10,000 metres

Athletics 10,000 metres
10,000 metres at Sydney 2000.
Men's records
World	Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 26:17.53 (2005)
Olympic	Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 27:01.17 (2008)
Women's records
World	Almaz Ayana (ETH) 29:17.45 (2016)
Olympic	Almaz Ayana (ETH) 29:17.45 (2016)

The 10,000 metres or 10,000-meter run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics 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 metres track race is usually distinguished from its road running counterpart, the 10K run, by its reference to the distance in metres rather than kilometres.

The 10,000 metres is the longest standard track event. The international distance is equal to approximately 6.2137 miles (or, approximately 32,808.4 feet). Most of those running such races 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 metres track events. The world record for men is held by Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia in 26:17.53, posted at Brussels, Belgium on August 26, 2005. For women, the world track 10,000 metres record is held by Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia in 29:17.45 to win gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics on August 12, 2016.

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

(Updated December 2016)

(Updated August 2016)

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