What is a good 10k time for a beginner?

Running a 10k no matter what the time is an achievement on its own. No matter your running experience, a 10k is always a challenge as it requires speed and endurance. However, this blog will shed the light on the average finishing times of 10Ks as well as how to go about training for your upcoming 10k race. 

You may be wishing to do a 10k because there are some incredible 10k races which you would like to participate in or you may want to improve your endurance. A 10k very often requires more training which will improve our fitness and it is so useful when looking to run a half marathon or even marathon further down the line. 

If you are running your first 10k, focus on building your mileage up to a 10k and reaching the finish line and less on the pace. Once you have completed your first 10k, you can aim on running your next 10k faster. Are you looking to go from 5k to 10k? If so, check our recent blog about how to go from 5k to 10k for some great tips. 

10,000m times

The fastest 10,000 Metres on track is Letesenbet Gidey (ETH) with a time of 29:01 and Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) running the fastest 10k road race at  29:14. For the men, the fastest 10,000 Metres on track is Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) with a time of 26:11 and Rhonex Kipruto (KEN) running the fastest 10k road race at 26:24. These times may be a tad fast for us at the moment, especially if this is your first 10km!

A 2019 study shows the average 10km finish time for males was 58:30 (average pace of 5:51min/km) and 01:09:40 for females (average pace of 6:58min/km). Therefore a good 10k time for beginner runners is anywhere around 1 hour  - 1 hour 20. However, just achieving the distance deserves much celebration alone! 

For more details on average times depending on age and gender visit Running Level.

Your 10k Training Plan

Do you want some great news? You can train for your 10k with Coopah, your digital run coach! We can instantly create a personalised running plan which is specific to you and your goal! Just a few things to think about before we create a 10k training plan with you. 

What time to aim for?

Aim for around 1 hour 10 minutes if this is your first 10k. If in training you are smashing all your sessions with ease then you can always update to a faster goal time.

Have you already done a 10k? Brilliant, then aim for a faster time than that! Could you run 10,000m in 30 seconds faster? 1 minute? How about 2 minutes? Make sure it is challenging for you yet realistic.

How long to train for your 10k? 

Have you got a 10k race in mind? Are you looking to achieve this distance before a certain date? 

Depending on your current level of fitness, running experience and effort required to achieve your target goal, the training requirements will differ in terms of length of training required and focus on sessions. 

For example, if this is your first 10k, you will be focusing more on building up your mileage and less focused on running speed. Therefore your plan will focus mainly on your long runs and weekly mileage. Do not worry too much about keeping to the running pace, but try and make sure you are running the distance of each session. This enables your body to adapt to the gradual increase in running distance. You will still have tempo runs and interval runs within your beginner 10k plan with the aim to improve your fitness, which will improve your speed and therefore make your 10k goal pace feel easier. 

However, if you have run a 10k before and you are looking to run an even faster 10k you will be focusing on running at a faster pace for longer periods of time. If this is your goal, then the tempo sessions and interval sessions will play an important part in your 10k training plan, don’t worry Coopah will provide you with these sessions as well as the pace you need to be at. But remember the long runs are also important to ensure your body is ready.

We recommend all runners to train for at least 10 - 14 weeks. The more challenging your goal seems, the more weeks your body will need to prepare. If this is your next 10k, then aim for around 14 weeks of training before your 10k event, this will allow you to slowly increase your weekly mileage.

For more, head to our recent blog How Long Does It Take To Train For A 10k?

Starting Your 10k Training PlaN

Once you have your goal and end date in mind, you are ready to start training!! And this is the easiest bit! You just need to download and sign up to Coopah!

After that Coopah will take you through a few questions to ensure we are providing you a training plan which is specific to you and your needs and wants! 

Your 10k training plan will include all you need to achieve your 10k goal, including Easy Run, an Interval Run, a Tempo Session and a Long Run as well as Yoga classes and Strength and Conditioning workouts. As well as a fantastic community to cheer you through your journey!

Check out Coopah today!

If you have any questions on training for your 10k, feel free to contact us at run@coopah.com.

The Coopah app is supported on both Android and iOS devices.

You can download the Coopah app for Android devices from the Google Play Store. Users of iOS devices can find it in the App Store.