Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. Because of these types of races are very energy-consuming, one requires mental determination and aerobic conditioning, since stamina is a bigger factor than speed.

Standard long-distance events

3,000 meter steeplechase

• The 3,000 meter Steeplechase is a distance event requiring greater strength, stamina and agility than the flat 3,000 meter middle distance event. It also requires athletes to go over barriers, one which contains a water pit on the adjacent side. Athletes must not only run little under two miles but also go over two barriers with out water and one barrier with a water pit for each lap of seven and a half. The world record for men is:

• Saif Saeed Shaheen 7:53.63 Bruxelles 3 September 2004

For women:

• Gulnara Samitova 9:01.59 Heraklion 4 July 2004

5,000 meters

• The 5,000 meters is widely considered a premier event that requires tactics and superior aerobic conditioning. Training for such an event may comprise of a total of 60-200 kilometers (37-124 miles) a week, although training regiments vary greatly. The 5000 is often a popular entry-level race for beginning runners. The world record for men:

• Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia 12:37.35 Hengelo, Netherlands 31 May 2004

For women:

• Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey (Ethiopian-born) 14:24.68 Norway 11 June 2004

10,000 meters

• The 10,000 meters is the longest standard track event. Most of those running such races also compete in road races and cross country running events. The world record for men:

• Kenenisa Bekele 26:17.53 Bruxelles 26 August 2005

For women:

• Wang Junxia 29:31.78 1993

Other distance events

Longer races are rarely contested on the track, although records do exist for distances up to 1600 kilometers (see marathons and ultramarathons).

Notable long-distance track athletes

Men

• Saïd Aouita, dominated all distances between 800 meters and 5000 m in the 1980s, a gold medalist at the 1984 Olympics, and like Nurmi, was the world record holder for 1500 m, 3:29.46 in 1985, and 5000 m, 13:00.40 in 1985 and 12:58.39 in 1987
• Bernard Barmasai
• Dieter Baumann, gold medalist in the 5000 m at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
• David Bedford
• Kenenisa Bekele, set the current 5000 m world record of 12:37.35 at Hengelo, in the Netherlands, set the current 10000 m world record of 26:17:53 at Brussels, Belgium, and is the gold medalist in the 10,000 m at the 2004 Olympics and 2005 World Championships
• Brahim Boulami
• Christopher Chataway, set a 5000 m world record of 13 minutes 51.6 seconds in 1954, and was a pacesetter when Roger Bannister ran the first ever sub-4 minute mile that same year
• Ron Clarke
• Hicham El Guerrouj, double gold medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and the reigning world record holder for the 1,500 metres, 3:26.00, the mile 3:43.13 and 2,000 metres, 4:44.79
• Haile Gebrselassie, considered one of the greatest distance runners of all time, was the 1996 and 2000 Olympic gold medalist in the 10000 m, and held the 5000 m world record from 1998 until 2004 with a mark of 12:39.36
• Gunder Hägg
• Salah Hissou
• Volmari Iso-Hollo
• Ben Jipcho
• Meb Keflezighi, currently the American 10000 m record holder
• Kipchoge Keino, the first of many great distance runners from Kenya, who won gold in at the 1968 Olympics in the 1500 m and at the 1972 Olympics in the steeplechase
• Bob Kennedy, the first non-African to break 13:00 in the 5000 m, in which he holds the American record, at 12:58.21
• Wilson Boit Kipketer
• Moses Kiptanui
• Hannes Kolehmainen
• Daniel Komen, thus far the only human ever to run back to back sub-four minute miles running a world record 7:58.61 for two miles in 1997
• Billy Mills, the only American ever to win an Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 m, at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
• David Moorcroft, set the world record for 5000 m on July 7, 1982, in Oslo, at the Bislett Games with a time of 13:00.41
• Paavo Nurmi
• Yobes Ondieki
• Steve Prefontaine, at one point held the American record in every running event from the 2000 meters to the 10,000 meters
• Gaston Roelants
• Henry Rono, a Kenyan runner who set several world records in 1978, and again broke the 5000 meters world record in 1981
• William Sigei
• Paul Tergat
• Lasse Viren, Finnish winner of four gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics
• Miruts Yifter, aka 'Yifter the Shifter', an Ethiopian winner of two golds at the 1980 Olympics
• Emil Zátopek, winner of one silver and four gold medals at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics and the first to break the 29 minute barrier in the 10,000 m run, in 1954

Women

• Elvan Abeylegesse, holder of the world record at 5000 m, clocking 14:24:68 in 2004
• Zola Budd, twice broke the world record in the women's 5000 m, running barefoot
• Mary Decker, set six world records in 1982, at distances ranging from the mile to 10,000 meters
• Dong Yanmei
• Jiang Bo
• Ingrid Kristiansen, world champion in the 10000 m in 1987, she set five track world records
• Tegla Loroupe, holds the world records in the one hour run, and for 20, 25 and 30 kilometer distances, and previously held the marathon world record
• Liz McColgan
• Fernanda Ribeiro, Olympic 10,000 m gold medalist in 1996
• Gulnara Samitova, set 3000 m steeplechase world record, clocking 9:01.59, in 2004
• Gabriela Szabo, Romanian who won the 2004 Olympic 5,000 m gold medal in Sydney in a new Olympic record time of 14:40.79
• Derartu Tulu, 10000 m gold medalist in 1994 and 2000, and the first woman from sub-Saharan Africa ever to win an Olympic gold medal
• Wang Junxia, set 10,000 m world record of 29:31.78, the first-ever sub-30 minute performance by a woman, which broke the former record by a stunning 42 seconds

See also

• athletics (also known as track and field)
• Olympic medalists in athletics (men)
• Olympic medalists in athletics (women)
• sprints
• road running
• 5000 m

Events in athletics | Long distance race

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