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 400 m 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 or .

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 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 track.

Area records Updated 19 May 2026.

Area Men Women Time Season Athlete Time Season Athlete World 26:11.00 2020 28:54.14 2024 Area records Africa 26:11.00 2020 28:54.14 2024 Asia 26:38.76 2003 29:31.78 1993 Europe 26:46.57 2011 29:06.82 2021 North, Central Americaand Caribbean 26:33.84 2022 30:03.82 2023 Oceania 26:57.07 2026 30:34.11 2025 South America 27:28.12 2007 31:33.07 2024

All-time top 25

Tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 25 10,000 m times and the top 25 athletes:- denotes top performance for athletes in the top 25 10,000 m times- denotes lesser performances, still in the top 25 10,000 m times, by repeat athletes- denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes who fall outside the top 25 10,000 m times

Men

Correct as of June 2024. Time Athlete Nation Date Place 1 1 26:11.00 Joshua Cheptegei 7 October 2020 Valencia 2 2 26:17.53 Kenenisa Bekele 26 August 2005 Brussels 3 26:20.31 Bekele #2 8 June 2004 Ostrava 3 4 26:22.75 Haile Gebrselassie 1 June 1998 Hengelo 5 26:25.97 Bekele #3 8 June 2008 Eugene 4 6 26:27.85 Paul Tergat 22 August 1997 Brussels 7 26:28.72 Bekele #4 29 May 2005 Hengelo 8 26:29.22 Gebrselassie #2 5 September 2003 Brussels 5 9 26:30.03 Nicholas Kemboi 5 September 2003 Brussels 6 10 26:30.74 Abebe Dinkesa 29 May 2005 Hengelo 7 11 26:31.01 Yomif Kejelcha 14 June 2024 Nerja 8 12 26:31.13 Berihu Aregawi 14 June 2024 Nerja 13 26:31.32 Gebrselassie #3 4 July 1997 Oslo 91426:33.84Grant Fisher 6 March 2022San Juan Capistrano101526:33.93Jacob Kiplimo 19 May 2021Ostrava111626:34.14Mohammed Ahmed 6 March 2022San Juan Capistrano 121726:34.93 Selemon Barega 14 June 2024 Nerja 1318 26:35.63 Micah Kogo 25 August 2006Brussels1419 26:36.26 Paul Koech 22 August 1997Brussels152026:37.25 Zersenay Tadese 25 August 2006Brussels 16 21 26:37.93 Biniam Mehary 14 June 2024 Nerja 172226:38.08 Salah Hissou 23 August 1996Brussels182326:38.76 Ahmad Abdullah Hassan 5 September 2003Brussels192426:39.69 Sileshi Sihine 31 May 2004 Hengelo202526:39.77 Boniface Toroitich Kiprop 26 August 2005 Brussels 21 26:41.75 Samuel Wanjiru 26 August 2005 Brussels2226:42.65Gemechu Dida14 June 2024Nerja2326:43.98 Lucas Rotich 7 September 2011 Brussels 2426:44.36 Galen Rupp 30 May 2014 Eugene 2526:45.91Tadese Worku5 May 2022Hengelo

Women Correct as of June 2024. Time Athlete Nation Date Place 1 1 28:54.14 Beatrice Chebet 25 May 2024 Eugene 2 2 29:01.03 Letesenbet Gidey 8 June 2021 Hengelo 3 3 29:05.92 Gudaf Tsegay 25 May 2024 Eugene 4 4 29:06.82 Sifan Hassan 6 June 2021 Hengelo 5 5 29:17.45 Almaz Ayana 12 August 2016 Rio de Janeiro 6 6 29:26.89 Lilian Rengeruk 25 May 2024 Eugene 7 7 29:27.59 Margaret Kipkemboi 25 May 2024 Eugene 8 29:29.73 Tsegay #2 23 June 2023 Nerja 8 9 29:31.78 Wang Junxia 8 September 1993 Beijing9 10 29:32.53 Vivian Cheruiyot 12 August 2016 Rio de Janeiro 11 29:36.67 Hassan #2 10 October 2020 Hengelo 1229:37.80Hassan #33 June 2023Hengelo13 29:39.42 Tsegay #3 8 May 2021 Maia 101429:42.56Tirunesh Dibaba 12 August 2016Rio de Janeiro111529:47.42Grace Loibach Nawowuna3 June 2023Hengelo121629:47.71Fotyen Tesfay14 June 2024Nerja131729:48.34Tsigie Gebreselama16 March 2024San Juan Capistrano 18 29:49.33 Gebreselama #2 14 June 2024 Nerja 141929:50.52Ejgayehu Taye14 June 2024Nerja152029:50.77Kalkidan Gezahegne 8 May 2021Maia162129:53.51Alice Aprot Nawowuna 12 August 2016Rio de Janeiro1722 29:53.80 Meselech Melkamu 14 June 2009 Utrecht 23 29:54.66 Dibaba #2 15 August 2008 Beijing 24 29:55.32 Hassan #4 7 August 2021 Tokyo25 29:56.18 Gezahegne #2 7 August 2021 Tokyo18 29:59.03 Mizan Alem 20 May 2023 London1929:59.15Lemlem Hailu23 June 2023Nerja20 29:59.20 Meseret Defar 11 July 2009 Birmingham2130:00.86Eilish McColgan4 March 2023San Juan Capistrano22 30:01.09 Paula Radcliffe 6 August 2002 Munich2330:03.82Alicia Monson4 March 2023San Juan Capistrano24 30:04.18 Berhane Adere 23 August 2003 Saint-Denis25 30:04.97 Janeth Chepngetich 25 May 2024 Eugene

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

Olympic medalists Men

Women

World Championships medalists Men

Women

European Championships medalists Men

Women

World leading times

Men YearTimeAthletePlace197028:06.2 Warsaw197127:47.0 Portsmouth197227:38.4 Munich197327:30.80London197427:43.6 Eugene197527:45.43London197627:40.38Montreal197727:30.47Helsinki197827:22.47Vienna197927:36.8 Troisdorf198027:29.16Paris198127:27.1 Lisbon198227:22.95Paris198327:23.44Oslo198427:13.81Stockholm198527:37.17Stockholm198627:20.56Brussels198727:26.95Stockholm198827:21.46Seoul198927:08.23Berlin199027:18.22Berlin199127:11.18Hengelo199227:14.26Oslo199326:58.38Oslo199426:52.23Oslo199526:43.53Hengelo199626:38.08Brussels199726:27.85Brussels199826:22.75Hengelo199926:51.49Brussels200027:03.87Brussels200127:04.20Palo Alto200226:49.38Brussels200326:29.22Brussels200426:20.31Ostrava200526:17.53Brussels200626:35.63Brussels200726:46.19Brussels200826:25.97Eugene200926:46.31Berlin201026:56.74Turku201126:43.16Brussels201226:51.16Brussels201326:51.02Sollentuna201426:44.36Eugene201526:50.97Eugene201626:51.11Hengelo201726:49.51London201827:13.01Yokohama201926:48.36Doha202026:11.00Valencia202126.33.90Ostrava202226:33.84San Juan Capistrano202326:50.66Nerja202426:31.01Nerja202526:43.82Eugene202626:56.58San Juan Capistrano

Women YearTimeAthletePlace197035:30.5 Milan197134:51.0 Phoenix1972 — — —1973 — — —1974 — — —197534:01.4 Wolfsburg197634:19.0 Eugene197733:15.1 Westwood197832:43.2 Băile Felix197932:52.5 Walnut198032:57.17Sittard198132:17.19Moscow198231:35.3 Eugene198331:27.58Odesa198431:13.78Kyiv198530:59.42Oslo198630:13.74Oslo198731:05.85Rome198831:05.21Seoul198930:48.51Oslo199031:18.18Helsinki199130:57.07Hengelo199231:06.02Barcelona199329:31.78Beijing199430:50.34Hiroshima199531:04.99Gothenburg199631:01.63Atlanta199730:38.09Shanghai199830:48.06Lisbon199930:24.56Seville200030:17.49Sydney200130:55.80Barakaldo200230:01.09Munich200330:04.18Saint-Denis200430:17.15Gateshead200530:15.67Sollentuna200630:21.67Antalya200731:00.27Valkenswaard200829:54.66Beijing200929:53.80Utrecht201031:04.52Ostrava201130:38.35Palo Alto201230:20.75London201330:08.06Sollentuna201430:42.26Palo Alto201530:49.68Hengelo201629:17.45Rio de Janeiro201730:16.32London201830:41.85Fukagawa201930:17.62Doha202029:36.67Hengelo202129:01.03Hengelo202230:09.94Eugene202329:29.73Nerja202428:54.14Eugene202530:27.02Nairobi202630:29.16Chitose

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

10,000 metres

Bron en licentie