10K pace: how to find it and train for it
10K pace is the speed you can hold for a full 10K race: for most runners, between 90 and 93% of their MAS (maximal aerobic speed), a little faster than threshold pace. Here is how to work it out from a goal time or from your MAS, the sessions that build it over 8 weeks, and how your Garmin watch helps you hold it with Running Workout.
Last updated: 2026-10-09
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What is 10K pace?
10K pace is the average pace you aim for on race day, expressed in minutes per mile. It sits just above threshold: in Running Workout's plans, threshold is run at 85–88% of MAS, 10K pace at 90 to 93%, and short intervals at 100% and above.
It is an uncomfortable but controlled pace: you are breathing hard from the first mile, without it being a sprint. Working on 10K pace does three things: it teaches you to recognise the rhythm without looking at your watch, to avoid going out too fast, and to hold it when your legs tighten in the final miles.
Try it with your own Garmin
Free, nothing to install: connect your Garmin, then ask Claude or ChatGPT for your first workout. It lands on your watch within a minute.
How do you find your 10K pace?
The most direct method starts from your goal time: divide it by 6.21 miles. A 50-minute goal gives 8:03 per mile, a 45-minute goal gives 7:15. The table shows the most common benchmarks.
| Goal | Average pace | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 40 min | 6:26 /mi | 9.3 mph |
| 45 min | 7:15 /mi | 8.3 mph |
| 50 min | 8:03 /mi | 7.5 mph |
| 55 min | 8:51 /mi | 6.8 mph |
| 1:00:00 | 9:39 /mi | 6.2 mph |
The goal still has to be realistic. Your MAS is the second reference point: a time that requires more than 93% of your MAS over 10K is very ambitious. To break 45 minutes, for example, you need a MAS of roughly 9.0 to 9.3 mph. Without a goal time, start from the share of MAS that matches your level, as in the next table.
10K pace by MAS
Without a goal time, Running Workout's 10K plan sets race pace from your MAS: 93% below 8.7 mph, 91% from 8.7 to 10.6 mph, 90% from 10.6 mph upwards. Unlike the marathon, the percentage drops slightly as MAS rises.
| MAS | % MAS | 10K pace | Matching time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 mph | 93% | 8:39 /mi | ≈ 53:45 |
| 8.7 mph | 91% | 7:35 /mi | ≈ 47:05 |
| 9.9 mph | 91% | 6:38 /mi | ≈ 41:15 |
| 11.2 mph | 90% | 5:58 /mi | ≈ 37:00 |
These times assume a full build-up, with regular intervals and long runs. Running Workout's pace calculator also gives your 10K pace for any MAS, and works the other way round too, estimating your MAS from a recent 10K time.
The sessions that build 10K pace
10K pace is trained in repeats of 1,000 to 3,000 m that get longer as race day approaches. In Running Workout's 8-week 10K plan, the progression looks like this:
- Week 4: 3 × 1,000 m at 10K pace, 90 seconds of recovery.
- Week 5: 5 × 1,000 m, same recovery.
- Week 6: 3 × 2,000 m, 2 minutes of recovery.
- Week 7: 2 × 3,000 m, 3 minutes of recovery, the longest session at race pace.
- Taper week: 2 × 1,000 m with 2 minutes of recovery, then four strides.
Each session starts with a 15-minute warm-up and four strides and ends with a 10-minute cool-down. Around them, the plan keeps one MAS session a week (30/30 at first, then 1- to 3-minute repeats), threshold work in the first three weeks, a long run that builds up to 75 minutes, and easy runs.
Holding 10K pace with a Garmin watch
With Running Workout, your connected AI assistant (Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini) records your 10K as a goal, with its date and your target time. When the 10K plan starts, the 10K pace steps are adjusted to that time relative to your MAS; without a target time, the percentage based on your MAS applies. Each session lands in Garmin Connect with its pace range, which your watch displays while you run.
Example request: “My goal is a 10K in 48 minutes. Create a session for Thursday: 5 × 1,000 m at my 10K pace with 90 seconds of recovery.”
On race day, the plan includes a dedicated session: the first 1,000 m about 8 seconds per mile slower than goal pace, then goal pace all the way to the finish. After the race, the assistant can read the activity in Garmin Connect and compare your actual pace with the target, lap by lap.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 10K pace and threshold pace?
Threshold pace is run at around 85 to 88% of MAS, 10K pace at 90 to 93%. For a MAS of 9.9 mph, that is about 6:59 per mile at threshold and 6:38 per mile for 10K. Threshold is trained in longer blocks, 10K pace in repeats of 1,000 to 3,000 m.
How many weeks does it take to train 10K pace?
Running Workout's 10K plan lasts 8 weeks: the 10K pace sessions start in week 4, after a base phase. It assumes you already have an endurance base and know your MAS; if you don't, start with a MAS test.
What if 10K pace feels too hard in training?
It is often a sign that the goal is too ambitious for now. Better to revise your target time before the race than during it: ask your assistant to update your goal, and check with a recent test that your MAS is up to date.
Ready to prepare for your 10K?
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