Negative Split Workouts for the 10K

By Rick Morris

The last mile of a 10K race provides you with some unique challenges that you must overcome if you are going to perform at your absolute best. The 10K is the only race in which you are running a relatively long distance at close to or just a bit faster than your lactate threshold pace. Eight to nine kilometers of steady running at close to your lactate threshold or lactate turn point will raise your blood lactate and fatigue level to a point that makes performing negative splits a difficult proposition. While running 10K negative splits may be challenging it makes for a brutally effective 10K race strategy.

Here are some workouts that will help you perfect your 10K negative split ability. These workouts build progressively upon each other. Begin with the first one and proceed to the next in sequence as your fitness and negative split performance increases. Be sure you warm up thoroughly before these training runs and do them no more than one time per week.

12 x 800 Meter Repeats at Increasing Pace

Run twelve 800 meter repeats with 2 minutes of rest between each repeat. Run the first four 800 meter repeats at about 5 seconds per 400 meter lap, slower than your 10K race pace. Run the second four repeats at 10K pace and the final 4 repeats at 5 seconds per lap faster than 10K pace.

6 x One Mile Repeats at Increasing Pace

Perform 6 one mile repeats with 3 minutes of rest between each repeat. Run the first three repeats at 10K race pace and the final 3 repeats at 5 seconds per 400 meter lap faster than 10K pace.

4 x 2500 Meter Repeats at Increasing Pace

Run four 2500 meter repeats with 4 minutes of rest between each repeat. Run the first two repeats at 10K race pace and the last 2 repeats at 5 seconds, per 400 meter lap, faster than 10K race pace.

2 x 5000 Meter Repeats at Increasing Pace

After your warm up run two 5000 meter repeats with 5 minutes of rest between each repeat. Run the first 5000 meter repeat at about 10 to 12 seconds per mile slower than your 10K race pace. Run all but the final 1500 to 1600 meters of your second 5000 meter repeat at 10K race pace. Accelerate to 5K pace for the final 1600 meters.

10K Progressive Race Simulator

This 10K peaking workout is similar to the 5000 meter repeats without recovery. Run 10000 meters at increasing pace. Run the first 5000 meters at about 10 to 12 seconds per mile slower than your 10K race pace. Speed up to 10K pace for the next 4000 meters and finish with 1000 meters as fast as you can maintain.

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