Do you wish to set the goal to run a 10k every day? Congratulations! That is an admirable goal and one that may spur positive physical and mental changes in your life.
However, running 10k every day isn’t for the faint of heart. You need to work up to this goal and consider some drawbacks of running 6.2 miles every day.
In this article, we will cover:
- General Information About The 10k Distance
- Is Running 10k Every Day A Lot?
- Should I Run 10k Every Day?
- Benefits Of Running 10k Every Day
- Drawbacks Of Running 10k Every Day
- What To Expect From Running 10k Every Day
Ready? Let’s go!
How long is 10k?
10k, or 10,000 meters, is 6.2 miles or 25 laps around an Olympic-sized track.
10k is also 6miles 376yards or 32,808feet 5inches. A 10k is double a 5k distance.
What is the fastest 10k Time?
The men’s world record fastest 10k time is 26:11:00, set on October 7, 2020 by Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda! That’s a 4:12 mile pace.
The women’s world record fastest 10k time is 29:01:03, set on June 8, 2021, by Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia. That’s a 4:40 mile pace.
Related: How to run a 10k in 40 minutes
How long does it take to run a 10k?
How long it takes to run a 10k depends on your running pace.
If your easy pace is 10 minutes a mile or slower, it will take you longer than an hour to run 6.2 miles.
What is a good 10k time?
According to Running Levelwhich calculates race finish times by age and ability, a good 10k race time is 49:43.
The average male runner 10k time is 55:37. The average female runner 10k time is 1:03:17.
Is running 10k in 50 minutes good?
Most runners who run 15 to 30 miles per week can expect to finish a 10k between 50 to 70 minutes. More advanced runners can run 6.2 miles between 43 and 50 minutes.
Is Running 10k in 40 minutes good?
Yes, running a 10k in under 40 minutes is a good time. That requires running a mile pace of 6:24 for 6.2 miles.
Related: What’s a Good 10k Time?
How many calories do you burn running a 10k?
How many calories you burn depends on how much you weigh. However, on average, people burn about 100 calories a mile. Thus, for most people, they will burn more than 600 calories every time they run a 10k.
Therefore, if you are running 10k every day, you will burn 4,200 calories a week running. There are 3,500 calories in a pound. Therefore, you will burn more than a pound a week running 10k every day.
Is 10km a long run?
If running a 10k takes you longer than an hour, then this can qualify as a long run. If running a 10k is about 30 percent of your weekly training volume, then it qualifies as a long run.
Is running 10k every day a lot?
Running 10k every day is equivalent to running 43.4 miles a week. This mileage is a respectable amount for a recreational runner. In fact, this weekly mileage is enough to train for a marathon. And for some, this mileage of running 10k every day is enough to possibly even train to run a Boston qualifying marathon time.
Related: Running 10k a Day: Make 6 Miles Your Best Routine Yet
Is it okay to run 10k every day?
As long as you work up to running 10k every day without a large increase in running volume, it is okay to do so!
You also want to make sure that about 80 percent of your running volume is done at an easy pace.
To ensure running 10k every day is good mileage for you, consider the following to find your magic mileage.
- You feel good and your legs feel fresh on most every run.
- You do not feel fatigued, have recurring injuries, poor performance, or illness.
- You only experience minor setbacks or pains as your body adjusts to the training volume.
- You see improvements in your running time.
If you check these boxes, running 10k every day is a sweet spot in mileage for you.
Should I run 10k every day?
Running 10k every day is a great way to get fit and set a routine that sets you up for success.
Running success is built on consistency. So, if setting a routine of, for example, running the same 6.2 mile loop every morning, helps you become a consistent runner, then running 10k every day is a great goal.
However, after running the same distance every day for several months, your fitness will level out. Your body needs different stresses to become fitter.
Therefore, if your goal is to run a 10k every day while increasing fitness, you need to vary your running paces. To do so, consider adding in:
- Strides
- Hill repeats
- Intervals
- Tempo or threshold runs, and
- Fartleks
By changing your heart rate zones, your body will become more energy efficient and your performance will improve.
Related: How Many Days a Week Should I Run?
What are the benefits of running 10k every day?
There are plenty of benefits of running 10k every day. In fact, there are so many benefits that I cannot list them all here. Most running benefits accumulate after 30 minutes of exercise. Running a 10k will take longer than 30 minutes for most people.
Benefits Of Running 10k Every Day
Therefore, if you run 10k a day, you can expect to experience the following 10 benefits:
- Improved cardiovascular fitness
- Stronger muscles and bones
- Weight loss
- Better mental health and overall mood
- Less stress, anxiety and depression
- Improved self-confidence and patience
- Improved health markers such as heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and body fat
- More energy and better sleep
- Stronger immune system
- Improved running! You can become faster and stronger as a runner, ready to set goals and achieve personal bests!
What are the drawbacks of running 10k every day?
While there are plenty of benefits of running 10k every day, there are two major drawbacks.
Drawbacks Of Running 10k Every Day:
- Increased risk of an overuse injury. If you run every day without a rest day, you are at a greater risk of injury. Unless you are an elite athlete, it is advised that you take one complete rest day a week. If you do run 7 days a week, you need to ensure one day a week is run at a recovery pace and that 80 percent of your running is at an easy pace.
Also, if you increase your mileage suddenly with the goal of running a 10k every day, you are at a greater risk for injury.
Running is stressful on the body, causing microtears in the tissue. Your body requires recovery periods to repair these tissues and build back stronger. If you do not allow for this recovery time, your body will continue to breakdown, resulting in injury.
If you have the goal of running 10k every day, gradually build up to this mileage. Do not add more than 10 percent of your weekly volume week to week.
- Fitness plateau. If you run the same distance every day (especially at the same pace or rate of perceived effort), you will become fit. But then your fitness will hit a ceiling. Running 10k every day will maintain your fitness, but it will not improve it.
Improvement in running fitness comes from challenging your body and teaching it how to run more efficiently. Your training must include various paces and durations. You can do this in the form of running intervals, fartleks, tempos, and long runs, for example.
What can I expect from running 10k Every day?
If you begin running 10k every day, you can expect some major life and health changes in how you look and feel.
10 Changes From Running 10k Every Day
- You may feel hungrier, more tired, or experience some aches and pains as your body adjusts to the training stimulus. This may last for a couple of weeks to a month.
- Then you will begin to feel stronger and fitter.
- Running will become easier.
- You will have more energy.
- You will sleep better.
- You may lose weight.
- Your mood will improve as well as your stress level and sense of productivity.
- You’ll likely make healthier choices related to your diet, alcohol, and sleep to support your running.
- You might start talking about your new running habit to everyone you know.
- You may want to start running more!
Are you ready to run a 10k everyday or tackle the 10k distance for the first time? Check out our free 10k training plans and guidance!
