Goal time · 10K
A 40:00 10K works out to 6:26 per mile, or 4:00 per kilometer. Below are the mile splits for a slightly faster second half, the halfway time to aim for, and the training paces that go with this goal.
The numbers
This plan starts about 1% slower than goal pace and finishes about 1% faster, so the second half is slightly quicker than the first. The elapsed column is what your watch should read as you pass each marker.
| Mile | Pace for That Mile | Elapsed Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6:30 | 6:30 |
| 2 | 6:29 | 12:59 |
| 3 | 6:27 | 19:26 |
| Halfway (3.1) | 6:26 | 20:07 |
| 4 | 6:26 | 25:52 |
| 5 | 6:24 | 32:16 |
| 6 | 6:23 | 38:38 |
| Finish (6.2) | 6:22 | 40:00 |
Measured against the latest published results of 1,767 10K races on RunSesh.
One edition per race, from RunSignup races with published results. Fields include walkers and charity entrants, so this describes these races, not every runner in the country.
These are the paces for a runner who can already race a 40:00 10K, worked out with Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas, the method behind the training tables in Daniels' Running Formula. If your most recent race is slower, train at the paces on the page for that time.
Most of your weekly miles, including the long run.
Steady longer runs at the pace this fitness would hold for a marathon.
A steady run of about 20 minutes, or longer repeats with short rests.
Repeats of 3 to 5 minutes, with easy jogs between.
Abbiss and Laursen's 2008 review in Sports Medicine found that during prolonged events over two minutes, performance times may be improved when athletes distribute their pace more evenly. The practical takeaway is to treat the halfway marker as your main checkpoint: if you arrive there feeling controlled rather than spent, you give yourself room to press the second half slightly faster and keep the overall effort close to even.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 1:28:33 half marathon as an equivalent performance to a 40:00 10K. If your recent half marathon is close to that time, the goal reflects your current fitness. The RRCA pace chart developed by Amby Burfoot puts it plainly: "don't begin with a future goal time."
The same RRCA chart notes that a 5K is a better predictor of a 10K than a marathon, so a recent 5K gives you a sharper cross-check than a longer race result.
USATF certifies courses along the shortest possible route, with a prevention factor built in to guard against a short course. A runner who drifts from that ideal line covers more ground than the stated distance. That extra distance means a GPS watch can display a faster average pace than what the course itself actually measured.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas place a 19:18 5K as the equivalent of a 40:00 10K. If you've run a recent 5K, compare it to that time to see whether your current fitness aligns with the goal or whether the 10K target needs adjusting.
