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Endurance running, also referred to as long-distance running, is a sport of the track and field discipline, which comprises of all running races of distances from 3kms up to the marathon. The sport has recently been dominated by runners from African countries, who hold the world records for all long-distance races.

There are several distances for which long-distances races are conducted, of which the most common are the, 5K, 10K, and the marathon (42.2K) races. Some of the other types of endurance running that are less popular are, the half marathon, ultra-marathon and cross-country running.

In major competitions, the 5K and 10K races are mostly conducted on a track, and the marathon races are conducted on city roads. The Olympics and the World Championships both have races for all the three distances, for both men and women.

Though the 5K and 10K races are only conducted as part of a major event, every year, several standalone marathon races are held in various cities around the world, for both men and women. In these races, amateurs are also allowed to take part along with professional runners. Some of the most popular marathons are, New York marathon, Boston marathon, London marathon, Berlin marathon, Chicago marathon, and Tokyo marathon.

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Similar Sports

• Steeplechase — an athletics distance track running event with barriers and water jumps.
• Marathon — a distance running athletics event over 42.2 km.
• Middle Distance — a set of track and field running events over distances such as 800m, 1500m, not a sprint and not an endurance race.
• Racerunning — a track and field racing sport for disabled athletes, in which they use a specially designed tricycle.
• Ultramarathon — very long-distance endurance events, ranging from greater than Marathon distance to several days. Ultramarathons can either cover a specified distance, or take place during a specified time frame, with the winner covering the most distance in that time.
• Cross-Country Running — individuals or teams run races which involve courses over natural terrain.
• Fell Running — running and racing done off-road or on any over upland country, with a significant hill component.
• Running (general)

Related Pages

• Complete list of sports
• major marathon races from around the world
• The Encyclopedia of Sports