Long-distance track event

This article is about long-distance track races. For long track speedskating, see speed skating. For lengths on the order of 10 kilometres, see 1 myriametre.

Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else. Elite long distance athletes typically train over 100 miles a week.

Standard long-distance track events

5000 metres

Main article: 5000 metres

• The 5000 metres is a premier event that requires tactics and superior aerobic conditioning. Training for such an event may consist of a total of 60–200 kilometers (37–124 miles) a week, although training regimens 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 (an average of 23.76 km/h) Hengelo, Netherlands on 31 May 2004

For women:

• Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia 14:11.15 (an average of 21.14 km/h) Oslo, Norway on 6 June 2008

10,000 metres

Main article: 10,000 metres

• The 10,000 metres 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:

Was set by Kenenisa Bekele in 2005. He ran a time of 26:17.53.

For women:

• Wang Junxia of China in 29:31.78 (20.47km/h), set on September 8, 1993

Non-standard long-distance track events

20,000 metres/One hour

Main article: One hour run

The one hour run is an endurance race that is rarely contested, except in pursuit of world records. The 20,000 metres is also rarely contested, and all world records in the 20,000 metres have been set while in a one hour run race

Marathon

Main article: Marathon

• The marathon is typically run as a road race rather than on a track. Michael Wardian currently holds the top indoor marathon performance (2:27:21).^[1][2]

Other distance events

Races longer than 10,000m are rarely contested on the track, although the half marathon and marathon are the notable examples of longer races on the road.

Notable long-distance track athletes

Men

• Salvatore Antibo Winner of 5000m 10,000 double at 1990 European Championships in Athletics in Split
• Saïd Aouita, was ranked among the world's best at all distances between 800 metres 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, steeplechase world record holder
• Dieter Baumann, gold medalist in the 5000 m at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
• Kenenisa Bekele, set the current 5000 m world record of 12:37.35 at Hengelo, Netherlands and set the current 10,000 m world record of 26:17:53 at Brussels, Belgium, and is the gold medalist in the 10,000 m at the 2004 Olympics, 2005 World Championships, 2007 World Championships, 2008 Olympics, and 2009 World Championships. He is also the gold medalist in the 5000 m at the 2008 Olympics and 2009 World Championships.
• Brahim Boulami, steeplechase world record holder
• 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, held the 10,000 meter world record for eight years
• Eamonn Coghlan, World 5000m champion 1983
• Mo Farah, Winner of 5000m and 10,000m double at 2010 European Athletics Championships in Barcelona
• 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. He also captured the World Championship 5000m silver medal in 2003 and the Olympic 5000m gold medal in 2004.
• Haile Gebrselassie, considered one of the greatest distance runners of all time, was the 1996 and 2000 Olympic gold medalist in the 10,000 m, and held the 5000 m and 10,000 m world records from 1998 until 2004 with a mark of 12:39.36 and 26:22.75 respectively (still the second best athlete of all time). As of September 2008, he holds the marathon world record at 2:03:59.
• Volmari Iso-Hollo, winner of 3000 m steeplechase at the 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics
• Ben Jipcho, steeplechase world 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
• Wilson Boit Kipketer, steeplechase world champion and world record holder
• Moses Kiptanui, thrice world champion, held two world records
• Hannes Kolehmainen, Finnish, the original Flying Finn, winner of four Olympic gold medals
• 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 and world record holder in the 3000 [1], as well as past world record holder in the 5000.
• Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Won 5000 m and 10 000 m double at 1958 European Championships in Athletics. Won 3,000m steeplechase at the 1960 Summer Olympics two months after setting 3,000m steeplechase world record of 8.31.4.
• Taisto Mäki, held the two miles, 5000 m and 10,000 m world records simultaneously for three years. The first man to run 10,000 m in under half an hour.
• Fernando Mamede Portuguese athlete and former world-record holder. However, he never won any top level competition
• Billy Mills, the only American ever to win an Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 m, at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
• Noureddine Morceli a retired Algerian athlete, winner of the 1500 m run at the 1996 Summer Olympics, as well the gold medal in various world championships, in the 1990s, he held various world records, including 1500 m, the mile, 2000 m, and 5000 m
• 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, Finnish,Regarded as the greatest track and field athlete of all time and winner of nine Olympic gold medals (despite missing 1932 games in a professional controversy over travel expenses), setting world records at distances between 1500 m and 20 km, and one of the Flying Finns
• Alan Webb, American, record holder for the American mile and the records for high school and high school sophomores.
• Steve Prefontaine, American middle- and long-distance athlete.
• Miruts Yifter, aka 'Yifter the Shifter', an Ethiopian winner of two golds at the 1980 Olympics
• Gaston Reiff, 3000 meters world record holder for five years, Olympic gold on the 1948 5000 meters
• Ville Ritola, winner of five Olympic gold medals
• Gaston Roelants, Olympic gold medal winner and world record holder on the 3000 meter steeplechase
• Henry Rono, a Kenyan runner who set several world records in 1978, and again broke the 5000 meters world record in 1981
• Paul Tergat, world record holder in the marathon 2003 - September 2007
• Juha Väätäinen, Finnish Won 5000 m and 10,000 m double at the 1971 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki.
• Lasse Virén, Finnish winner of four gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics
• Emil Zátopek, winner of one silver and four gold medals at the 1948 Olympics and 1952 Olympics and the first to break the 29 minute barrier in the 10,000 m run, in 1954

Women

• 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 42 seconds. Also holds the 3,000 m world record of 8:06.11. World Champion for 10,000 m in 1993, Olympic Champion at 5000 m and silver medalist at 10,000 m at the Atlanta 1996 Games. Won numerous Asian titles at 5000m and 10,000m from 1992-1996. Only lost one 10,000 m race her entire career.
• Paula Radcliffe, multiple world record holder on the roads, marathon world record holder with a 2:15.25 performance, half marathon and cross country World Champion, fifth fastest at 10,000 m.
• Tirunesh Dibaba, current Olympic Champion at both 5000 m and 10,000 m (the first woman to win this double). The second women to break 30 minutes after world record holder Wang Junxia.
• Derartu Tulu, 10,000 m gold medalist in 1992 and 2000, and the first woman from sub-Saharan Africa ever to win an Olympic gold medal
• Meseret Defar, 2004 Olympic gold medalist at 5000 m, and former world record holder
• Ingrid Kristiansen, world champion in the 10,000 m in 1987, she set five track world records
• Elvan Abeylegesse, former 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
• 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
• Sonia O'Sullivan, World Champion in 5000m in 1995, European Champion in 3000m in 1994, won double gold at the 1998 European Championships at 5000m and 10,000m. Won Long Race and Short Race double at the 1998 World Cross Country Championships. Olympic Silver medallist at 5000m in 2000.
• Fernanda Ribeiro, European, World and Olympic 10,000 m gold medalist in 1994, 1995 and 1996, respectively
• Gulnara Samitova, set 3000 m steeplechase world record, clocking 9:01.59, in 2004
• Gabriela Szabo, Romanian who won the 2000 Olympic 5000 m gold medal in Sydney in a new Olympic record time of 14:40.79

References

1. ^ "All-Time Performances- Marathon Indoor Track". Association of Road Racing Statisticians. http://www.arrs.net/AllTime/AL_ITMar.htm. Retrieved April 11, 2011. 
2. ^ Shipley, Amy (3 July 2010). "Arlington's Michael Wardian sets indoor 200-meter track marathon record". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/02/AR2010070205198.html. Retrieved April 11, 2011. 

See also

• Athletics (sport)
• List of Olympic medalists in athletics (men)
• List of Olympic medalists in athletics (women)