A quick glance at recent race results confirm that the vast majority of our club runners have a 10k time between 40 and 60 minutes. Further to my previous web-site article (the 100 Steps To Fitness, originally written back in 1993 by Bruce Tulloh) I have spent a little time investigating how the principles under-pinning the targets in that article could be used to provide 50 simple steps by which a 60 minute 10k could be reduced down to 40 minutes.
Thus, a runner currently capable of completing a 10k in around the hour could theoretically achieve a 20-minute improvement over the course of one year by achieving a single step each week.
The table below lists the 50 incremental steps required to reduce a 60 minute 10K, initially down to 50 minutes (steps 1-25) and subsequently down to 40 minutes (steps 26-50). All distances are in kilometres, so make sure you adjust your GPS watches from miles to kilometres before you attempt a step.
Finally, in order to keep track on your progress whilst running, I've included the average pace you should be running to achieve each individual step.
Best of luck!
| Step |
Distance |
Target Time |
Pace |
Step |
Distance |
Target Time |
Pace |
| No |
(kms) |
(mins/secs) |
(min/kms) |
No |
(kms) |
(mins/secs) |
(min/kms) |
| 1 |
7 |
37:30 |
05:21 |
26 |
7 |
30:00 |
04:17 |
| 2 |
7 |
36:40 |
05:14 |
27 |
7 |
29:20 |
04:11 |
| 3 |
8 |
45:00 |
05:37 |
28 |
8 |
36:00 |
04:30 |
| 4 |
8 |
44:10 |
05:31 |
29 |
8 |
35:20 |
04:25 |
| 5 |
4 |
20:00 |
05:00 |
30 |
4 |
16:00 |
04:00 |
| 6 |
8 |
43:20 |
05:25 |
31 |
8 |
34:40 |
04:20 |
| 7 |
8 |
42:30 |
05:18 |
32 |
8 |
34:00 |
04:15 |
| 8 |
5 |
25:00 |
05:00 |
33 |
5 |
20:00 |
04:00 |
| 9 |
9 |
50:00 |
05:33 |
34 |
9 |
40:00 |
04:26 |
| 10 |
10 |
58:20 |
05:50 |
35 |
10 |
46:40 |
04:40 |
| 11 |
9 |
49:10 |
05:27 |
36 |
9 |
39:20 |
04:22 |
| 12 |
8 |
41:40 |
05:12 |
37 |
8 |
33:20 |
04:10 |
| 13 |
9 |
48:20 |
05:22 |
38 |
9 |
38:40 |
04:17 |
| 14 |
6 |
30:00 |
05:00 |
39 |
6 |
24:00 |
04:00 |
| 15 |
9 |
47:30 |
05:16 |
40 |
9 |
38:00 |
04:13 |
| 16 |
10 |
54:10 |
05:25 |
41 |
10 |
43:20 |
04:20 |
| 17 |
9 |
46:40 |
05:11 |
42 |
9 |
37:20 |
04:08 |
| 18 |
9.5 |
50:00 |
05:15 |
43 |
9.5 |
40:00 |
04:12 |
| 19 |
8 |
40:00 |
05:00 |
44 |
8 |
32:00 |
04:00 |
| 20 |
9 |
45:50 |
05:05 |
45 |
9 |
36:40 |
04:04 |
| 21 |
5 |
24:10 |
04:50 |
46 |
5 |
19:20 |
03:52 |
| 22 |
9 |
45:00 |
05:00 |
47 |
9 |
36:00 |
04:00 |
| 23 |
6 |
29:10 |
04:51 |
48 |
6 |
23:20 |
03:53 |
| 24 |
9 |
44:10 |
04:54 |
49 |
9 |
35:20 |
03:55 |
| 25 |
10 |
50:00 |
05:00 |
50 |
10 |
40:00 |
04:00 |
|
