The 10 per cent rule in running - Jermain Breidel

February 8, 2018

Last updated: July 21, 2026

De 10 procent regel bij Hardlopen - Jermain Breidel

The 10 per cent rule in running - Jermain Breidel

I’m Jermain Breidel, a running coach at Vondelgym and captain of the Patta Running Team in Amsterdam. I’m also a long-distance runner. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing running tips to help you run and train more efficiently. In this second instalment, we’ll be discussing the 10 per cent rule.

The 10 per cent rule in running

This safe, easy-to-follow method will help you increase your mileage in a healthy way.

The 10 per cent rule is one of the most important and tried-and-tested rules in running. This rule states that you should never increase your weekly distance by more than 10 per cent compared to the previous week.

Overtraining

Suppose you’ve been running 25 km a week recently. For whatever reason (perhaps you want to prepare for an upcoming race, or you simply feel ready), you decide to increase your training distance and frequency. Instead of running three times a week, you manage to run five times. Your training increases from 25 km a week to 45 km a week, a rise of as much as 80 per cent.

In the week of the race, you start to feel pain in your knee whilst running. By Saturday, it’s so bad that you can barely walk normally. You can’t ignore the symptoms and realise that you won’t be able to run the race on Sunday morning. You’ve got a knee injury.

That’s precisely why the 10 per cent rule is so important: the vast majority of running injuries are overuse injuries. These injuries occur when you run too much or increase your weekly training programme too quickly.

Curb your enthusiasm

For runners, the biggest enemy is often their own energy and enthusiasm. You feel great, so you think you can handle longer distances and more training sessions. Whether it’s because a friend has challenged you to take part in a race, everyone in your department at work has decided to get fit for an upcoming charity run, or perhaps because you’ve caught the marathon bug, events like these are great motivators, so you throw yourself into your training with enthusiasm.

Gradual adaptation to stress

Great, except for one thing: your body doesn’t share your enthusiasm. It follows a simple, unchanging principle: gradual adaptation to stress.

The principle of gradual adaptation is one of many examples of the body’s ingenuity. Without that ingenuity, no one would ever be able to climb Mount Everest, swim across the English Channel or run a marathon. As a result, there are almost no limits to what you can achieve. But you can’t bend the rules, because your body will break down and you’ll get injured, fall ill or suddenly feel very tired.

How does it work?

However, if you follow the 10 per cent rule, your body will gradually become stronger and fitter. If you currently run 10 km a week and want to increase your training, run 11 km next week, 12.1 km the week after that, and 13.2 km the following week. This might seem like a slow pace in terms of progress, but in just 8 to 10 weeks you could be running 20 km a week.

Keep going at that pace and eventually you’ll be running 40 km a week in just four months after starting to build up from 10 km. And 40 km a week, believe me, that’s a lot of running.

Conclusion

Don’t build up too quickly, rein in your enthusiasm, draw up a plan and work steadily towards your ultimate goal. When it comes to running, you almost always come out on top if you follow the path of gradual progress.