10,000 metres at the Olympics

10,000 metres
at the Olympic Games

The 2012 Olympic women's 10,000 m final

Overview
Sport| Athletics
Gender| Men and women
Years held| Men: 1912–2024
Women: 1988–2024
Olympic record
Men|  Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 26:43.14 (2024)
Women|  Almaz Ayana (ETH) 29:17.45 (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 (Martti Vainio finished second in 1984 but was disqualified for doping). 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

[edit]

### Men

[edit]

Games  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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|
|

edit

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Map of countries' best results - Men's 10,000 metres Rank| Nation| Gold| Silver| Bronze| Total

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|
|
|
|

1|  Finland (FIN)| 7| 4| 4| 15
2|  Ethiopia (ETH)| 6| 4| 6| 16
3|  Great Britain (GBR)| 2| 1| 2| 5
4|  Morocco (MAR)| 2| 0| 1| 3
Soviet Union (URS)| 2| 0| 1| 3
6|  Czechoslovakia (TCH)| 2| 0| 0| 2
7|  Kenya (KEN)| 1| 4| 3| 8
8|  United States (USA)| 1| 2| 1| 4
9|  Uganda (UGA)| 1| 1| 1| 3
10|  Italy (ITA)| 1| 1| 0| 2
11|  Poland (POL)| 1| 0| 0| 1
12|  France (FRA)| 0| 3| 0| 3
13|  Sweden (SWE)| 0| 1| 2| 3
14|  Tunisia (TUN)| 0| 1| 1| 2
15|  Belgium (BEL)| 0| 1| 0| 1
Hungary (HUN)| 0| 1| 0| 1
Portugal (POR)| 0| 1| 0| 1
United Team of Germany (EUA)| 0| 1| 0| 1
19|  Australia (AUS)| 0| 0| 3| 3
20|  Eritrea (ERI)| 0| 0| 1| 1
Totals (20 entries)| 26| 26| 26| 78

### Women

[edit]

Games  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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|
|

edit

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

[edit]

Rank  | Athlete  | Nation  | Olympics  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze  | Total

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|
|
|
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1 | Derartu Tulu |  Ethiopia (ETH) | 1992–2004 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3
Tirunesh Dibaba |  Ethiopia (ETH) | 2008–2016 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3
3 | Fernanda Ribeiro |  Portugal (POR) | 1996–2000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2
Sifan Hassan |  Netherlands (NED) | 2020-2024  | 1  | 0  | 1  | 2
5 | Gete Wami |  Ethiopia (ETH) | 1996–2000 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2
Vivian Cheruiyot |  Kenya (KEN) | 2012–2016 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2

#### Medalists by country

[edit]

Map of countries' best results - Women's 10,000 metres Rank| Nation| Gold| Silver| Bronze| Total

|
|
|
|
|

1|  Ethiopia (ETH)| 5| 2| 4| 11
2|  Kenya (KEN)| 1| 2| 2| 5
3|  China (CHN)| 1| 1| 0| 2
4|  Netherlands (NED)| 1| 0| 1| 2
Portugal (POR)| 1| 0| 1| 2
Soviet Union (URS)| 1| 0| 1| 2
7|  United States (USA)| 0| 1| 1| 2
8|  Bahrain (BRN)| 0| 1| 0| 1
Great Britain (GBR)| 0| 1| 0| 1
Italy (ITA)| 0| 1| 0| 1
South Africa (RSA)| 0| 1| 0| 1
Totals (11 entries)| 10| 10| 10| 30

## Five miles

[edit]

### Intercalated Games

[edit]

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

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|
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1906 Athens
details |  Henry Hawtrey (GBR) |  John Svanberg (SWE) |  Edward Dahl (SWE)

### 1908 Olympics

[edit]

Games  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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|
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1908 London
details |  Emil Voigt (GBR) |  Edward Owen (GBR) |  John Svanberg (SWE)

## References

[edit]

Participation and athlete data

* Athletics Men's 10,000 metres Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
* Athletics Women's 10,000 metres Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
* Athletics Men's 5 mile Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.

Olympic record progressions

* Mallon, Bill (2012). Track & Field Athletics – Olympic Record Progressions. Track and Field News. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.

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.

## External links

[edit]

* IAAF 10,000 metres homepage
* Official Olympics website
* Olympic athletics records from Track & Field News

* v
* t
* e

10,000 metres at the Olympic Games

Summary

Men|

* 1908
* 1912
* 1920
* 1924
* 1928
* 1932
* 1936
* 1948
* 1952
* 1956
* 1960
* 1964
* 1968
* 1972
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984
* 1988
* 1992
* 1996
* 2000
* 2004
* 2008
* 2012
* 2016
* 2020
* 2024

Women|

* 1908
* 1912
* 1920
* 1924
* 1928
* 1932
* 1936
* 1948
* 1952
* 1956
* 1960
* 1964
* 1968
* 1972
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984
* 1988
* 1992
* 1996
* 2000
* 2004
* 2008
* 2012
* 2016
* 2020
* 2024

* v
* t
* e

Athletics at the Summer Olympics

Editions|

* 1896
* 1900
* 1904
* 1906 (Intercalated)
* 1908
* 1912
* 1920
* 1924
* 1928
* 1932
* 1936
* 1948
* 1952
* 1956
* 1960
* 1964
* 1968
* 1972
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984
* 1988
* 1992
* 1996
* 2000
* 2004
* 2008
* 2012
* 2016
* 2020
* 2024

Events|

| Track|

* 100 m
* 200 m
* 400 m
* 800 m
* 1500 m
* 5000 m
* 10,000 m
* 4 × 100 m relay
* 4 × 400 m relay
* Sprint hurdles
* 400 m hurdles
* Steeplechase

|

Field|

* Shot put
* Discus throw
* Hammer throw
* Javelin throw
* Pole vault
* High jump
* Long jump
* Triple jump

Others|

* Combined events
* Marathon
* Race walking

Defunct|

* Cross country
* Team races
* 60 metres
* Weight throw
* Wheelchair racing
* Professional events
* Handicap events

* List of medalists
* men
* women
* Records
* Venues
* Medal sweeps

*[UGA]: Uganda
*[ETH]: Ethiopia
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template