Sample plan

10K training plan for 45:00

Rocío wants a four in front of her 10K.

Rocío is 42 and has run for five years: four days a week, about 20 km, and a 10K in 47:30 a month ago. Ten weeks to the next one, and 45:00 means finding fifteen seconds a kilometre.

Built by Tuin on 8 September 2026
Shown from this week, so it reads like a plan starting today — every weekday, distance and session is exactly as it was written.

The runner is made up. The plan is not: it is exactly what Tuin built from these numbers, through the same door every athlete's first plan goes through. It was written in Spanish — the other two languages are translated word for word, never renumbered, and strength exercises are named from a standard glossary so they read the same everywhere.

Why this plan looks like this

Fifteen seconds a kilometre is a small number that hides where the work is. Rocío already runs four days, so the plan does not add a fifth — it changes what two of the four are, and leaves the other two alone. That is the whole intervention, and it is only obvious once you have seen the eight weeks it was written from.

What the coach was told

Goal
Autumn 10K
Race day
20 December 2026
Distance
10 km
Target
45:00
Runs per week
4
Weekly volume
~20 km
Longest run
10 km
Recent effort
10 km · 47:30
Threshold pace
4:40/km

The eight weeks before

Weekly kilometres the coach read before writing a single session — the runs it built on.

20
20
22
22
15
23
23
21

What the coach said, handing it over

Here's your first plan, designed to get you under 45:00 in the fall 10K on December 20th, in Cruise mode (smooth progression, sustainable). I'm starting from two assumptions: using your recent 47:30 as a reference for your current level (your easy run pace is around 5:45-6:00/km, your current tempo is around 4:45/km) and keeping your 4 running days (Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun) with the long run on Sunday and a quality session on Tuesday. I'm placing strength work on Wednesday, your only non-running day and it doesn't come right after any key days. If you prefer another day for strength work or you run more than what your history shows, let me know and I'll adjust it.

We start tomorrow itself (Wednesday) with strength, and this first week is short because today has already passed. Weeks 2-6 include full details with intervals and paces; from week 7 to 9 they're in summary format (same structure, less text) and race week is fully detailed again, with a threshold session on Tuesday and activators on Saturday before running Sunday. I'm building in a recovery week every 3-4 weeks (weeks 4, 7 and 9) so fatigue doesn't build up.

Your current tempo (4:45/km) gradually drops toward 4:30-4:35/km, which is the pace you'll need to hold in the race. The intervals move between 4:15 and 4:25/km, a bit faster than your target pace, as speed work should be.

One thing that would fine-tune the plan: if you have a recent 5K time or know your threshold pace more precisely, tell me and I'll adjust the paces more accurately.

The plan, week by week

Sixteen weeks is a lot to scroll. Every week is folded — open the ones you want, and week one is open already.

10 weeks · Peak week 5 · 26 km planned

Week 1from 12 Oct4 sessions18 km planned

Get back into rhythm

  • Wed 14
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 · moderate
  • Thu 15
    Easy · 5 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 25–35 min
    Easy run to regain feel, no watch.
  • Sat 17
    Easy · 5 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 25–35 min
    Easy run, conversational pace.
  • Sun 18
    Long · 8 km @ 5:40-5:50/km · 40–50 min
    Long run at comfortable pace, like you've been doing.
Week 2from 19 Oct5 sessions23 km planned

Build base with quality

  • Tue 20
    Progressive run · 6 km · 30–40 min
    Progressive tempo: start easy and build to threshold pace.
  • Wed 21
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 · moderate
  • Thu 22
    Easy · 5 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 25–35 min
    Easy run.
  • Sat 24
    Easy · 4 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 20–30 min
    Easy run, short.
  • Sun 25
    Long · 8 km @ 5:40-5:50/km · 40–50 min
    Long run, same volume as last week.
Week 3from 26 Oct5 sessions24 km planned

First intervals

  • Tue 27
    On/offs · 6 × (1 min / 1 min) · 25–35 min
    First series: 1' hard / 1' easy, don't overdo it.
  • Wed 28
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 · moderate
  • Thu 29
    Easy · 5 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 25–35 min
    Easy run.
  • Sat 31
    Easy · 4 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 20–30 min
    Easy run, short.
  • Sun 1
    Long · 9 km @ 5:40-5:50/km · 45–60 min
    Long run, step it up a bit.
Week 4from 2 Nov4 sessions15 km planned

Recovery week

  • Tue 3
    Easy · 5 × (25s / 1 min) · 25–35 min
    Easy run with 4-6 short progressions at the end, legs feeling fresh.
  • Wed 4
    Strength
    Back squat 3 × 5 · moderate · Bulgarian split squat 2 × 6 per side · moderate · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 2 × 8 · bodyweight · Single-leg glute bridge 2 × 8 · moderate
  • Thu 5
    Easy · 4 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 20–30 min
    Easy run, recovery week.
  • Sun 8
    Long · 7 km @ 5:45-5:55/km · 35–45 min
    Short long run, recovering the legs.
Week 5from 9 Nov5 sessions26 km planned

Back to building

  • Tue 10
    Cruise intervals · 3 × 1.6 km · 40–55 min
    Threshold reps with short jog recovery between.
  • Wed 11
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 · moderate
  • Thu 12
    Easy · 5 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 25–35 min
    Easy run.
  • Sat 14
    Easy · 4 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 20–30 min
    Easy run, short.
  • Sun 15
    Long · 9 km @ 5:40-5:50/km · 45–60 min
    Long run, keep building.
Week 6from 16 Nov5 sessions25 km planned

Last week of full quality

  • Tue 17
    Progressive run · 6 km · 25–35 min
    Longer progressive tempo, approaching race pace.
  • Wed 18
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 8 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 · moderate
  • Thu 19
    Easy · 5 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 25–35 min
    Easy run.
  • Sat 21
    Easy · 4 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 20–30 min
    Easy run, short.
  • Sun 22
    Long · 10 km · 45–60 min
    Long run with the last 3 km at race pace, to get the legs used to it.
Week 7from 23 Nov4 sessions16 km planned

Recovery

  • Tue 24
    Easy · 5 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 25–35 min
    Easy run with short progressions.
  • Wed 25
    Strength
  • Thu 26
    Easy · 4 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 20–30 min
    Easy run.
  • Sun 29
    Long · 7 km @ 5:45-5:55/km · 35–45 min
    Short long run, recovering.
Week 8from 30 Nov5 sessions25 km planned

Peak fitness

  • Tue 1
    On/offs · 6 km · 30–40 min
    1' hard / 1' easy repeats, the hardest session of the block.
  • Wed 2
    Strength
  • Thu 3
    Easy · 5 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 25–35 min
    Easy run.
  • Sat 5
    Easy · 4 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 20–30 min
    Easy run, short.
  • Sun 6
    Long · 10 km · 50–65 min
    Long run, maximum volume of the block.
Week 9from 7 Dec4 sessions17 km planned

Sharpening

  • Tue 8
    Cruise intervals · 5 km · 25–35 min
    Threshold pace repeats, short and controlled.
  • Wed 9
    Strength
  • Thu 10
    Easy · 4 km @ 5:45-6:00/km · 20–30 min
    Easy run, short.
  • Sun 13
    Long · 8 km @ 5:40-5:50/km · 40–50 min
    Long run, starting to reduce volume.
Week 10from 14 Dec4 sessions23 km planned

Race week

  • Tue 15
    On/offs · 5 × (400 m / 400 m) · 30–40 min
    Race sharpener: maintains spark without creating fatigue, very reduced volume.
  • Thu 17
    Easy · 3 km @ 5:50-6:00/km · 15–20 min
    Very easy run, fresh legs for Saturday.
  • Sat 19
    Easy · 5 × (25s / 1 min) · 20–30 min
    Activators: easy run with short progressions at race pace, to arrive with legs switched on.
  • Sun 20
    Race day · 10 km @ 4:30/km · 40–50 min
    Your 10K! Start controlled for the first few kilometres and let the pace settle itself in the second half.
Other plans
10K under 40:00 →10K under 42:00 →10K in 50:00 →10K in 55:00 →5K under 20:00 →5K in 22:00 →5K under 25:00 →5K in 30:00 →Half under 1:30 →Half in 1:45 →Half in 2:00 →Half in 2:10 →Half in 2:15 →First half, 2:30 →Marathon under 3:00 →Marathon in 3:30 →Marathon in 3:45 →Marathon in 4:00 →First marathon, 4:30 →First trail, 25K →Trail marathon, 42K →50K trail →

Yours would look different

Tuin writes every plan from the runs it can actually see and the goal you set — then keeps rewriting it as your weeks happen. The whole of it is free for 7 days.

Start your free week →
10K training plan for 45:00 · Tuin