at 5K pace (1 minute recovery)
5 minutes recovery after that set
2 x 5 minutes at 10K pace (5 minutes recovery)
5 minutes recovery after that set
5 x 20 seconds hard effort at 5K pace (1 minute recovery)
Cool down

1K or Mile Repeats

Athena Manolakos, tolerance and clearance.

1K option: After a warmup, run 1K repeats: (6-8 x 1K @ 10K pace) with a 90 seconds easy jog in between.
Mile option: After a warmup, run mile repeats: (6 x 1 mile @ 10K pace) with 2-3 minutes easy jog in between.
- Note: Beginners should start with fewer repeats, running 2-3 the first week and slowly increasing the count each week.

Combo Workouts

Manolakos also suggests this ladder workout, especially if done on track to better control distance and pacing. For the shorter intervals, like 400 to 800 meters, you will probably be able to hit closer to a 5K pace (or faster). Try to hold onto goal 10K pace for the lengthier intervals.