What Is a Good Time for a 10k?

A 10k is one of the most exciting yet challenging kinds of race. If you have taken part in a few 10K’s, but feel that your race time is not improving significantly, it can be frustrating. The good news is that there are several things you can do to shift the dial.

Let’s learn more about 10K race times, and ways you can improve your personal best.

What is a good time for a 10K?

As a very general rule, a good time for a 10K is considered to be anything less than 50 minutes. But this comes with a big caveat - since everyone’s age, gender, experience, genetics (and even things like the weather) come into play here. So, a ‘good’ 10K time for one person would be very different to someone else’s.

What is the average time for a 10K?

In the UK, the average time for running a 10K a is 58 minutes, according to RunRepeat’s 2019 survey. But it is also important to break down average 10K times by age and gender since these factors significantly influence race time.

The following table, created using data from RunRepeat’s survey, shows average 10K times by age and gender from around the world.

What is the world record for a 10K?

Here are the current men's and women's 10K world record holders as published on the World Athletics website.

• Men: 26:24 – Rhonex Kipruto of Kenya, 12th Jan 2020
• Women: 29:14 – Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia, 27th Feb 2022

How to improve your 10K time

If you keep racing 10Ks, but can't seem to beat your personal best, the following nine tips can help improve your time.

1. Know your race pace

Your race pace is simply the speed at which you run one kilometre during a race. Once you know your race pace, you can then figure out ways to improve that time.

To work out your race pace, you can use an online calculator (such as this one) to figure out your speed per kilometre/mile. Or, to do it by yourself, follow this formula:

Pace = time (in seconds) / distance (km)

Say you ran your last 10k in 50 minutes – that means you would have completed the race in 3,000 seconds. To calculate your race pace:

3000 / 10 = 300 seconds per km

You’d then divide that total by 60 to work out your pace per minute (in this case, 5 mins per km).

You might also want to try our RunKeeper app to accurately track all of your race times and work out your total average race pace.

2. Gradually increase your running distance

There is only really one way to improve your 10K time, and that is to increase the amount you run. Try to gradually increase the distance covered during your training sessions by about 10% to 20% each week.

3. Perform threshold runs

A threshold run (also called a tempo run) is a specific kind of training where you run at just below your race pace for a sustained period of time. The goal of a threshold run is to make your body more efficient at clearing lactate, which is a chemical produced in your muscles when you exercise.

The more that you run at this pace, the faster your body gets at clearing lactate and this means that you will be able to sustain higher speeds during your race. Read our blog about threshold runs to learn more.

4. Do speed training

Another way to increase your overall running speed in a 10K is to perform various speed training exercises. Here are a couple of popular running exercises to increase speed:

• Interval training: With interval training, you run at high speeds for a specific amount of time before taking a short break then repeating. Doing this will help you to build up your overall speed.
• Fartlek training: With fartlek training, you perform unstructured speed intervals. When out running, you might begin jogging at a regular pace, then choose a target to race to - such as a tree in the distance – then sprint towards it. Once you’ve got there, you slow down, before sprinting to the next target.

5. Build in strength training

Having the power to keep pushing yourself to run faster, especially at the end of a 10K race, requires a lot from your muscles. So, by doing strength training, you will increase their resilience. There are various kinds of strength training that runners can do:

• Lunges - with your body weight or dumbbells
• Squats - again using either body weight or dumbbells
• Step ups - using an exercise box, a bench or simply some steps
• Don’t forget to perform upper body weight training (push ups, planks, pulling exercises) as you also use this part of your body when running fast

Read our strength training guide for runners to learn more.

6. Think about your diet

Diet can play a significant factor in your 10K running performance. In the days before your next race, you should consider carb loading, which is when a larger proportion of your regular diet comes from carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, potatoes or bread. These carbohydrates are turned into glycogen, which is a source of energy stored in your muscles. By doing some carb loading, you'll give your muscles more energy on race day.

7. Think about your shoes

Your running shoes can play a significant role in your overall speed during races. If you regularly compete in 5K and 10K races, then it's worth investing in a pair of fast running shoes. These trainers tend to have a lower profile, are especially lightweight, are less ‘bouncy’ and have a more aggressive structure. This allows you to push off harder and faster.

We have designed several fast running shoes that are specifically targeted for speed work such as the MAGIC SPEED™, METASPEED™, and NOVABLAST™ ranges.

8. Do one long weekly run

By completing one long weekly run (15K or more), you will build your overall stamina for your 10K races. These longer runs can be relatively leisurely and you don’t need to focus on speed. This will make completing a 10K at pace feel less arduous.

9. Choose your races and study the course

If you are keen to improve your 10K race time, then you might also want to choose so-called fast routes to race on. Certain races allow you to pick up more speed thanks to flatter surfaces or even gentle downhill sections. There are also several tactics you can follow to shave off the seconds on your 10K, by studying the route and running the tangents (sticking to the inside curve on road bends).

By taking a fresh approach to training, wearing the right shoes and clothing, and eating well, you can expect to improve your 10K times, and set a new PB. Good luck!