How to Break 40 Minutes for 10 Kilometers: Your 12-Week Training Guide - Lee Grantham

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of How to Break 40 Minutes for 10 Kilometers: Your 12‑Week Training Guide from Lee Grantham. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

Success hinges on balancing speed and endurance with two core weekly sessions: a Wednesday interval and a Sunday long run.
Start with a modest speed base; if you’re currently running ~5 min/km, gradually introduce 30‑second accelerations to acclimate to a 4 min/km target.
Progression is linear: increase interval length, repeat count, and weekly long‑run distance while keeping the pace just a bit slower than race pace (≈10 % slower, ~4:24 min/km).
Recovery matters – use a 60‑second active rest between repeats to bring heart rate down, building faster recovery over weeks.

Workout Example:

Week 1 – Speed Intro: 20 × 1‑minute runs at ~4 min/km with 60 s standing rest.
Build Phase (weeks 3‑6):
- 10 × 2‑minute intervals, then 15 × 2 min, up to 20 × 2 min. Keep 60 s rest.
- Add a mid‑run pace segment in the Sunday long run: e.g., on a 12 km run, run 4 km at 4:24 min/km, the rest at 5 min/km.
Peak Phase (weeks 8‑10):
- 4 × 10‑minute intervals at target 4 min/km, 60 s rest.
- Long runs progress to 14‑16 km, with 6‑8 km at 4:24 min/km.
Race‑Ready: Two back‑to‑back 20‑minute efforts at 4 min/km (or 5 km at race pace) with 60 s rest to cement confidence.

Closing Note: Give it a go, tweak the paces to match your current fitness in the Pacing app, and watch your confidence soar. You’ve got the plan – now lace up and aim for that sub‑40‑minute 10K! 🎉