Goal time · 10K
A 45:00 10K works out to 7:15 per mile, or 4:30 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 | 7:19 | 7:19 |
| 2 | 7:17 | 14:36 |
| 3 | 7:16 | 21:52 |
| Halfway (3.1) | 7:15 | 22:38 |
| 4 | 7:14 | 29:06 |
| 5 | 7:12 | 36:18 |
| 6 | 7:11 | 43:28 |
| Finish (6.2) | 7:09 | 45:00 |
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 45:00 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 distributing pace more evenly across prolonged events lasting over two minutes may improve performance times. The review does not single out negative splits. A slightly faster second half works here mainly as a discipline on the first: when you commit to finishing a touch quicker, you resist going out hard. Use the halfway marker as your primary checkpoint to confirm your effort has stayed controlled.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 1:39:44 half marathon as an equivalent performance to a 45:00 10K. If you have a recent half marathon result near that time, your fitness lines up with this goal.
The RRCA pace chart developed by Amby Burfoot is direct on this point: "don't begin with a future goal time." The chart also notes that "A 5k is a better predictor of a 10k than a marathon," so a recent 5K gives you a sharper read on where you stand today.
USATF certifies courses by measuring along the shortest possible route, with a prevention factor that guards against a short course. A runner who drifts wide through turns or weaves around crowds covers more ground than that measured line, so a watch can display a faster average pace than the course actually demanded.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas place a 21:42 5K as the equivalent of a 45:00 10K. If your most recent 5K sits close to that time, it serves as a reasonable fitness check on whether the 10K goal reflects your current shape rather than a future one.
