10K training plan, 8 weeks, on Garmin

An 8-week plan, four phases

The plan opens with a base phase (weeks 1 and 2) that builds routine and gently introduces interval work, then a development phase (weeks 3 to 5) that raises the VMA ceiling and threshold endurance.

Next comes the race-specific phase (weeks 6 and 7), focused on race pace, followed by a taper week to arrive fresh and sharp on race day.

Sessions built around your own VMA, not an average

Each week combines two quality sessions, a long run and an easy run. The balance shifts as the plan progresses: more VMA work early on, more 10K pace as race day nears.

• — VMA work, in repeats of 30 seconds to 3 minutes, to push back the aerobic ceiling.
• — Threshold work, in 6-to-10-minute blocks, for the best return on sustained-intensity effort.
• — 10K race pace, in repeats of 1 to 3 km, to get the body used to race rhythm.
• — The long run, building up to 70-75 minutes, with a faster finish late in the plan.

These targets are never fixed: your AI coach converts them into a real pace automatically, from your VMA as measured or declared in the app.

The long run and race day

The long run climbs progressively to 70-75 minutes, with a faster finish in the development phase — building endurance without burning the freshness needed for quality sessions.

On race day, the plan's template session covers the first kilometre slightly under target pace, then target pace to the finish — better to start cautious than pay for it in the last few kilometres.

How to start this 10K plan

You pick your race date and weekly session count, from 3 to 5, on the app's Plan screen. Your AI coach — Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini connected via MCP — then reviews these settings with you, and builds and pushes the sessions to your Garmin watch, week by week.

The plan stays editable at any time: date, variant or stopping it all happen from the same screen. The connection guide explains how to link your AI assistant the first time.

Frequently asked questions