3000 metres

The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running 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 3000 m should be classified as a middle-distance or long-distance event.^[1] In elite-level competition, 3000 m pace is more comparable to the pace found in the longer 5000 metres event, rather than mile pace. The men's world record performance for 3000 m equates to a pace of 58.34 seconds per 400 m, which is closer to the 60.43 seconds for 5000 m than the 55.46 seconds for the mile. However, the 3000 m does require some anaerobic conditioning, and an elite athlete needs to develop a high tolerance to lactic acid, as does the mile runner. Thus, the 3000 m demands a balance of aerobic endurance 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, 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics. It has not been contested at any of the IAAF outdoor championships, but it 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.

In women's athletics, 3000 metres was a standard event in the Olympic Games (1984 to 1992)^[2] and World Championships (1980 to 1993).^[3] The event was discontinued at World Championship and Olympic level after the 1993 World Championships in Athletics, with Qu Yunxia being the final gold medal 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, for which the oxygen requirements of the body cannot continuously be satisfied,^[4] requiring some anaerobic effort.

Records

World records

• Updated 25 August 2024.^[5]

Short track world records

• Updated 8 February 2025.^[5]

Area records

• Updated 19 May 2026.^[6][7]

All-time top 25

Outdoor men

• Correct as of May 2026.^[8][9]

Outdoor women

• Correct as of August 2025.^[19]

Indoor men

• Correct as of March 2026.^[29]

Indoor women

• Correct as of March 2026.^[41]

Medalists

Men's World Indoor Championships medalists

Women's World Indoor Championships medalists

• Known as the World Indoor Games

World leading times

Men (outdoor)

Men (indoor)

Women (outdoor)

Women (indoor)

See also

• 3200 meters
• 2 miles

Notes and references

1. ^ Indoor record also ratified as outdoor record.^[56]
2. ^ by World Athletics source; 7:23.8 by official Race Analysis

1. ^ Middle-distance running. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2014-06-02.
2. ^ Women's 3000 metres at the Olympic Games. Sport Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-18.
3. ^ World Championships in Athletics. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2014-01-18.
4. ^ Billat, Véronique L. & J. Pierre Koralsztein (August 1996). "Significance of the Velocity at VO2max and Time to Exhaustion at this Velocity". Sports Med.. 22 (2): 90–108. doi:10.2165/00007256-199622020-00004. PMID 8857705. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
5. ^ "World Records | Stats | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved 2026-05-07.
6. ^ "Men's outdoor 3000 Metres | Records". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
7. ^ "Women's outdoor 3000 Metres | Records". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
8. ^ "All-time men's best 3000 m". World Athletics. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
9. ^ "All-time men's best 3000 m". alltime-athletics.com. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
10. ^ "Ingebrigtsen and Duplantis break world records in Silesia | REPORT | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
11. ^ "Tsegay smashes world 5000 m record and Duplantis breaks world pole vault record in Eugene | REPORT | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
12. ^ Jon Mulkeen (9 June 2023). "Kipyegon, Girma and Ingebrigtsen make history in Paris". World Athletics. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
13. ^ "Two Miles Run – Race Analysis". sportresult.com. 9 June 2023. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
14. ^ "Wanda Diamond League China Textile City Sports Center - Shanghai/Keqiao (CHN) Results 3000m Men". shanghai.diamondleague.com. 16 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
15. ^ "3000 m Results". sportresult.com. 10 August 2022. Archived from the original on 23 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
16. ^ "Ceh, Girma and Richardson break meeting records in Doha | REPORT | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
17. ^ Jess Whittington (1 July 2021). "Warholm breaks world 400 m hurdles record with 46.70 in Oslo". World Athletics. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
18. ^ Nicole Jeffery (17 September 2020). "Duplantis scales 6.15 m in Rome, world's highest ever outdoor vault". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
19. ^ "All-time women's best 3000 m". iaaf.org. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
20. ^ "3000 m Results". swisstiming.com. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
21. ^ "Chebet storms to second on world 3000 m all-time list with 8:11.56 in Rabat". World Athletics. 25 May 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
22. ^ Brian Russell (1 July 2019). "Hassan takes historic 3000 m victory in Stanford – IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
23. ^ "2021 Meeting de Paris – 3000 m Results". sportresult.com. 28 August 2021. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
24. ^ "2021 Meeting de Paris – 3000 m Results". sportresult.com. 28 August 2021. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
25. ^ "Results 3000 m Women". Diamond League. 22 August 2024. Archived 25 August 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
26. ^ "2021 Meeting de Paris – 3000 m Results". sportresult.com. 28 August 2021. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
27. ^ "3000 m Results". IAAF. 14 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
28. ^ Jon Mulkeen (25 September 2020). "Obiri and McSweyn victorious in Doha as Wanda Diamond League draws to a close". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
29. ^ "All-time men's best 3000 m indoor". IAAF. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
30. ^ "Nuguse and Fisher break world indoor records in New York". World Athletics. 8 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
31. ^ "Girma breaks world indoor 3000 m record with 7:23.81 in Lievin | REPORTS | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
32. ^ Jon Mulkeen (9 February 2021). "Tsegay breaks world indoor 1500 m record in Lievin with 3:53.09". World Athletics. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
33. ^ "3000 m Result". copernicus.domtel-sport.pl. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
34. ^ Jess Whittington (28 January 2021). "Aregawi and Duplantis put on a show in Karlsruhe". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
35. ^ "New Balance Indoor Grand Prix – Men's 3000 Metres Short Track Results". worldathletics.org. 24 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
36. ^ Henderson, Jason (2025-02-02). "George Mills breaks Josh Kerr's UK 3000 m record with 7:27.92". AW. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
37. ^ Marley Dickinson (27 January 2023). "Yared Nuguse smashes American indoor 3000 m record". Retrieved 28 January 2023.
38. ^ "3000m Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
39. ^ "Ingebrigtsen smashes world indoor 1500 m and mile records in Lievin". World Athletics. 13 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
40. ^ "Track Scoreboard". live.lancertiming.com. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
41. ^ "All-time women's best 3000 m indoor". World Athletics. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
42. ^ "Tsegay threatens world indoor 3000 m record, as tour titles are won in Birmingham | REPORT | World Athletics". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
43. ^ "3000 m Final Results". World Athletics. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
44. ^ "3000 m Final Results". World Athletics. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
45. ^ Jon Mulkeen (17 February 2022). "Ingebrigtsen breaks world indoor 1500 m record in Lievin". World Athletics. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
46. ^ "3000 m Final Results". World Athletics. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
47. ^ "Hodgkinson smashes world short track 800m record in Liévin with 1:54.87 | REPORTS | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
48. ^ Karen Rosen (12 February 2023). "Nuguse breaks North American indoor mile record at Millrose Games". World Athletics. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
49. ^ Taylor Dutch (28 February 2020). "Karissa Schweizer Shatters the 3000-Meter American Record in Boston". Runner's World. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
50. ^ "Hodgkinson smashes world short track 800m record in Liévin with 1:54.87 | REPORTS | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
51. ^ "Laura Muir smashes European 3000 m record in Karlsruhe". athleticsweekly.com. 4 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
52. ^ "Hodgkinson smashes world short track 800m record in Liévin with 1:54.87 | REPORTS | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
53. ^ "3000m Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
54. ^ "Bol beats 50 seconds for 400 m and breaks national 200 m record in Metz". World Athletics. 4 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
55. ^ "Hoey, Courtney-Bryant and Coscoran win distance duels in Boston". World Athletics. 2 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
56. ^ "NACAC Outdoor Records". NACAC Athletics. Archived 2026-05-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-05-07.

External links

• IAAF list of 3000-metres records in XML Archived 31 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine
• Statistics