Are you wondering what is 10 kilometers in miles comes out to? If so, you have come to the right website. My goal is to overdeliver with this post and share with you how to run this distance as fast as possible. 10km in miles is 6.2 miles. The 10k road race is more of an aerobic event versus the mile or 5k which are more of anaerobic events. Yes, you still need to run easy and build endurance to run a 10 kilometer effectively. That being said, you just don't want to run too much of your mileage too slow. Of course, runners have different goals for racing. There are some athletes who just want to participate in 10k races. There are others who have time goals and want to run their 10km race in a specific time.
My goal with this post is to share some strategies that will help you to use leverage. Leverage simply means we are doing more with less of the work. There are many runners who work hard and never meet their 10k race goals. Why? Well, they are putting in mileage but the mileage is too slow. How will you race fast if you don't train fast right? Yes, just about everyone can run slow for a certain amount of time. That being said, it takes smart work and training very fast in order to race this distance effectively.
How Far is 10km in Miles
10km in miles comes out to 6.2 miles. There are 1.6 kilometers in a mile. A mile, of course, comes out to 1609 meters. So, the longer you train at a higher percentage of your maximum heart rate the more efficient you are going to run in the race. The main focus here is to improve the athlete's lactate tolerance. No, this is not easy and takes patience on the part of the athlete. It takes between 3 to 4 weeks for the body to adapt to any stress load we place on it. So, the process of getting into great anaerobic shape takes patience. Again, we are aiming to work smarter, not harder here.
I want you thinking like a world-class runner. I have run 31:09 for 10 kilometers and 2:19:35 for the marathon. So, I understand what it takes to run fast over 6.2 miles or longer. My goal with this post it to share with you some winning moves to ensure your success. A common mistake I see a lot of runners making is running too much of their mileage too slow. Do you have a time goal you want to race your 10 kilometer race in?
You are not alone. The vast majority of runners focused on racing over 10 kilometers is running it in the fastest time possible. So, start running your long runs faster. No, I do not mean running the entire long run at faster efforts. You can run a portion of the long run at a faster, varied pace. I used this tactic to improve my marathon time from 2:43:36 to 2:19:35.
CHECK OUT OUR RUNNING COURSESHow Long is 10km in Miles
10 kilometers is equal to running 25 laps around the track. So, 400 meters times 25 laps comes out to 10,000 meters. So, 10 kilometers is also also equal to 10,000 meters or 6.2 miles. Why do the best 10,000m runners make it look so easy? They have trained around 40 percent of their weekly mileage running at or far below their goal 10k race pace.
The 16 week 10k training plans that I have here at rundreamachieve.com are built using this training philosophy. Recovery is also very important. So, I always advise my athletes to jog on their easy days. Yes, we want to train fast but we also want to ensure we are recovered from the hard training we are doing. I also recommend subscribing to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I create new training videos there each week to help beginner to elite-level athletes get to the next level in their training and racing.
So, you have to learn to slow down on easy days as well. I have trained with sub 2:10 marathoners who would jog 9 to 10 minute mile pace on their easy days. Remember, these athletes could run a marathon (26.2 miles) at 4:57 mile pace. So, if they can jog that easy on their recovery days why can't you and I? Success leaves clues. It is very important to study what the best middle to long distance runners do. Duplicate their work habits and get similar results.
How Far is 10km in Minutes?
How far you run 10 kilometers in minutes is going to be dependent upon how you train. The 4 key workouts we do in preparing our athletes here are:
- Faster, varied pace long runs
- 1, vo2 max workout per week (i.e. 16x200m, 6x1mile, 2x3mile on the roads etc.)
- longer tempo runs
- Easy, relaxed running to ensure recovery takes place
Examples of varied pace, faster long runs are as follows:
- 2 mile warm-up, 3 miles@10 seconds slower than 10k goal race pace, 1 mile jog, 1 mile all out, 2 mile jog cool-down
- 1 mile warm-up, 8 miles@160 beats per minute (about 85% of maximum heart rate), 2 mile cool-down
- 2 mile warm-up, 4miles@10 seconds faster than goal 10k race pace, 4 miles easy, 4 miles@5 seconds slower than goal race pace, 3 miles easy, 1 mile@175 beats per minute (about 95% of maximum heart rate)
So, as you can see, these workouts are demanding. You should never run every weekend's long run fast. Always alternate one weekend with a faster effort followed the next with an easy jog long run. Again, recovery is the main focus. The benefits of your hard training are going to come when you rest, not from the workout itself.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TRAINING PLANSIs 10km a Long Walk?
It can be. There are many people who do charity 10k walks which can last from an hour and half to 2 hours. So, it just depends on what your goals are. There are people who simply want to run a 10k for the first time, walk or race in one. Of course, racing in a 10km road race takes more time and effort on the part of the athlete. Also, there are people who want to run 10,000m on the track which is 6.2 miles. The purpose of this post is to help runners who are aiming for a specific time.
I also believe in longer tempo runs. Remember, you want to improve your body's lactate tolerance. You do this by running for longer period of time at the anaerobic threshold. No, running at this intensity is not fun, at least at first. It takes about 21 days to 4 weeks for your body to adapt to the stress you are placing on it. So, a 3 to 4-mile tempo run may be very difficult at first. That being said, later a tempo run of 7 to 10 miles in length may feel the same way but you are able to run further and at faster paces.
10KM to Miles Per Hour
Below is a graph showing various paces you can eventually run at the faster you get.
*credit: metric-conversions.org
How to Run a 10K in a Month
Sure, you can run a 10k in a month. That being said, 4 weeks is not a long time to prepare properly to race over 6.2 miles. Of course, if your main goal is to simply run in a 10k and start and finish then 4 weeks is sufficient. You don't have to be running 7 days a week either. You should just focus on building easy base miles or kilometers 3 to 4 times per week. Also, you can do strides 2 to 3 times a week during your easy runs. Strides are short sprints that range in distance anywhere from 50 to 150 meters in length.
The goal of doing strides is to work on your acceleration and form. Remember, always do your best to stay as relaxed as you can during training and in the race. Muscle tension will always be present even when running slow. Of course, it is much easier to stay calm and relaxed while running easy. The real challenge comes when you start to training at harder and faster anaerobic efforts. The reason for this is you are running at a higher percentage of your maximum heart rate. So, more oxygen is required in order for your muscles to continue to function properly.
I would recommend training for 16 week or 4 months to prepare as best you can to race 10 kilometers. I advise my athletes to spend a few weeks running easy first. You can then start training specifically to run under your goal 10k race pace. Again, train smarter, not harder. The goal here is to help you train to use leverage and get better results.
What Does 10 KM Mean in Miles?
It means you are aiming to walk or run as fast as you can over 6.2 miles. Again, 10 kilometers in miles is 10,000m meters or 6.2 miles. It is double the distance of the 5 kilometer event which is 5,000m or 12 laps on the track. The 10 km event is also the longest track and field running event which is 25 laps around the track. How often do you spend time mentally rehearing yourself performing at a high level in this event? The best middle to long distance runners know the importance of mental training.
You cannot just focus on physical training. Remember, we have 3 choices in this life. We can choose to be average, good or great. Greatness asks much more out of us than we initially realize. So, in order to be great you have to think and do what great athletes do. I want you spending 10 to 15 minutes each day seeing yourself performing at the level you are dreaming about. The perfect time to do this is when you go to bed at night or when you are first waking up in the morning. Mental training is just as important as physical training.
Closing Thoughts
So, always remember that 10 kilometers in miles comes out to 6.2 miles or 10 kilometers. How fast you compete in this distance is going to be dependent on how well you follow the advice in this post. Again, there are resources here at rundreamachieve.com that can help you do this. I have running courses, training plans and monthly coaching options that are available to you. Do you want to run your 10km track or road race in a specific time? We have 16 week 10k training plans available here. Are you someone who would like to have a coach to help keep you accountable? If so, the private, running community option might be what you are looking for.
I hope this post has been helpful to you and that I answered most, if not all, of your questions. Remember, spend a higher percentage of your weekly volume training at or far below your goal 10k race pace. Again, you want to get that race pace to feel more in control and less aggressive on you. In addition, sustain pace longer than your competition. You want to be passing people in the closing miles or kilometers of the race and not being passed yourself.
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