10,000 metres at the Olympics

10,000 metres
at the Olympic Games
The 2012 Olympic women's 10,000 m final
Overview
SportAthletics
GenderMen and women
Years heldMen: 19122020
Women: 19882020
Olympic record
Men26:43.14 Joshua Cheptegei (Paris 2024)
Women29:17.45 Almaz Ayana (2016)
Reigning champion
Men Joshua Cheptegei (UGA)
Women Beatrice Chebet (KEN)

The 10,000 metres at the Summer Olympics is the longest track running event held at the multi-sport event. The men's 10,000 m has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1912. The women's event was added to the programme over seventy years later, at the 1988 Olympics. It is the most prestigious 10,000 m race at elite level. The competition format is a straight final between around 30 athletes, although prior to 2004 a qualifying round was held.

The Olympic records for the event were both set by Ethiopians at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics: Kenenisa Bekele set the men's record at 27:01.17 minutes, while Almaz Ayana set the women's mark at 29:17.45 minutes. The 10,000 metres world record has been broken at the Olympics on two occasions; Lasse Virén's winning time of 27:38.35 minutes in 1972 stood as the record for less than a year, and Almaz Ayana knocked 14 seconds off the women's record in 2016.[1]

Six men have won the Olympic title twice: Paavo Nurmi became the first in 1928 and he was followed by Emil Zátopek, Lasse Virén, Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele and Mo Farah. Two women have achieved the feat: Derartu Tulu won her second title in 2004 and Tirunesh Dibaba had back-to-back wins in 2008 and 2012. Derartu Tulu is the only athlete to have reached the podium on three occasions. Historically, athletes in this event have also had success in the 5000 metres at the Olympics. The winner of the men's Olympic 10,000 m has completed a long-distance track double on nine occasions, the most recent being Farah at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Tirunesh Dibaba and Sifan Hassan are the only women to complete this double (at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics). At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Almaz Ayana smashed the world record in a time of 29:17.45. It was the first time four women broke 30 minutes in a single race.

At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris Joshua Cheptegei won gold in the 10,000 metres final, in a new Olympic Record of 26:43.14.[2] Ethiopia is the most successful nation in the event, with ten gold medals among its total of 24. Finland is the next most successful, with six gold medals and thirteen overall. Finland's period of great success in early 20th century led to wide usage of the nickname the Flying Finns; Kaarlo Maaninka was the last Finnish athlete to medal over 10,000 m, in 1980. Kenya has won eleven medals, although Naftali Temu is the only Kenyan to have won Olympic gold.

It was not the first long-distance track event to feature at an Olympic competition: 5-mile (8 km) races featured at the 1906 Intercalated Games and the 1908 Summer Olympics before the metric 5000 metres and 10,000 m events were initiated.

Medal summary

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Men

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1912 Stockholm
details
Hannes Kolehmainen
 Finland
Lewis Tewanima
 United States
Albin Stenroos
 Finland
1920 Antwerp
details
Paavo Nurmi
 Finland
Joseph Guillemot
 France
James Wilson
 Great Britain
1924 Paris
details
Ville Ritola
 Finland
Edvin Wide
 Sweden
Eero Berg
 Finland
1928 Amsterdam
details
Paavo Nurmi
 Finland
Ville Ritola
 Finland
Edvin Wide
 Sweden
1932 Los Angeles
details
Janusz Kusociński
 Poland
Volmari Iso-Hollo
 Finland
Lasse Virtanen
 Finland
1936 Berlin
details
Ilmari Salminen
 Finland
Arvo Askola
 Finland
Volmari Iso-Hollo
 Finland
1948 London
details
Emil Zátopek
 Czechoslovakia
Alain Mimoun
 France
Bertil Albertsson
 Sweden
1952 Helsinki
details
Emil Zátopek
 Czechoslovakia
Alain Mimoun
 France
Aleksandr Anufriyev
 Soviet Union
1956 Melbourne
details
Vladimir Kuts
 Soviet Union
József Kovács
 Hungary
Al Lawrence
 Australia
1960 Rome
details
Pyotr Bolotnikov
 Soviet Union
Hans Grodotzki
 United Team of Germany
Dave Power
 Australia
1964 Tokyo
details
Billy Mills
 United States
Mohammed Gammoudi
 Tunisia
Ron Clarke
 Australia
1968 Mexico City
details
Naftali Temu
 Kenya
Mamo Wolde
 Ethiopia
Mohammed Gammoudi
 Tunisia
1972 Munich
details
Lasse Virén
 Finland
Emiel Puttemans
 Belgium
Miruts Yifter
 Ethiopia
1976 Montreal
details
Lasse Virén
 Finland
Carlos Lopes
 Portugal
Brendan Foster
 Great Britain
1980 Moscow
details
Miruts Yifter
 Ethiopia
Kaarlo Maaninka
 Finland
Mohamed Kedir
 Ethiopia
1984 Los Angeles
details
Alberto Cova
 Italy
Mike McLeod
 Great Britain
Michael Musyoki
 Kenya
1988 Seoul
details
Brahim Boutayeb
 Morocco
Salvatore Antibo
 Italy
Kipkemboi Kimeli
 Kenya
1992 Barcelona
details
Khalid Skah
 Morocco
Richard Chelimo
 Kenya
Addis Abebe
 Ethiopia
1996 Atlanta
details
Haile Gebrselassie
 Ethiopia
Paul Tergat
 Kenya
Saleh Hissou
 Morocco
2000 Sydney
details
Haile Gebrselassie
 Ethiopia
Paul Tergat
 Kenya
Assefa Mezgebu
 Ethiopia
2004 Athens
details
Kenenisa Bekele
 Ethiopia
Sileshi Sihine
 Ethiopia
Zersenay Tadese
 Eritrea
2008 Beijing
details
Kenenisa Bekele
 Ethiopia
Sileshi Sihine
 Ethiopia
Micah Kogo
 Kenya
2012 London
details
Mo Farah
 Great Britain
Galen Rupp
 United States
Tariku Bekele
 Ethiopia
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Mo Farah
 Great Britain
Paul Tanui
 Kenya
Tamirat Tola
 Ethiopia
2020 Tokyo
details
Selemon Barega
 Ethiopia
Joshua Cheptegei
 Uganda
Jacob Kiplimo
 Uganda
2024 Paris
details
Joshua Cheptegei
 Uganda
Berihu Aregawi
 Ethiopia
Grant Fisher
 United States

Multiple medalists

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Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1= Paavo Nurmi  Finland (FIN) 1920–1928 2 0 0 2
1= Emil Zátopek  Czechoslovakia (TCH) 1948–1952 2 0 0 2
1= Lasse Virén  Finland (FIN) 1972–1976 2 0 0 2
1= Haile Gebrselassie  Ethiopia (ETH) 1996–2000 2 0 0 2
1= Kenenisa Bekele  Ethiopia (ETH) 2004–2008 2 0 0 2
1= Mo Farah  Great Britain (GBR) 2012–2016 2 0 0 2
7= Ville Ritola  Finland (FIN) 1924–1928 1 1 0 2
7= Joshua Cheptegei  Uganda (UGA) 2020–2024 1 1 0 2
9 Miruts Yifter  Ethiopia (ETH) 1972–1980 1 0 1 2
10= Alain Mimoun  France (FRA) 1948–1952 0 2 0 2
10= Paul Tergat  Kenya (KEN) 1996–2000 0 2 0 2
10= Sileshi Sihine  Ethiopia (ETH) 2004–2008 0 2 0 2
13= Edvin Wide  Sweden (SWE) 1924–1928 0 1 1 2
13= Volmari Iso-Hollo  Finland (FIN) 1932–1936 0 1 1 2
13= Mohammed Gammoudi  Tunisia (TUN) 1968–1972 0 1 1 2

Medals by country

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Map of countries' best results - Men's 10,000 metres
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Finland (FIN)74415
2 Ethiopia (ETH)64616
3 Great Britain (GBR)2125
4 Morocco (MAR)2013
 Soviet Union (URS)2013
6 Czechoslovakia (TCH)2002
7 Kenya (KEN)1438
8 United States (USA)1214
9 Uganda (UGA)1113
10 Italy (ITA)1102
11 Poland (POL)1001
12 France (FRA)0303
13 Sweden (SWE)0123
14 Tunisia (TUN)0112
15 Belgium (BEL)0101
 Hungary (HUN)0101
 Portugal (POR)0101
 United Team of Germany (EUA)0101
19 Australia (AUS)0033
20 Eritrea (ERI)0011
Totals (20 entries)26262678

Women

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1988 Seoul
details
Olga Bondarenko
 Soviet Union
Liz McColgan
 Great Britain
Olena Zhupiyeva-Vyazova
 Soviet Union
1992 Barcelona
details
Derartu Tulu
 Ethiopia
Elana Meyer
 South Africa
Lynn Jennings
 United States
1996 Atlanta
details
Fernanda Ribeiro
 Portugal
Wang Junxia
 China
Gete Wami
 Ethiopia
2000 Sydney
details
Derartu Tulu
 Ethiopia
Gete Wami
 Ethiopia
Fernanda Ribeiro
 Portugal
2004 Athens
details
Xing Huina
 China
Ejagayehu Dibaba
 Ethiopia
Derartu Tulu
 Ethiopia
2008 Beijing
details
Tirunesh Dibaba
 Ethiopia
Shalane Flanagan
 United States
Linet Masai
 Kenya
2012 London
details
Tirunesh Dibaba
 Ethiopia
Sally Kipyego
 Kenya
Vivian Cheruiyot
 Kenya
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Almaz Ayana
 Ethiopia
Vivian Cheruiyot
 Kenya
Tirunesh Dibaba
 Ethiopia
2020 Tokyo
details
Sifan Hassan
 Netherlands
Kalkidan Gezahegne
 Bahrain
Letesenbet Gidey
 Ethiopia
2024 Paris
details
Beatrice Chebet
 Kenya
Nadia Battocletti
 Italy
Sifan Hassan
 Netherlands

Multiple medalists

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Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1= Derartu Tulu  Ethiopia (ETH) 1992–2004 2 0 1 3
1= Tirunesh Dibaba  Ethiopia (ETH) 2008–2016 2 0 1 3
3 Fernanda Ribeiro  Portugal (POR) 1996–2000 1 0 1 2
4= Gete Wami  Ethiopia (ETH) 1996–2000 0 1 1 2
4= Vivian Cheruiyot  Kenya (KEN) 2012–2016 0 1 1 2

Medalists by country

[edit]
Map of countries' best results - Women's 10,000 metres
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Ethiopia (ETH)52411
2 Kenya (KEN)1225
3 China (CHN)1102
4 Netherlands (NED)1012
 Portugal (POR)1012
 Soviet Union (URS)1012
7 United States (USA)0112
8 Bahrain (BRN)0101
 Great Britain (GBR)0101
 Italy (ITA)0101
 South Africa (RSA)0101
Totals (11 entries)10101030

Five miles

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Intercalated Games

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The 1906 Intercalated Games were held in Athens and at the time were officially recognised as part of the Olympic Games series, with the intention being to hold a games in Greece in two-year intervals between the internationally held Olympics. However, this plan never came to fruition and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later decided not to recognise these games as part of the official Olympic series. Some sports historians continue to treat the results of these games as part of the Olympic canon.[3]

At this event a men's five-mile race was held – the first time a long-distance event featured at an Olympic competition. A British runner, Henry Hawtrey, won the event. Two 1908 Olympic participants for Sweden, John Svanberg and Edward Dahl, were the minor medalists.[4]

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1906 Athens
details
 Henry Hawtrey (GBR)  John Svanberg (SWE)  Edward Dahl (SWE)

1908 Olympics

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1908 London
details
 Emil Voigt (GBR)  Edward Owen (GBR)  John Svanberg (SWE)

References

[edit]
Participation and athlete data
Olympic record progressions
Specific
  1. ^ "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. pp. Pages 546, 551=2. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  2. ^ Phillips, Mitch (3 August 2024). "Athletics-Brilliant Cheptegei completes set with 10,000m gold". reuters.com. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  3. ^ 1906 Athina Summer Games. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
  4. ^ Athletics Men's 5 mile Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
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