in Paris. Many sporting activities feature significant levels of running under prolonged periods of play, especially during
ball sports like
association football and
rugby league. However, continuous endurance running is exclusively found in
racing sports. Most of these are
individual sports, although
team and
relay forms also exist. In the
sport of athletics, long-distance events are defined as races covering 3 km (1.9 mi) and above. The three most common types are
track running,
road running, and
cross country running, all of which are defined by their terrain –
all-weather tracks, roads, and natural terrain, respectively. Other less popular variants, such as
fell running,
trail running,
mountain running, and
tower running, combine the challenge of distance with a significant incline or change of elevation as part of the course.
Multisport races frequently include endurance running.
Triathlon, as defined by the
International Triathlon Union, may feature running sections ranging from to the marathon distance (42.195 kilometres, or 26 miles and 385 yards), depending on the
race type. The related sport of
duathlon is a combination of
cycling and distance running. Previous versions of the
modern pentathlon incorporated a three or four-kilometre (1.9–2.5 mi) run, but changes to the official rules in 2008 meant the running sections are now divided into three separate legs of one kilometre each (0.6 mi). Depending on the rules and terrain,
navigation sports such as
foot orienteering and
rogaining may contain periods of endurance running within the competition. Variants of
adventure racing may also combine navigational skills and endurance running in this manner.
Running competitions Track running .The history of long-distance track running events is 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 marked areas of grass. The style of running tracks became refined during the 20th century: the oval running tracks were standardised to 400 metres in distance and
cinder tracks 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
5000 metres is a premier event that requires tactics and superior aerobic conditioning. Training for such an event may consist of a total of 60–200 kilometers (37–124 miles) 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 km/h) by
Joshua Cheptegei of
Uganda in Monaco set on 14 August 2020. • The world record for women is 13:58.06 (an average of 21.48 km/h) by
Beatrice Chebet of
Kenya in
Oregon, United States set on 5 July 2025. • The
10,000 metres is the longest standard track event. Most of those running such races also compete in
road races and
cross country running events. • The world record for men is 26:11.00 (22.915 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
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 914 millimetres (36.0 inches) high, and for the women 762 millimetres (30.0 inches). • 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
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.
Road running . Long-distance road running competitions are mainly conducted on courses of
paved or
tarmac roads. However, 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 races – 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 are 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
aristocrats around the 18th century, and who also ran errands over distances for their masters.
Foot racing competitions evolved from
wagers between aristocrats, who pitted their footmen against those of another aristocrat to determine a winner. The sport became
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. 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 Marathons, which were established in the 1940s. The marathon is the only road running event featured at the
World Athletics Championships and the
Summer Olympics. However, 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,
Boston,
Chicago,
London,
Tokyo, and
New York City marathons. The Tokyo Marathon was most recently added to the World Marathon Majors in 2012.
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 Cross-country running is thought of as 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,
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 4 km (2.5 mi) or more, which are usually held in autumn and winter. There are some cross-country athletes who choose to compete in long-distance track and road events as well. The history of the sport is linked with the game of
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 and then American schools in the 19th century and culminated in the creation of the first
International Cross Country Championships in 1903. The annual
World Athletics Cross Country Championships was inaugurated in 1973, and this remains the highest level of competition for the sport. Several continental cross country competitions are held, with championships taking place in
Africa,
Asia,
Europe,
Oceania,
North America and
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
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. ==Adventure running==