So you’ve just signed up to participate in the next 10K race that’s set in 9 weeks?
How To Prepare For A 10k In 9 Weeks
Well, you shouldn’t worry — 9 weeks isn’t a short time to train and be ready for the race. While it typically takes at least 10 to 12 weeks to be fully ready for a 10K race, the exact period varies depending on your fitness level and training volume.
As a rule of thumb, the longer the distance you want to run, the more training time you need to be ready. But since 10K is a relatively short distance, it’s possible to get the job done in 9 weeks if you’re an intermediate, advanced, or even a beginner runner.
In today’s guide on how to prepare for a 10K in 9 weeks, we share a 63-day training plan and some important tips to help you perform as well as possible.
How To Prepare For A 10k In 9 Weeks, Are 9 Weeks Enough?
One of the very first questions that comes to a runner’s mind once they sign up for a race and realize how much time they’ve got to train and be ready is “Are -insert a number of days- enough time to prepare?”
While it’s important to remember that the training period a runner needs to prepare for a 10K race differs depending on several factors including endurance level and physical fitness, commitment to the training program is probably the most crucial one.
Technically speaking, 9 weeks is plenty of time to prepare for a 10K race if you’re an intermediate or advanced runner. 63 days of 10K training can even be enough to get a beginner runner to reach the finish line in decent time.
While 9 weeks is good 10K training time for many runners, it sure can be a lot more effective if you’re training with previous running experience or your physical fitness level is somewhat high.
If you’ve just started running, you may want to consider participating in a shorter race or training for at least 12 weeks to run a 10K race.
What You Should Know About 10K Training Before You Start
Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate, or an advanced runner, a 10K training plan will involve you gradually increasing your running distance while simultaneously reducing your walking distance every week.
As a runner training for a 10K race, you should be familiar with the following techniques and exercises:
- Tempo runs: these will help you raise your anaerobic threshold, which is the point during a workout when the body goes from aerobic to anaerobic exertion. This technique isn’t just critical for a 10K race, but also for any type of endurance or strength training you do.
Here’s how to perform a tempo run:
- Begin with 10 minutes of comfortable running to warm up.
- Then, run for 15 to 20 minutes at a gradually increasing pace until you reach your 10K race pace. Your 10K race pace is when you’re running at a pace that feels “comfortably difficult”.
- Finally, wrap up the run with 10 minutes of easy running/jogging to cool down.
- Long runs: long runs are beneficial when it comes to developing stamina for a 10K race. Even if you aren’t training for a long-distance race, you should still incorporate these into your training program.
You should run your long runs at a comfortable pace. You should also be able to breathe through them without issues and speak in complete sentences. The same goes for your easy pace runs.
- Hill repeats: for this workout technique, choose a hill between 1/8 and 1/4 miles (200 and 400 meters) long that’s also not too steep.
Run up the hill at your 10K race pace, then recover with an easy pace run down the hill. Before your next hill repeat, make sure you’re breathing steadily once again.
- 10K interval workouts: you should run your interval training at your 10K race pace while allowing recoveries of a 2-minute easy run in between intervals.
Remember that you should begin and end your 10K interval workouts with a 1-mile easy pace run to warm up and cool down.
- Rest days: when it comes to your rest days in between run days, you can choose to either do some cross-training or take a rest day. This is vital for preventing/reducing injury.
Examples of cross-training activities include swimming, yoga, biking, using the elliptical, or any other workout that you enjoy other than running.
You can also try strength training a few times a week. This can be rather beneficial for runners trying to build endurance, minimize risks of injury, and improve speed.
How To Prepare For A 10k In 9 Weeks: Training Plan
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced runner, you’ll find a suitable 10K training plan below:
Week 1
For Beginners:
- Day #1: run 3 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2: do hill repeats for 1 minute, repeat 5 times, then jog down to recover
- Day #3: run 3 miles at an easy pace or cross-train for 30 minutes
- Day #4: 2 up miles at tempo pace and 2 down miles at a moderate pace
- Day #5: run 3 miles at an easy pace or cross-train for 30 minutes
- Day #6: long run for 45 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
For Intermediates/Advanced:
- Day #1: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2: do hill repeats for 1 minute, repeat 5 times, then jog down to recover
- Day #3: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #4: 3 up miles at tempo pace and 3 down miles at a moderate pace
- Day #5: run 3 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 90 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
Week 2
For Beginners:
- Day #1: run 3 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2:
- Run 2 miles at a hard pace and 1 mile at an easy pace, repeat 3 times
- Do hill repeats for 90/60/30 seconds, repeat 2 times
- Day #3: run 4 miles at an easy pace or cross-train for 35 minutes
- Day #4: tempo run 1 mile, then a 2-minute recovery, repeat 3 times
- Day #5: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 50 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
For Intermediates/Advanced:
- Day #1: run 5 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2:
- Run 1 mile at a hard pace and 1 mile at an easy pace, repeat 3 times
- Do hill repeats for 1 minute, repeat 5 times
- Run 30 seconds at a hard pace and 90 seconds at an easy pace, repeat 3 times
- Day #3: run 5 miles at an easy pace
- Day #4: tempo run 1 mile, then a 1-minute recovery, repeat 5 times
- Day #5: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 90 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
Week 3
For Beginners:
- Day #1: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2:
- Run 2 miles at a hard pace and 1 mile at an easy pace, repeat 3 times
- Do hill repeats for 90/60/30 seconds, repeat 2 times
- Day #3: run 4 miles at an easy pace or cross-train for 30 minutes
- Day #4: tempo run 4 miles
- Day #5: run 3 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 55 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
For Intermediates/Advanced:
- Day #1: run 6 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2:
- Run 2 miles at a hard pace and 1 mile at an easy pace, repeat 3 times
- Do hill repeats for 90/60/30 seconds, repeat 2 times
- Run 2 miles at a hard pace and 1 mile at an easy pace, repeat 3 times
- Day #3: run 6 miles at an easy pace
- Day #4: tempo run 7 miles
- Day #5: run 5 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 100 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
Week 4
For Beginners:
- Day #1: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2:
- Run 3 miles at a hard pace and 90 seconds at an easy pace, repeat 3 times
- Do hill repeats for 45 seconds, repeat 3 times
- Day #3: run 4 miles at an easy pace or cross-train for 35 minutes
- Day #4:
- Tempo run 4 miles
- Run at a hard pace for 330 feet (100 meters) then a 3-minute recovery, repeat 3 times
- Day #5: run 3 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 55 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
For Intermediates/Advanced:
- Day #1: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2:
- Run 3 miles at a hard pace and 90 seconds at an easy pace, repeat 3 times
- Do hill repeats for 45 seconds, repeat 6 times
- Day #3: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #4:
- Tempo run 4 miles
- Run at a hard pace for 330 feet (100 meters) then a 3-minute recovery, repeat 4 times
- Day #5: run 3 miles at an easy pace or rest
- Day #6: long run for 105 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
Week 5
For Beginners:
- Day #1: run 5 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2: run 1/3 mile (600 meters) at 10K pace with equal recovery time, repeat 8 times
- Day #3: run 4 miles at an easy pace or cross-train for 35 minutes
- Day #4: do hill repeats for 3/2/1 minutes, repeat 3 times
- Day #5: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 60 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
For Intermediates/Advanced:
- Day #1: run 6 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2: run 1/3 mile (600 meters) at goal pace with equal recovery time, repeat 12 times
- Day #3: run 6 miles at an easy pace
- Day #4: do hill repeats for 3/2/1 minutes, repeat 3 times
- Day #5: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 90 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
Week 6
For Beginners:
- Day #1: run 5 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2:
- Run 1K at goal pace with 2-minute rest, repeat 4 times
- Run 1/4 mile (400 meters) at 5K pace with 90-second rest, repeat 4 times
- Day #3: run 4 miles at an easy pace or cross-train for 35 minutes
- Day #4:
- Tempo run 2 miles, repeat 2 times with a 3-minute rest
- Run at a hard pace for 500 feet (150 meters) then a 4-minute recovery, repeat 3 times
- Day #5: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 60 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
For Intermediates/Advanced:
- Day #1: run 7 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2:
- Run 1K at 10K + 5 seconds pace with 2-minute rest, repeat 6 times
- Run 1/4 mile (400 meters) at 5K pace with 90-second rest, repeat 8 times
- Day #3: run 6 miles at an easy pace
- Day #4:
- Tempo run 2 miles, repeat 2 times with a 3-minute rest
- Tempo run 1 mile
- Run at a hard pace for 500 feet (150 meters) then a 4-minute recovery, repeat 3 times
- Day #5: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 105 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
Week 7
For Beginners:
- Day #1: run 6 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2: Run 1/2 mile (800 meters) at 5K pace then 1/6 mile (250 meters) faster, repeat 4 times with 1-minute rest after 1/2 and 4-minute rest after 1/6
- Day #3: run 5 miles at an easy pace or cross-train for 40 minutes
- Day #4: tempo run 5 miles
- Day #5: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 65 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
For Intermediates/Advanced:
- Day #1: run 7 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2: Run 1/2 mile (800 meters) at 5K pace then 1/6 mile (250 meters) faster, repeat 6 times with 1-minute rest after 1/2 and 4-minute rest after 1/6
- Day #3: run 6 miles at an easy pace
- Day #4: tempo run 8 miles
- Day #5: run 5 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 105 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
Week 8
For Beginners:
- Day #1: run 6 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2: run for 50 minutes at your preferred pace then 1K at a quick pace
- Day #3: run 5 miles at an easy pace or cross-train for 40 minutes
- Day #4: run 1600/1200/800/400/200 meters, pace 10K/10K/5K/5K/hard, rest 3/2/2/2 minutes
- Day #5: run 6 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 90 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
For Intermediates/Advanced:
- Day #1: run 7 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2: run for 70 minutes at your preferred pace then 1K at a quick pace
- Day #3: run 7 miles at an easy pace
- Day #4: run 3000/1600/1200/800/400/200 meters, pace tempo + 15 seconds then gradually faster, rest 4/3/2/2/2/2 minutes, repeat 2 times
- Day #5: run 6 miles at an easy pace
- Day #6: long run for 90 minutes
- Day #7: rest/cross-train
Week 9
For Beginners:
- Day #1: run 5 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2: tempo run 3 miles with 4-minute recovery
- Day #3: run 4 miles at an easy pace
- Day #4: run 1/4 mile (400 meters) at goal pace with 1-minute rest, repeat 6 times
- Day #5: run 3 miles easy or rest
- Day #6: run 3 miles easy or rest
- Day #7: race day!
For Intermediates/Advanced:
- Day #1: run 5 miles at an easy pace
- Day #2:
- Tempo run 3 miles with 4-minute recovery
- Run 1/8 mile (200 meters) at 5K pace then 1/8 mile (200 meters) at an easy pace, repeat 6 times
- Day #3: run 5 miles at an easy pace
- Day #4:
- Run 1/4 mile (400 meters) at goal pace with 1-minute rest, repeat 6 times
- Run at a hard pace for 500 feet (150 meters) then walk back for recovery, repeat 4 times
- Day #5: run 4 miles easy or rest
- Day #6: run 3 miles easy or rest
- Day #7: race day!
Is 10K Training Good Half Marathon Training?
Yes, 10K training is a great way to introduce your body to a half marathon training plan.
Although the 10K distance is around 6.2 miles and half marathons are about 13.1 miles, a 10K training plan can help runners achieve a proper level of physical fitness to meet the demands of running a half marathon.
Final Thoughts On How To Prepare For A 10k In 9 Weeks
There you have it, a guide on how to prepare for a 10K race in 9 weeks. While it typically takes 10 to 12 weeks to train for a 10K race, the exact period varies depending on the runner’s fitness level and workout volume.
As such, 9 weeks can be plenty of time to prepare for a 10K race if you’re an intermediate or advanced runner. 63 days of 10K training can even be enough to get a beginner runner to reach the finish line in decent time.