If you’re trying to shave minutes off your 10k time, your instinct might be to go ‘full send’ in every session. But constantly pushing to your limit can do more harm than good in the long term, leaving you fatigued and inconsistent. And while knowing the average 10k time can give you a useful benchmark, how you train will ultimately determine how far you can push beyond it.
The key is adjusting your training plan to work at an intensity that allows enough time for recovery, so you can bounce back for each session.
The Average 10K Run Times for Men
According to Running Level, the average 10k time for men across all ages is 46:43. The fastest recorded 10k time is 26:24. Average times by age are as follows:
How to Improve Your 10K Time with the 80% Approach
As coach and GB athlete Lee Grantham explains, if you want to improve your 10k time, you need to train smarter. ‘When we start to train in a more smart, methodical way and start to put these types of sessions to work for you, you'll unleash a whole new level,’ he says.
A big part of that is holding back just enough to stay consistent. The focus is on managing sessions at around 80% effort. ‘That is a great place to be both for recovery and consistency over the entire training schedule,’ he says.
‘If you notice throughout the session your heart rate for the efforts and the recoveries drifting up, then it's unsustainable. Don’t be worried about slowing down and letting the pace come to you.’
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Rather than going all out, Grantham’s approach is to build race pace through manageable
intervals. ‘We’re doing 80% of the volume of the race at the intensity we want to run the race at, but we’re splitting it up into intervals that are manageable for us,’ he explains.
‘So, we’re stressing the body, like stretching an elastic band, but not stretching it too far so it snaps; just far enough so that the next time you want to stretch it at faster paces or greater volume, we’re able to because the body is now able to handle more.’
As always, it comes back to consistency over time. ‘As soon as you have an appreciation that it’s consistency over the weeks, and then over the months, and over the total training schedule, the better you’re going to be at execution,’ Grantham says.
‘Remember, it’s not about one big session or even one big week. It really is about the training schedule.
‘You’ll realise it’s essentially about hitting every session with 10 out of 10 execution, but at an effort level of about 80%.’
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.
