The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a

track running Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000m should be classified as a middle-distance or long-distance event. In elite-level competition, 3000 m pace is more comparable to the pace found in the longer 5000 metres event, rather than

mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...

pace. The

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

performance for 3000 m equates to a pace of 58.76 seconds per 400 m, which is closer to the 60.43 seconds for 5000 m than the 55.46 seconds for the

. However, the 3000 m does require some anaerobic conditioning, and an elite athlete needs to develop a high tolerance to

lactic acid Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has a molecular formula . It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as well as natu ...

, as does the mile runner. Thus, the 3000 m demands a balance of

aerobic endurance Aerobic exercise (also known as endurance activities, cardio or cardio-respiratory exercise) is physical exercise of low to high exercise intensity, intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic Adenosine triphosphate, energy-generating process ...

needed for the 5000 m and lactic acid tolerance needed for the Mile. In men's athletics, 3000 metres has been an Olympic discipline only as a team race at the

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ...

, 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics. It has not been contested at any of the

IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...

outdoor championships, but is occasionally hosted at annual elite track and field meetings. It is often featured in indoor track and field programmes and is the longest-distance event present at the

IAAF World Indoor Championships The World Athletics Indoor Championships are a biennial indoor track and field competition served as the global championship for that version of the sport. Organised by the World Athletics, the competition was inaugurated as the ''World Indoor G ...

. In women's athletics, 3000 metres was a standard event in the Olympic Games (

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

) and World Championships (1980 to 1993). The event was discontinued at World Championship and Olympic level after the 1993 World Championships in Athletics –

Qu Yunxia Qu Yunxia (; born 25 December 1972 in Dalian) is a Chinese Olympic athlete who specialized in the 1500 metres. At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona she won a bronze medal in 1500 m. On 9 November 1993 she set the world record in the 1500 me ...

being the final

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

winner at the event. Starting with the 1995 World Championships in Athletics and the 1996 Olympic Games, it was replaced by 5000 metres, with other IAAF-organized championships following suit. Skilled runners in this event reach speeds near

vVO2max vV̇O2max (velocity at maximal oxygen uptake) is an intense running or swimming pace. In a constant rate exercise, this is the minimum speed for which the organism's maximal oxygen uptake is reached (after a few minutes of exercise at this intensi ...

, for which the oxygen requirements of the body cannot continuously be satisfied, requiring some anaerobic effort.

All-time top 25

The men's world record is 7:20.67 set by

Daniel Komen Daniel Kipngetich Komen (born 17 May 1976) Komen is rumoured to be three years older than officially recognised. is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. Remembered for his rivalry with Haile Gebrselassie, Komen's most notable achievement ...

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in 1996. Komen also holds the world indoor mark with 7:24.90 minutes set in 1998. The women's world record is 8:06.11 set by

Wang Junxia Wang Junxia (; born January 19, 1973) is a Chinese former long-distance runner who is the current world record holder at 3,000 meters. She also held the world record for the 10,000 meters for 23 years, between 1993 and 2016. Her best years lay ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

in 1993. The world indoor women's record is 8:16.60 minutes, set by Ethiopian

Genzebe Dibaba Genzebe Dibaba Keneni ( Oromo: ''Ganzabee Dibaabaa Qananii''; Amharic: ገንዘቤ ዲባባ ቀነኒ; born 8 February 1991) is an Ethiopian middle- and long-distance runner. A 1500 metres 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist, she won a gold med ...

in 2014.

Outdoor men

*Correct as of August 2022.

Outdoor women

*Correct as of May 2022.

Indoor men

*Correct as of February 2022.

Notes

Below is a list of other times equal to or superior to 7:33.73. *

Berihu Aregawi Berihu Aregawi (born 28 February 2001) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. He placed fourth in the 10,000 metres at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Aregawi currently holds world record in the 5 kilometres road race. Career Berihu Aregawi was the br ...

also ran 7:29.24 (2021). *

Lamecha Girma Lamecha Girma (born 26 November 2000) is an Ethiopian athlete who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medallist in the event and won silver medals at the 2019 and 2022 World Athletics Championships. L ...

also ran 7:30.54 (2022). *

Selemon Barega Selemon Barega Shirtaga (born 20 January 2000) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. He won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and a silver for the 5000 metres at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. Barega is a tw ...

also ran 7:30.66 (2022) and 7:33.19 (2020). *

Getnet Wale Getnet Wale Bayabl (born 16 July 2000) is an Ethiopian runner specialising in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He finished fourth at the Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics, 2020 Tokyo Olympics as well as at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, ...

also ran 7:30.88 (2022) and 7:32.80 (2020).

Indoor women

*Correct as of February 2022.

Notes

Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 8:29.99: *

also ran 8:22.50 (2016), 8:24.85+ (2014), 8:26.95 (2013). *

Meseret Defar Meseret Defar Tola (Amharic: መሠረት ደፋር; born 19 November 1983) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes chiefly in the 3000 metres and 5000 metres events. She has won medals at top-tier international competitions including O ...

also ran 8:24.46 (2010), 8:26.99 (2009), 8:27.93 (2008). *

Meselech Melkamu Meselech Melkamu born 27 April 1985 in Debre Marqos) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She defeated Meseret Defar to win the 5000 metres gold medal at the 2008 African Athletics Championships, but she is better known for her 29:53.80 run ...

also ran 8:29.48 (2008). * Hellen Obiri also ran 8:29.46 (2017), 8:29.99 (2014).

Medalists

Women's Olympic medalists

Women's World Championships medalists

Men's World Indoor Championships medalists

Women's World Indoor Championships medalists

* Known as the ''World Indoor Games''

Season's bests

Men (outdoor)

Men (indoor)

Women (outdoor)

Women (indoor)

External links

IAAF list of 3000-metres records in XML

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:3000 Metres Events in track and field Women's athletics Long-distance running distances Middle-distance running Discontinued Summer Olympic disciplines in athletics