10 km in 40 mins - in 6 weeks

Experienced 6 weeks 4x/week
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To follow this programme you must have already run the 10 km distance in under 45 minutes.

Ideally, your sessions should be on the Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday to keep your week as balanced as possible.

Each week, you will work on your speed over short distances (3min55 speed),a session at a specific pace (15.3 km/h = 3 mins 55 secs per kilometre) and two endurance sessions.

You need to have Decathlon Coach application to launch this program !

Week 1 - Objective: discovering the paces

On the fast sessions, you must find the pace that you can maintain for all your repetitions.

  • 01. VO2max 12 x 200 metres
  • 02. 1 hour of jogging on hilly terrain
  • 03. 5x 1 km at a specific pace
  • 04. 1 hour of jogging on flat terrain

Week 2 - Distances are gradually increased.

If you cannot maintain the required running pace, you must fall back to the "running the 10 km distance in 45 minutes" programme.

  • 05. VO2max 12 x 300 metres
  • 06. 1 hour of jogging on hilly terrain
  • 07. 3x 1.5 km at a specific pace
  • 08. 1 hour 15 minutes of jogging on flat terrain

Week 3 - Objective: 6 kilometres at the race pace

If the required paces seem too easy, you can always choose a more ambitious programme.
You can also stick to this programme by adapting the sessions to the specific pace, at your convenience.

  • 09. VO2max 10 x 400 metres
  • 10. 1 hour 15 minutes of jogging on hilly terrain
  • 11. 3x 2 km at a specific pace
  • 12. 1 hour 15 minutes of jogging on flat terrain

Week 4 - we speed up the intensity of the training schedule!

Given the sequence of sessions and efforts made, a little fatigue may set in.

Take care of yourself, change into some dry clothes after running, follow our nutritional advice, maintain a healthy lifestyle and everything will be fine!

  • 13. VO2max 8 x 500 metres
  • 14. 1 hour 15 minutes of jogging on hilly terrain
  • 15. 2x 3 km at a specific pace
  • 16. 1h30 jog on flat terrain

Week 5 - Objective: work on the specific pace

Having nearly arrived at your objective, make the most of this week to test the equipment you will use on the day of the race and your nutrition.

  • 17. 4 x 1 km specific pace
  • 18. 1 hour of jogging on flat terrain
  • 19. 3 + 2 + 1 km at a specific pace
  • 20. 1 hour of jogging on flat terrain

Week 6 - Objective: 10 kilometres in 40 minutes!

The workload drops so that you feel fresh for the start of the race.

This is why there will be no specific session this week, you have to save your energy!

  • 21. VO2max 8 x 200 metres
  • 22. 40min of jogging with 1km race pace
  • 23. 20 minutes of jogging + 5 accelerations
  • 24. warming up for the day of the race

Coach advice

"Running 10 km in 40 minutes is equivalent to running at 15 km/h. If you have already run the 10 km distance in less than 45 minutes, the target is achievable with a disciplined preparation."
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