Long-distance race events in athletics usually start from 3000 m and go up to ultra-marathons, with a few standard distances used worldwide for road and track races.

Main long-distance race events

  • 3000 m (borderline long distance, often classed as long in schools and basic PE).
  • 5000 m track race (Olympic event, 12.5 laps on a standard 400 m track).
  • 10,000 m track race (Olympic event, 25 laps, classic long-distance on the track).
  • 10 km road race (popular community and club racing distance worldwide).
  • Half marathon – 21.0975 km (13.1 miles), major city events are held globally each year.
  • Marathon – 42.195 km (26.2 miles), the iconic long-distance event from Olympic and city marathons.
  • Ultra-marathon – any race longer than a marathon; common formats include 50 km, 100 km, 50 miles, 100 miles, or time-based events like 6‑hour, 12‑hour, 24‑hour races.

How they’re usually grouped

You will often see long-distance running grouped like this in training guides and race calendars:

  • Short long-distance: 3 km, 5 km, 10 km
  • Classic road distance: Half marathon, marathon
  • Ultra-distance: 50 km+, 100 km+, multi-day stage races and 24‑hour events.

Example: “which are the long distance race events”

If you’re answering or writing about “which are the long distance race events”, a clear list could be:

  1. 3000 m
  2. 5000 m
  3. 10,000 m
  4. 10 km road race
  5. Half marathon (21.1 km)
  6. Marathon (42.195 km)
  7. Ultra-marathons (50 km, 100 km, 24‑hour, multi-day stage ultras)

These cover the standard long-distance race events most runners, coaches, and exam syllabi refer to today.