If you joined us for our Couch to 5K, or are simply ready to take your regular walking routine to the next level, this progressive plan can help you graduate from a 5K to a 10K. For this plan, you should already be consistently walking around 7 miles per week.
A 10K is approximately 6.2 miles, and while you won’t have a time requirement to finish, you may want to set a personal time goal for yourself (maintaining a brisk pace means you could likely complete a full 10K in 95–105 minutes).
On average, brisk walking equates to a 15-minute mile — that’s the general range this plan uses (and how we’ve calculated your approximate weekly mileage). You may find you need a little more time to complete a mile (especially in the beginning) and that’s perfectly fine. There’s no speed requirement for the suggested timed walks in this plan, so while you may need to start out at a more gradual pace, you may also want to focus on picking up your pace a little each week (or each walk). Improving your time per mile is a great way to track your progress.
Consider adding a few days of cross-training activities such as strength training (suggested: 5 Strength Exercises All Beginners Should Know) to help you continue to build your fitness and overall strength, all of which can help you reach your 5K goal feeling faster and stronger.
As you work your way through this plan, don’t forget to celebrate your victories each week. Treat yourself to a new audiobook, pair of walking shoes or another reward of your choice for each weekly goal you achieve.
Finally, don’t forget to listen to your body. If you find you need more recovery or rest time during your week, add it in as needed. If the weekly goal is too much for you to take on at the moment, you may choose to shorten your time and/or repeat a week (this plan can be easily stretched into 6–7 weeks). Conversely, if you feel ready for more, extend your walk time in addition to picking up your pace with each session.
However you structure your walk, perform a few, total-body stretches after each walk (such as the ones included here: 5 Stretches to Improve Your Walks) to help reduce stiffness.
10K WALKING PROGRAM
*Perform a few, total-body stretches after your walk (such as the ones included here: 5 Stretches to Improve Your Walks) to help reduce stiffness.
**While these sessions are optional, adding in a few days of cross-training activities such as strength training (suggested: 5 Strength Exercises All Beginners Should Know) can help you continue to build your fitness and overall strength, all of which can help you reach your 5K goal feeling faster and stronger.
Make progress every day while you work on fitness and nutrition goals, like walking more steps. Go to “Plans” in the MyFitnessPal app for daily coaching and easy-to-follow tasks to keep you motivated.
