Training Plan · 13 Weeks

Get to the start line in PB shape.

– days untilRace Day Sun 13 Sep 2026
Today: –

<53:31

Beat your lifetime PB

Realistic · primary

<52:00

~5:11/km

Stretch goal

<50:00

5:00/km · the dream

Outer edge

Sessions ticked off 0 / 0 · 0%

Pace key

Label	Pace (min/km)	Feel
Easy (E)	6:00–6:30	Full conversation, no strain
Long (L)	6:00–6:15	Easy but purposeful
Tempo (T)	5:30 → 5:05	"Comfortably hard" — a few words only
Intervals (I)	4:45–5:00	Hard but repeatable
Goal pace (GP)	5:00	The sub-50 pace
Strides	~20s fast	Smooth and relaxed, not a sprint

WU = warm-up · CD = cool-down (easy jogging).

Session types explained

Easy / long run — relaxed, conversational running. Builds your endurance engine and makes up most of your running.
Tempo — a sustained, comfortably-hard effort held continuously. You can say a few words but not chat — roughly the pace you could hold for 45–60 min. Raises the pace you can sustain before fading. Run it controlled-hard, not desperate.
Intervals — repeated short, fast efforts with easy recovery jogs. "5 × 600m @ 4:55 (90s jog)" = run 600m fast, jog slowly 90s, repeat five times. Keep the recovery genuinely slow so each rep stays sharp.
Strides — short ~20s relaxed accelerations with full recovery, at the end of some easy runs. Not a sprint: build smoothly to ~85–90%, stay loose, ease down. They sharpen leg speed without tiring you.

Flexibility rules

The two anchor runs come first. If you can only run once: in the build phase (Weeks 1–8) do the long run; in the sharpen phase (Weeks 10–13) do the quality run.
Missed a session? Don't cram it. Pick the plan back up; never two hard runs back-to-back.
Missed a whole week? On return, repeat the previous week rather than jumping ahead.
A niggle is a stop sign. Swap for an easy bike or rest. You're injury-free — keep it that way.

Phase 1

Rebuild the engine

Weeks 1–3. Gentle on purpose — seven weeks off detrains you. If any run feels rough, run/walk it. No ego.

Week 01 Easy restart 15–21 Jun 0/3

Tue 16 JunRun — 4km easyJust get moving (E).
Thu 18 JunBike — 30 min easyOptional. Steady, conversational spin.
Sat 20 JunRun — 5km easy(E)

Week 02 Easy + strides 22–28 Jun 0/3

Tue 23 JunRun — 5km easy + 4 × 20s stridesStrides at the very end, full recovery between.
Thu 25 JunBike — 40 min easyOptional, or a 4km easy run.
Sat 27 JunRun — 6km easy/steady(E–L)

Week 03 First taste of tempo 29 Jun–5 Jul 0/3

Tue 30 JunTempo — 2km @ 5:301.5km easy · 2km tempo · 1.5km easy (5km total).
Thu 2 JulBike — 40 min easyOptional.
Sat 4 JulRun — 7km easy(L)

Phase 2

Build

Weeks 4–8. Add speed and stretch the long run, then a cut-back into your break.

Week 04 Intervals in 6–12 Jul 0/3

Tue 7 JulIntervals — 5 × 600m @ 4:551.5km WU · 90s jog recovery · 1km CD.
Thu 9 JulBike — 45 min easyOptional, or a 4km easy run.
Sat 11 JulRun — 8km easy(L)

Week 05 Tempo lengthens 13–19 Jul 0/3

Tue 14 JulTempo — 3km @ 5:201.5km WU · 1km CD.
Thu 16 JulBike — 45 min easyOptional.
Sat 18 JulRun — 9km easy(L)

Week 06 First 10k 20–26 Jul 0/3

Tue 21 JulIntervals — 4 × 800m @ 4:551.5km WU · 90s jog recovery · 1km CD.
Thu 23 JulBike — 50 min easyOptional.
Sat 25 JulRun — 10km easyYour first 10k of the block. Finishing relaxed is the win.

Week 07 Goal pace appears 27 Jul–2 Aug 0/3

Tue 28 JulTempo — 4km @ 5:151.5km WU · 1km CD.
Thu 30 JulBike — 45 min easyOptional.
Sat 1 AugRun — 9km, last 2km @ 5:00Goal pace when slightly tired.

Week 08 Cut-back before the break 3–7 Aug 0/2

Tue 4 AugRun — 5km easy + 4 × 20s stridesKeep it light — you're away from Sat 8th.
Fri 7 AugRun — 6km steady(E–L). Last session before the break.

The Break · Week 9 · 8–16 Aug

Complete rest — this is planned, not lost fitness.

A week off after a seven-week build lets your body absorb the work and come back stronger. Enjoy it guilt-free. One very easy 30-min walk or spin while away is optional — nothing more.

Phase 3

Sharpen

Weeks 10–12. Back from the break — expect the first run to feel sluggish; that's rust, not lost form, and it clears in days.

Week 10 Re-entry 17–23 Aug 0/3

Tue 18 AugRun — 5km easy + 4 × 20s stridesShake off the rust. Don't go hard yet.
Thu 20 AugBike — 40 min easyOptional.
Sat 22 AugRun — 7km easy/steady(L)

Week 11 Biggest quality week 24–30 Aug 0/3

Tue 25 AugIntervals — 5 × 800m @ 4:50–4:551.5km WU · 90s jog recovery · 1km CD.
Thu 27 AugBike — 45 min easyOptional.
Sat 29 AugRun — 10km, 3km @ 5:00 in middleGoal pace sandwiched in an easy run.

Week 12 Dress rehearsal ★ 31 Aug–6 Sep 0/3

Tue 1 SepRace-pace tempo — 5km @ 5:00 ★The decision session — this tells you your race-day target. 1.5km WU · 1km CD.
Thu 3 SepBike — 30–40 min very easyOptional, keep it light.
Sat 5 SepRun — 8km easy, relaxed(L)

Phase 4

Taper & race

Week 13. Less volume, sharp legs, arrive fresh. Don't "test" your fitness — the work is already done.

Week 13 Taper to the line 7–13 Sep 0/4

Tue 8 SepSharpener — 4 × 400m @ 5:00+Full recovery between. 1km WU · 1km CD. Keeps legs snappy, low fatigue.
Thu 10 SepRun — 4km easy + 4 × 20s stridesSkip if legs feel heavy.
Sat 12 SepShakeout — 15–20 min very easyOptional, just to stay loose. Otherwise rest.
Sun 13 SepRACE DAY — 10kmGo and get that PB. Pacing plan below.

Race day

Pick your target from the Tue 1 Sep session, then pace it.

Decide from the 5km @ 5:00 rehearsal

Felt controlled, could've held it longer → back yourself for sub-50. Start 5:00–5:05/km.

Hard but doable → aim for a strong PB. Start ~5:10–5:15/km (~52 min, still well inside 53:31).

A real grind → target a PB at ~5:18–5:20/km (~53:00) and enjoy beating a 19-year-old record.

Pacing strategy

Start controlled. First 2km about 5s/km slower than goal. You'll feel like you're holding back. Good.
Settle into goal pace for the middle 5–6km.
From 7km, assess. Feeling strong? Start lifting. Aim to run the back half no slower than the front — a slight negative split is the mark of a well-judged race.