Peaking sample plan
12-Week Sub-40 10K Plan
Sub-40 for 10K is 4:00 /km. Across 12 weeks peak volume is 76 km, but the limiter is aerobic speed: intervals at 3:50 /km and tempo at 4:00 /km. 6 days, long run 22 km so the aerobic engine doesn't shrink.
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Start freeA 12-week 10k sub-40 plan for advanced runners. Peak week 76 km, key long session 22 km, 6 training days. Peaking periodization: Base → Build → Peak → Taper.
- Peak week
- 76 km
- Key long
- 22 km
- Days / week
- 6
- Race pace
- 4:00 /km
- Easy
- 5:00 /km
- Tempo
- 4:00 /km
- Intervals
- 3:50 /km
Week-by-week overview
Weeks 1–4
Base
Aerobic volume, easy running, and a durable long run. Intensity stays mostly conversational.
Weeks 5–8
Build
Threshold and race-pace work land on top of the base. Long run stretches toward its peak.
Weeks 9–10
Peak
Highest quality + highest fatigue. Race-specific sessions, then a down week before taper.
Weeks 11–12
Taper
Volume drops 40–60%. Keep a little intensity so you stay sharp, then race.
| Wk | Phase | Focus | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | base | Aerobic consistency | 59 km |
| 2 | base | Growing the long run | 60 km |
| 3 | base | Easy economy | 60 km |
| 4 | base | Settling-in week | 61 km |
| 5 | build | sub-40 specific | 72 km |
| 6 | build | sub-40 specific | 72 km |
| 7 | build | sub-40 specific | 73 km |
| 8 | build | sub-40 specific | 73 km |
| 9 | peak | Peak specific load | 76 km |
| 10 | peak | Controlled down week | 76 km |
| 11 | taper | Taper — short quality | 42 km |
| 12 | taper | Race week | 33 km |
Sample week 9
Peak specific load · 76 km
Week 9 (peak): keep 5:00/km honestly easy. Quality lives at 4:00/km. If the long run feels heavy, cut 10% — don't add a day.
Mon
Rest
Tue
running
sub-40 quality
50 min · RPE 7
- Warm-up12 min5:00/km
- Intervals6×800 m3:50/km · eq. rest
- Cool-down10 min5:00/km
Wed
running
Easy run
62 min · RPE 3
- Warm-up10 minEasy Z1
- Main set10 km5:00/km
- Cool-down5 minWalk / jog
Thu
running
Tempo / threshold
62 min · RPE 6
- Warm-up12 min5:00/km
- Tempo3×12 min4:00/km · 2 min jog
- Cool-down8 min5:00/km
Fri
Rest
Sat
running
Long run
136 min · RPE 4
- Warm-up10 minEasy Z1
- Main set22 km4:42/km
- Cool-down5 minWalk / jog
Sun
running
Recovery
50 min · RPE 2
- Warm-up10 minEasy Z1
- Main set8 km5:00/km
- Cool-down5 minWalk / jog
Who this plan is for
It's for someone who already finishes the distance and now wants sub-40 (40:00 on the clock, 4:00 /km). Catalog level: advanced. If your current mark is more than ~12% off that goal, the personalized engine lengthens the block or eases quality paces — this preview uses the goal as the anchor.
How the weeks are periodized
Weeks 1–4: Base — Aerobic volume, easy running, and a durable long run. Intensity stays mostly conversational. Weeks 5–8: Build — Threshold and race-pace work land on top of the base. Long run stretches toward its peak. Weeks 9–10: Peak — Highest quality + highest fatigue. Race-specific sessions, then a down week before taper. Weeks 11–12: Taper — Volume drops 40–60%. Keep a little intensity so you stay sharp, then race. Volume doesn't climb in a straight line: each phase has its own wave, plus a down week before taper. Peak load 76 km. Week 9 (preview below) sits at peak quality.
Intervals, tempo and easy running
Quality A: intervals at 3:50 /km. Quality B (unless you're a beginner): tempo at 4:00 /km. Long run 22 km at long-run pace, not race pace. The classic 10K mistake is running the easy days at 4:00 /km; here easy is anchored to 5:00 /km.
10K: speed you can hold
A 40:00 10K asks you to repeat 4:00 /km after it already hurts. 800s at 3:50 /km build that tolerance; tempo stops you from being only a 3K runner. Surface: at least one quality session on what you'll race. The 22 km long run is aerobic insurance, not a marathon long run.
From this preview to a plan that's yours
The preview is anchored to “12-Week Sub-40 10K Plan”: 6 days, 76 km, 4:00 /km. At signup Peaking preloads distance (10K), 12 weeks and a sub-40 goal. The live engine then asks for PBs, available days and constraints, and regenerates whole weeks — not a static PDF. The CTA below opens registration with those fields and this page's UTMs.
Generate your personalized 12-week sub-40 10K plan
We preload distance, weeks and goal. Start free — the engine builds the plan from your PBs and real days.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
Is this 12-week sub-40 10K a generic plan?+
The overview and week 9 come from Peaking's periodization composer (same phases and session types as an in-app plan). It's persisted per slug — it doesn't change on every visit. The paid plan personalizes from your PBs and real days.
How many kilometres / hours per week does it peak at?+
Peak 76 km, key long session 22 km, 6 days. Base weeks sit well below that; the taper (Weeks 11–12) cuts volume and keeps short quality.
What pace should I use if my mark isn't 40:00?+
This preview anchors race to 4:00 /km, easy to 5:00 /km and threshold to 4:00 /km (sub-40 goal). In the app, paces come from your PBs or a Riegel predictor — don't copy these splits if your current 10K sits at a different level.
Can I skip days or squeeze this into fewer than 12 weeks?+
Skip an easy day, never the long run or both quality sessions in the same week. Compressing 12 → 8 often works if the base is already there; the hub lists other durations for this 10K.
How do I go from this page to a plan generated for me?+
Start free preloads 10K, 12 weeks and sub-40. You finish onboarding (sports, PBs, days) and the engine builds the full plan. This URL stays as the SEO reference; your plan lives on the dashboard.