5000 metres
Rules
Athletes run just over twelve and a half laps on a 400-metre track. Athletes in the 5000 metres start from a standing start and a common waterfall start line. Usually, at major competitions such as World Championships, European Championships, and the Olympic Games, 5000-metre events are held in two rounds according to the rules and depending on the number of participants. Commercial meets typically feature a single race. When a large number of participants (more than 20) enter a race, they are divided into two groups, which merge onto a single track after 115 metres. In the indoor season, the 5000 m is the longest distance event for which official World Athletics (formerly IAAF) competitions are held.
History
The 5000 metres has been included in the Olympic Games programme for men since 1912, and for women since 1996. It takes place during both the outdoor (400-metre track) and indoor seasons (200-metre track). Starting in the 1970s, the 5000 metres gained popularity among women as well. In 1984, the 3000-metre distance was introduced to the Olympic programme, but starting with the 1996 Olympics, it was replaced by the 5000 metres. Since 1995, the women’s 5000 m distance has been included in the outdoor World Championships.
Interesting Facts In Great Britain, the 3-mile distance (4,828 metres) was popular, which later transitioned into the more widely adopted metric distance of 5,000 metres.
Records
Outdoor:
Men: Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda) — 12:35.36 — 14.08.2020 — Monaco
Women: Beatrice Chebet (Kenya) — 13:58.06 — 05.07.2025 — Eugene, USA
Indoor:
Men: Kenenisa Bekele — 12:49.60 — Birmingham, England in 2004.
Women: Tirunesh Dibaba — 14:27.42 — Boston, USA in 2007.
