Running
Trail 10K Adventure Foundation
Beginner trail 10K build emphasizing hills and time on feet. Ten weeks, 3 to 4 runs a week.
- Distance
- 10K
- Length
- 10 weeks
- Runs per week
- 3–4
- Level
- Beginner
- Goal
- Finish
Who it's for
You are new to running, or starting again after a long break. It gets you to the finish of your first 10K.
Hill work is built in for a hilly course.
It is made for trails, not the road.
How the weeks work
It runs for ten weeks with 3 to 4 runs in each.
If life gets in the way you can stretch it to 14 weeks, or tighten it to 8 if you are already fit.
The last 7 days are a taper: less running, a little intensity, so you start the race fresh.
- Easy runs make up most of the week. Keep them slow enough to talk in full sentences.
- Hill repeats: run up at a strong effort, jog back down, repeat.
- One long run a week that grows slowly. Run it easy; the time on your feet is the point.
Setting your paces
Start with a 5K time trial. Your result sets the paces for the rest of the plan, so run it honestly and on fresh legs.
Making it stick
- Repeat a week if it felt hard. Moving on too early is the most common way to get hurt.
- Walking is part of the plan, not a sign you are doing it wrong.
- Soft, flat routes are kinder on your legs while they adapt.
