10,000 metres

The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship-level events. The race consists of 25 laps around an Olympic-sized track. It is less commonly held at track and field meetings due to its duration. The 10,000-metre track race is usually distinguished from its road running counterpart, the 10K run, by referring to the distance in metres rather than kilometres.

The 10,000 metres is the longest standard track event, approximately equivalent to 10 km or 10 km. Most athletes in this event also compete in road races and cross country events.



Added to the Olympic programme in 1912, athletes from Finland nicknamed the "Flying Finns" dominated the event until the late 1940s. In the 1960s, African runners began to come to the fore. In 1988, the women's competition debuted in the Olympic Games.

Official records are kept for outdoor 10,000-metre track events. The world record for men is held by Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda in 26:11.00, set in Valencia, Spain on 7 October 2020. For women, the world record is held by Beatrice Chebet of Kenya, in 28:54.14, set in Eugene, Oregon, on 25 May 2024.

The 10,000 metres demands exceptional levels of aerobic endurance, and elite athletes typically train in excess of 160 km (100 miles) a week.

6 miles
10,000 metres is the slightly longer metric derivative of the 6 mi run, an event common in countries when they were using the imperial measurement system. 6 miles was used in the Commonwealth Games until 1966 and was a championship in the United States in non-Olympic years from 1953 to 1973. It is 24 laps around a 1/4 mi track.

Continental records

 * Updated 25 May 2024.

Men

 * Correct June 2024.

Women

 * Correct as of June 2024.

Annulled marks

 * Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey ran 29:56.34 at the 2008 Olympics. This performance was annulled due to doping offences.

Competitions

 * European Cup 10,000m
 * Iberian 10,000 Metres Championships