Editing Long-distance running (section)

===Running competitions===
====Track running====
{{main|Track and field}}
[[File:Men's 10000m Final - 2012 Olympics - 1.jpg|thumb|right|Runners turning the bend in the men's 10,000 metres final at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]].]]

The history of long-distance track running events are tied to the track and field stadia where they are held. Oval circuits allow athletes to cover long distances in a confined area. Early tracks were usually on flattened earth or were simply marked areas of grass. The style of running tracks became refined during the 20th century: the oval running tracks were standardised to 400&nbsp;metres in distance and [[cinder track]]s were replaced by synthetic [[all-weather running track]] of asphalt and rubber from the mid-1960s onwards. It was not until the [[1912 Stockholm Olympics]] that the standard long-distance track events of [[5000 metres]] and [[10,000 metres]] were introduced.
* The '''[[3000 metres steeplechase]]''' is a race that involves not only running but also jumping over barriers and a water pit. While it can be considered a hurdling event, it is widely regarded as a long-distance running event as well. The obstacles for the men are {{convert|914|mm|in|abbr=off}} high, and for the women {{convert|762|mm|in|abbr=off}}.
** The world record for men is 7:53.63 by [[Saif Saaeed Shaheen]] of [[Qatar]] in [[Brussels]], Belgium set on 3 September 2004.
** The world record for women is 8:44.32 by [[Beatrice Chepkoech]] of [[Kenya]] in [[Monaco]], set on 20 July 2018.
* The '''[[5000 metres]]''' is a premier event that requires tactics and superior aerobic conditioning. Training for such an event may consist of a total of {{convert|60|–|200|km|mi|abbr=off|sp=us}} a week, although training regimens vary greatly. The 5000 is often a popular entry-level race for beginning runners.
** The world record for men is 12:35.36 (an average of 23.83&nbsp;km/h) by [[Joshua Cheptegei]] of [[Uganda]] in Monaco set on 14 August 2020.
** The world record for women is 14:00.21 (an average of 21.43&nbsp;km/h) by [[Gudaf Tsegay]] of [[Ethiopia]] in [[Oregon]], United States set on 17 September 2023.
* The '''[[10,000 metres]]''' is the longest standard track event. Most of those running such races also compete in [[Road running|road races]] and [[cross country running]] events.
** The world record for men is 26:11.00 (22.915&nbsp;km/h) by [[Joshua Cheptegei]] of [[Uganda]] in [[Valencia]], Spain set on 7 October 2020.
** The world record for women is 29:01.03 by [[Letesenbet Gidey]] of [[Ethiopia]] in [[Hengelo]], the Netherlands set on 8 June 2021.
* The '''[[One hour run]]''' is an endurance race that is rarely contested, except in pursuit of world records.
* The '''[[20,000 metres]]''' is also rarely contested, most world records in this distance have been set while in a one-hour run race.
* The '''25,000 metres''' and '''30,000 metres''' were contested even more sporadically for world records, until 2020 when those distances (along with the 20,000 metres) were removed from the list of events for which world records are recognised.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New way to judge jumps take-off fouls among recent competition rule changes introduced for 2020 and 2021 |url=https://worldathletics.org/news/iaaf-news/competition-rules-changes |date=2020-09-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001211734/https://worldathletics.org/news/iaaf-news/competition-rules-changes |archive-date=2020-10-01 |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=[[World Athletics]] |quote=The 20,000m, 25,000m and 30,000m are deleted from the list of events for which world records are recognised}}</ref>

====Road running====
[[File:Yokohama Womens Marathon 2009.jpg|thumb|Women runners on a closed-off-road at the 2009 [[Yokohama Marathon]].]]
{{main|Road running|Marathon}}
{{See also|List of World Athletics Label marathon races}}

Long-distance road running competitions are mainly conducted on courses of [[Road surface|paved]] or [[Asphalt concrete|tarmac]] roads, although major events often finish on the track of a main stadium. In addition to being a common [[recreational sport]], the elite level of the sport – particularly [[marathon race]]s – is one of the most popular aspects of athletics. Road racing events can be of virtually any distance, but the most common and well-known is the marathon, [[half marathon]], and [[10 km run]].

The sport of road running finds its roots in the activities of [[footmen]]: male servants who ran alongside the carriages of [[Aristocracy (class)|aristocrats]] around the 18th century, and who also ran errands over distances for their masters. [[Foot racing]] competitions evolved from [[Gambling|wagers]] between aristocrats, who pitted their footman against that of another aristocrat in order to determine a winner. The sport became [[Professional sports|professionalised]] as footmen were hired specifically on their athletic ability and began to devote their lives to training for gambling events. The amateur sports movement in the late 19th century marginalised competitions based on the professional, gambling model. The [[1896 Summer Olympics]] saw the birth of the modern marathon and the event led to the growth of road running competitions through annual public events such as the Boston Marathon (first held in 1897) and the [[Lake Biwa Marathon]] and [[Fukuoka Marathon]]s, which were established in the 1940s. The [[Running boom|1970s running boom]] in the United States made road running a common [[pastime]] and also increased its popularity at the elite level.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/roadrunning/index.html Road running – Introduction] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023092528/http://iaaf.org/community/athletics/roadrunning/index.html |date=23 October 2012 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved 27 May 2010.</ref>

The marathon is the only road running event featured at the [[World Athletics Championships]] and the [[Summer Olympics]], although there is also the [[World Athletics Half Marathon Championships]] held every two years. The marathon is also the only road running event featured at the [[World Para Athletics Championships]] and the [[Summer Paralympics]]. The [[World Marathon Majors]] series includes the six most prestigious marathon competitions at the elite level – the [[Berlin Marathon|Berlin]], [[Boston Marathon|Boston]], [[Chicago Marathon|Chicago]], [[London Marathon|London]], [[Tokyo Marathon|Tokyo]], and [[New York City Marathon|New York City]] marathons. The Tokyo Marathon was most recently added to the World Marathon Majors in 2012.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Belson |first=Ken |date=2 November 2012 |title=Tokyo Will Be Added as Sixth Major Marathon |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/sports/tokyo-will-be-added-as-sixth-major-marathon.html |access-date=1 March 2017}}</ref>

[[Ekiden]] contests – which originated in Japan and remain common there – are a relay race variation on the marathon, in contrast to the typically individual sport of road running.

====Cross country running====
{{Main|Cross country running|Trail running|Fell running|Mountain running}}
Cross-country running is the most naturalistic form of long-distance running in athletics as competitions take place on open-air courses over surfaces such as grass, [[woodland]] trails, [[soil|earth]], or mountains. In contrast to the relatively flat courses in track and road races, cross country usually incorporates obstacles such as muddy sections, logs, and mounds of earth. As a result of these factors, weather can play an integral role in racing conditions. Cross country is both an individual and team sport, as runners are judged on an individual basis and a points-scoring method is used for teams. Competitions are typically races of {{convert|4|km|mi|abbr=on}} or more which are usually held in autumn and winter. Cross country's most successful athletes often compete in long-distance track and road events as well.

[[File:Maya Rehberg and Imana Truyers.jpg|left|thumb|Women racing on snow in the 2012 [[European Cross Country Championships]]]]

The history of the sport is linked with the game of [[Paper Chase (game)|paper chase]], or hare and hounds, where a group of runners would cover long distances to chase a leading runner, who left a trail of paper to follow. The [[Crick Run]] in England in 1838 was the first recorded instance of an organised cross-country competition. The sport gained popularity in British, then American schools in the 19th century and culminated in the creation of the first [[International Cross Country Championships]] in 1903.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/crosscountry/index.html Cross country – Introduction] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227014746/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/crosscountry/index.html |date=27 February 2011 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved 27 May 2010.</ref> The annual [[World Athletics Cross Country Championships]] was inaugurated in 1973 and this remains the highest level of competition for the sport. A number of continental cross country competitions are held, with championships taking place in [[African Cross Country Championships|Africa]], [[Asian Cross Country Championships|Asia]], [[European Cross Country Championships|Europe]], [[Oceania Cross Country Championships|Oceania]], [[Americas Cross Country Championships|North America]] and [[South American Cross Country Championships|South America]]. The sport has retained its status at the scholastic level, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. At the professional level, the foremost competitions come under the banner of the [[World Athletics Cross Country Tour]].

While cross country competitions are no longer held at the Olympics, having [[Cross country running at the Olympics|featured in the athletics programme]] from 1912 to 1924, it has been present as one of the events within the [[modern pentathlon]] competition since the [[1912 Summer Olympics]].

[[Fell running]], [[trail running]], and [[mountain running]] can all be considered variations on the traditional cross country which incorporate significant uphill and/or downhill sections as an additional challenge to the course.