We've crunched the numbers and tried to work what is a ‘good’ 10K finish time.
If you’ve got to the starting line of a 10K – which is equivalent to 6.2 miles – that deserves a massive pat on the back in itself. If you’ve started to think about times you want to target for this distance, that’s also great. But we want to clarify that what is considered a ‘good’ 10K finish time is subjective and depends on your goals and fitness level as an individual runner.
With that being said, we know runners are keen to know more about average 10K finish times and what sort of time they might want to aim for. So, while we stand our ground on the fact that ‘good’ 10K finish times are not clear-cut, we’ve delved into the data to find out what both ‘average’ and ‘good’ 10K finish times look like for UK runners.
RunRepeat analysed 107.9 million race results from more than 70 thousand events in 209 countries between 1986 and 2018. From this, it mapped out data points on running participation globally – including average times across different distances by country and gender.
Whether you are running your first ever 10K or aiming to PB at an upcoming race, having certain times in mind can help with motivation and goal-setting, so here’s what we discovered about 10K times…
What is the average 10K finish time in the UK?
According to RunRepeat’s data, the average 10K finish time in the UK, when looking at data for both men and women, is 58 minutes. Just counting men, the average 10K finish time for UK runners is 53 minutes – and for women, the average 10K finish time is 01:03.00.
What is the average running pace for a 10K?
The average 10K pace for a man in the UK is 5:18 min/km, or 8:32 min/mile. For a woman in the UK, the average 10K pace is 6:18 min/km, or 10:08 min/mile.
What are the 10K world records?
There are different world records for the 10K according to the surface. It is important to differentiate between times set on the track – where 10K is known as the 10,000 metres – and on the road. Times on the track are typically quicker due to the reliably flat and fast surface.
Men
Along with the world record for the 5000m, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei also holds the current 10,000m world record. The 28-year-old clocked a time of 26:11.00 on 7 October 2020 at the NN Running Team Valencia World Record Day in Turia Stadium, Spain. Cheptegei took 6.53 seconds off Kenenisa Bekele's 10,000m world record of 26:17.53, which had stood since 2005.
Kenyan athlete Rhonex Kipruto holds the current 10K road world record of 26:24, which he clocked on 12 January 2020 at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja in Valencia, Spain. Just six weeks prior, Cheptegei had broken the 10K road record, only for Kipruto to go 14 seconds faster and take the title. However, the Kenyan has since been banned from the sport for six years due to irregularities found in his biological passport between July 2018 and March 2022.
Women
Beatrice Chebet, also of Kenya, currently holds the world record for the 10,000m – thanks to her history-making 28:54.14 run at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meet on 25 May 2024. Not only did she break the world record, but Chebet also became the first woman to break the 29-minute barrier over this distance. The 24-year-old Kenyan ran seven seconds faster than Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey's previous world record of 29:01.03, set in 2021. To add to her achievements, Chebet also completed the double at the Paris 2024 Olympics with 5000m and 10,000m golds.
As for the women’s 10K road record – that is the hot property of Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich, who clocked a record-breaking time of 28:46 at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja (the same venue for Kipruto's 10K world record). Ngetich, too, became the first woman to go sub-29 minutes over 10K on this surface. The 23-year-old cut 28 seconds off the previous 10K women's road world record (29:14), set by Ethiopia's Yalemzerf Yehualaw in Castellón, Spain, in February 2022.
How long does it take to train for a 10K?
The length of 10K training plans can vary considerably according to a runner’s personal goals and fitness levels. For newer runners, an eight-week plan can be a good starting point, but for more experienced runners already covering a decent number of weekly miles, anything from as short as two weeks might work – depending on your goal.
Whether you’re completely new to the 10K or aiming for a PB, it’s important not to neglect strength and conditioning, good nutrition and hydration and to give your rest and recovery the attention it deserves.
What 10K time should I target?
First-time 10K runners
If this is your first 10K, remember how much of an achievement completing the distance is. The priority is not the time it takes you to finish – but if you want a rough idea of what to aim for, around the 01:10.00 mark is a solid target for beginners.
Intermediate 10K runners
For more experienced runners who might have done several 10Ks already, completing the course in under an hour tends to be a popular target. To run a 10K in 59 minutes, you would need to go at a pace of 5:54 min/km, equivalent to 9:30 min/mile.
Advanced 10K runners
If you compete at club level or run 10Ks regularly, you might aim to run anything between 35 and 45 minutes depending on your specific level and training load.
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