Why run 10k

A 10K gives you enough time to get into the zone, enjoy it, then come out of it feeling refreshed. We have a number of charities doing great things across the UK and in Wales, so why not get involved and make your 10K miles matter that little bit more.

A 10K is often a big step up for our runners. They might be frequent parkrunners or casual trainers, so taking part in a competitive 10K is the necessary step up they need to progress their fitness and work towards the next goal. Regardless of your job or family commitments, there is always time in the week to train for a 10K. All that without taking on the full Michael Clarke is an online video editor for Active. Share this article. Are you sure you want to delete this family member?

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Great merchants! Great products! Great value! Respect the distance and prepare yourself mentally for being physically uncomfortable for a significant portion of the race. Many experienced runners will have a time goal for a 10K race. In order to run that time in the race, you need to practice the pace in training.

Experienced runners with a solid aerobic base can spend weeks specifically preparing for their 10K with workouts such as short intervals, tempo runs, and 10K pace intervals. You do not want to leave your race in your training. The recovery intervals in between 10K pace intervals allow you to build your fitness without breaking down your body before race day.

Begin with shorter intervals covering miles total and build up to longer intervals covering miles. Running is essentially a prolonged series of single-legged forwards hops. The stronger your glutes and leg muscles are, the faster you can run and the longer you can sustain that fast speed.

Your core and upper body strength matter as well, since your core provides stability and your upper body contributes to good running form. Speedwork does improve your aerobic capacity and running economy, thereby making you a faster runner, but you can only do so much speedwork. Strength training supplements those gains of speedwork by further improving your economy.

A better running economy means more speed — which translates to a faster 10K time. Finally, runners who strength train regularly are less likely to get injured, since strength training fixes muscular imbalances and makes muscles more resistant to the repetitive pounding of running. Read more: How cross-training improves your running. Whether you are running a minute or minute 10K, proper pacing is key to running your best 10K.

Starting out too fast can derail your goals and set you up for a miserable race.