How to break 30:00 for 10 km? What does it take training wise?

Run at a 20km/h for 30 mins

I was running 80-90 mpw with a taper when I broke 30. Either three workouts/week or 2 and a race. Make sure you pick a race with good weather and a solid pack to pull you along.

The key to breaking 30 is going to be your workouts. I'd think unless you are real talented, you want to run 100 mpw minimum. Your important workouts are going to be 1) intervals you need to do 12x1000 under 3 min with just a lap jog recovery, 2)45-50 min tempos at half pace 3) sets of 2-4 of 10-15 mins at 10k pace with just a 2-3 min jog between, 4) a progressive long run of 18-22 miles each week.

1 will be most important

Talent and hard work.

simply true

100 MPW minimum

Once a week a tempo run, progressive run or a fartlek.

Once a week some kind of longer intervals such as 5-6 x mile, 8-10 x 800, 12 x 1000, 10 x 1200m, 4-6 x 2000 or even 3-4 x 3000m

Some strides and short hill sprints for turnover.

As Malmo has pointed long runs are necessary for 10k runners. For example, Carlos Lopes and Steve Jones almost never ran more than 90 minutes. And both of them ran pretty descent 10ks.

It all depends on your talent level. I am coaching a guy who just broke 30:00 a week ago during his marathon training cycle. His workouts the 8 weeks leading into his 10k are below. Cruise intervals are done at tempo pace. He was around 100 miles per week most of that time. Race conditions were good, but warm. Were we focused on the 10k instead of the marathon, his long runs would not have exceeded 18, and could have been as low as 16 at times. We also would have foregone some of the really long run workouts with tempo portions both early and late in the workout. Note the consistent vo2max work, but also note the manageable volume. Also note the lack of any real work at 10k specific pace.

- 3 mile warm up; 4 x 2 mile cruise intervals w/2:00 rest; 3 down

- 2 mi up; 4 x 1 mile at tempo pace w/1:00 rest; 8-10 miles easy; 4 x mile at tempo pace w/1:00 rest; 2 miles down

- 2 mi up; 3 mi tempo; 3:00 rest; 3 mi tempo; 3:00 rest; 2 mi tempo; 2 mi cool down

- 5 x 1200 @ 5k race pace with 3:00 jog

- 22 mile long run - runner's option: miles 14, 15, 16 and 17 at M pace

- 8 x 1 mile cruise intervals w/1:00 rest

- Half Marathon Race

- 2 mi up; 4 x 2 mile at tempo pace with 2:00 rest; 2 mi down

- 20 moderate

- 3 miles; 2 miles; 1 mile (3:00/2:00 rest)

- 13 at marathon pace

- 6-8 X 1000 at 5k race pace with 2:30 active rest

- 2 mi up; 2 x 2 mile at tempo pace w/2:00 rest; 10 miles easy; 15- 20 minute tempo effort; 2 miles down

- 3 miles easy; 3 mile tempo; 3 miles easy; 3 miles tempo; 2 miles down

5k Race

5 miles easy; 3 miles tempo; 5 miles easy; 3 miles tempo; 2 miles easy

10k Race

You can't train your way to "x" time, it doesn't work that way. Your current race results indicate your potential future results. If you have run around a 30:30 10k or a 14:30 5k then you have the potential to go sub 30. If you ran those times then you need to go back and look at the training you did then and see what worked, what was missing and where you can improve. If you're still at 31 minutes or slower then you need to set a more realistic goal. There is no magic formula, I have seen guys go sub 30 on 70 MPW and guys not do it on 100 MPW. For most it's a steady diet of 80-90 MPW, hills, steady runs and season after season of competitive racing, usually cross country in the fall and track in the spring. Best way to improve is to find a group with a coach that will point you in the right direction.

Wise words indeed! You are right that one must start from the shape you have for the day. Not a goalpace! I did 29:51 on just 50-55 miles per week , and I was not very talented. A weekly schedule to run sub 30 can look like this:

mo: 6-8 miles 6: 30 mile pace

tu: 20 x 400m at 68-69 sec , rec= walk easy down to 120 bpm

we: 6-8 miles 6:30 mile pace

th: 6-8 miles 6:30 mile pace

fr: 6-8 x 1600m at 5 min , rec= walk easy down to 120 bpm

sa: 10-15 miles at 6:30 mile pace

su: RESTDAY , do something else you like to do.

I promise, it works every time. Make it simple and individual exact. Low mileage 52 mpw at most, but always deliver the goal time. Of course it`s not magic , but it looks to be magically ! Good luck!

- The superior coach -

I had to run over 100mpw....ran sub 30-min on the track 3 times in college (my 5km PR was only 14:29).

10 x 1km at 2:58 with a 1-min jog

5 x 1600m at 4:45 with a 3-min jog

were staples.

6-8 mile "Uptempo" Runs starting at 5:30 and ending at 4:50.

Also 16-20 x 400m at 70-68 w/1-min rest.

Finally we had some threshold stuff like 2x 2km at 5:50-5:40 with a 6-min rest between + 1600m at 4:40.

or 20-min Tempo at 5:10-5:00 pace, followed by 2 x 1600m at 4:50-4:35.

Arturo barrios wrote:

Please discuss

Ty

Well if breaking 30 minutes for 10k everyone would do it!

In my shortened running career I broke 30 minutes on the roads in,Tennessee, South Carolina, Penn Relays, and in Australia. So many paths indeed.

The training required is nothing complex but each time I was doing more or less of the same except the last time I broke 30 minutes in Australia I was running only 70-75 miles per week with cycling as cross training as I was struggling with an injury that would later end my running.

Now as an Athletics coach I use what I learned back in the day in coaching my large group of athletes.

To break 30 minutes you need a good training background of 4-6 months.

Base phase would look something like this:

Monday AM 5 miles PM 7-9 miles

Tuesday AM 5 miles PM 8x1 min hill then 3 miles threshold in 15:10

Wednesday AM 12 miles

Thursday AM 5 miles PM 8x1k on grass with 90 seconds rest

Friday AM 5 miles

Saturday AM Hilly 11k circuit surging hills PM 5 miles easy

Sunday 15-18 miles

3-4 weeks out from breaking 30 minutes

Monday AM 5 miles PM 5 miles + 6x100m strides

Tuesday AM 5 miles PM 4x 1600m run as 400s at 66-68 with 200m float in 40 seconds repeat 2 minutes btw efforts

Wednesday AM 5 miles PM 8 miles

Thursday AM 5 miles PM 2x10x 200 at 30-32 with 30 seconds rest

Friday AM

Saturday AM 10k threshold run as 3 miles 14:45 1 mile 6:00 2 miles 9:30 1 lap easy (my best doing this session was 31:08)

Sunday AM 15 miles

Oh yea Barrios became a US citizen in 1992 the night before he ran US National Road 10k in East Tennessee. I was seeded 47th and finished 11th.....bummer to have missed top 10 but he is a friend of the family and a good guy.

Good luck on your goal!

To break 30 min in 10k, you have to be a white republican Let’s runner who rights in this forum- they all break 30 minuets for 10k

Hgfgh wrote:

To break 30 min in 10k, you have to be a white republican Let’s runner who rights in this forum- they all break 30 minuets for 10k

They are also extremely talented. They do it casually with no more than 50 miles per week. Actually they could be WR holders, but they already have good jobs with 300-500k dollars

Ddddddd wrote:

Hgfgh wrote:

To break 30 min in 10k, you have to be a white republican Let’s runner who rights in this forum- they all break 30 minuets for 10k

They are also extremely talented. They do it casually with no more than 50 miles per week. Actually they could be WR holders, but they already have good jobs with 300-500k dollars

Sorry mate but I was a struggling American just out of uni and chasing every dollar! Thursday Penn Relays Sunday George Washington 15k just for $500.

Not sure of your political overtones but comical to say the least. You are right about being talented. Most don't have it and that may pertain to you. It really isn't a big deal to break 30 other than the fact that a small percentage of the world can do it.

Cheers!

Some nice advices training-wise in this thread.

Unfortunately not everyone can follow a plan and run sub 30. To be more specific, not everyone can be good enough to train consistently at the suggested training paces. Neither 100 mpw alone can't get you there.

You need a fair amount of talent.