Good Finishing Time for a 10K

The "ideal" finishing time for a 10K race can be pretty subjective. What one runner thinks is great may be less satisfactory for someone else. Moreover, there are numerous variables that can alter your performance on race day, helping you either exceed expectations or causing you to fall short.

With that being said, there are ways to estimate your finishing time so that you can better prepare and know how to pace yourself from start to finish. Here are a few tips that can help.

You can often get a good idea of what you can expect to achieve on a longer race by looking at how you do over shorter distances. This is something that running enthusiasts Jack Daniels and Jimmy Gilbert explored when writing their book, "Oxygen Power: Performance Tables for Distance Runners."

According to Daniels and Gilbert, there is a direct association between how fast you run a mile and what your ultimate time will be for a 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon run:

1 mile     5K           10K       Half-Marathon    Marathon
4:20       15:00        31:08       1:08:40        2:23:47
4:38       16:00        33:12       1:13:19        2:33:25
4:56       17:00        35:17       1:17:58        2:43:01
5:14       18:00        37:21       1:22:38        2:52:34
5:33       19:00        39:26       1:27:19        3:02:06
5:51       20:00        41:31       1:31:59        3:11:35
6:09       21:00        43:36       1:36:36        3:21:00
6:28       22:00        45:41       1:41:18        3:30:23
6:46       23:00        47:46       1:45:57        3:39:42
7:05       24:00        49:51       1:50:34        3:48:57
7:24       25:00        51:56       1:55:11        3:58:08
7:42       26:00        54:00       1:59:46        4:07:16
8:01       27:00        56:04       2:04:20        4:16:19
8:19       28:00        58:08       2:08:53        4:25:19
8:37       29:00        1:00:12     2:13:24        4:34:14

Clearly, if you are new to running, these figures don't always correlate, particularly if you can run a fast mile but have not yet built the endurance needed for longer runs.

To this end, if you are new to running, start with a 5K run before a 10K. If you are able to reach or exceed the expected target, you can then embark on a longer race. It is always best to take things one step at a time.

Another way to predict race times is by age-grading, which allows you to compare your times to others of your age and gender. Naturally, this would presume a number of things:

• That you have done the appropriate amount of training
• That you have similar race experience to others in your class
• That you are in similar health to others in your class

While there may be variables that place others in a more competitive position, age-grading is useful in that acknowledges the limitations age can place on a runner.

You can use any number of age-grading calculators to predict where you fit in the pack. Alternately, you can review past results of the race website, some of which categorize runners by age.

Race time predictions provide you a general idea of the playing field. Once you slot yourself in, you can assess how your strengths and weaknesses can either add to or subtract from your estimated running time.

Strengths may include:

• Familiarity with the race course
• Familiarity with the altitude of the location
• Plenty of race preparation time
• Strength in navigating hills
• Being in excellent health
• A flexible attitude able to adapt to changing conditions, including weather

Weaknesses may include:

• Unfamiliarity with the race course
• High altitudes if you live closer to sea level
• Lack of race preparation
• Lack of hill training
• An illness or condition that may detract from our peak performance
• Getting easily thrown by changing conditions

Be honest with yourself when making the assessment. In some cases, it can highlight the things you need to improve upon or help you make contingencies (such as pacing yourself if you're not feeling 100 percent or bringing along wet weather gear if the forecast is iffy).

It may also help readjust your expectations so that don't push yourself beyond your reasonable limits. All that would likely do is increase your risk of injury.

If this is your first race on a course, do yourself a favor and obtain a topography map of the route. If there is not one posted on the race website, contact the race organizers or use an online app. Not only will having one help you know what to expect (including where in the race you need to conserve energy), it can allow you to train on the same terrain at home.

For your first 10K, try not to get too hung up on your finishing time. Focus on finishing the race in good condition. This will serve as the baseline from which to improve in future races.

By competing with yourself first and foremost, you will become the best runner you possibly can and, by doing so, become a real competitor.