The 10,000 metres is the longest standard track event, approximately equivalent to 6 miles 376 yards or 32,808 feet 5 inches.

Added to the Olympic programme in 1912, athletes from Finland, nicknamed the "Flying Finns", dominated the event until the late 1940s.

The world record for men is held by Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda in 26:11.00, set in Valencia, Spain on 7 October 2020.

[2] The 10,000 metres demands exceptional levels of aerobic endurance, and elite athletes typically train in excess of 160 km (100 miles) a week.

[3] 10,000 metres is the slightly longer metric derivative of the 6-mile (9,656.1-metre) run, an event common in countries when they were using the imperial measurement system.