- The is a distance event requiring greater strength, stamina and agility than the flat 3,000 meter Middle Distance event. The world record for men is:
For women:
- The is 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 a week. The world record for men:
For women:
- The is the final standard track event. Most of those running such races also compete in road races and Cross Country Running events. The world record for men:
For women:
Longer races are rarely contested on the track, although records do exist for distances up to 1600 kilometers (see Marathon s and Ultramarathon s).
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- Bernard Barmasai
- Dieter Baumann , gold medalist in the 5000m at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
- David Bedford
- , in The Netherlands , and the gold medalist in the 10,000m at at the 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 10000m, and held the 5000m 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
- 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 , an Olympic gold medalist and the first to break the 29 minute barrier in the 10,000 m run, in 1954
- 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 10,000m gold medalist in 1996
- Gulnara Samitova , set 3000 m steeplechase world record, clocking 9:01.59, in 2004
- Gabriela Szabo , Romania n 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
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