5000 metres


The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a standard 400 m track, or 25 laps on an indoor 200 m track. The same distance in road running is called a 5K run; referring to the distance in metres rather than kilometres serves to disambiguate the two events.
The 5000 m has been present on the Olympic programme since 1912 for men and since 1996 for women. Prior to 1996, women had competed in an Olympic 3000 metres race since 1984. The 5000 m has been held at each of the World Championships in Athletics in men's competition and since 1995 in women's. It is approximately equivalent to or.
The event is almost the same length as the dolichos race held at the Ancient Olympic Games, introduced in 720 BCE. World Athletics keeps official records for both outdoor and indoor 5000-metre track events.

3 miles

The 5000 metres is the approximate metric equivalent of the run, an event common in countries which used the imperial measurement system. The 3-mile event featured in the Commonwealth Games through 1966, and was a USA [Outdoor Track and Field Championships|championship in the United States] in non-Olympic years from 1953 to 1973. It required 12 laps around a track.

Continental records

All-time top 25

Men (outdoor)

  • Updated June 2025.
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1112:35.36Joshua Cheptegei14 August 2020Monaco
2212:36.73Hagos Gebrhiwet30 May 2024Oslo
3312:37.35Kenenisa Bekele31 May 2004Hengelo
4412:38.95Yomif Kejelcha30 May 2024Oslo
5512:39.36Haile Gebrselassie13 June 1998Helsinki
6612:39.74Daniel Komen22 August 1997Brussels
712:40.18K. Bekele #21 July 2005Saint-Denis
7812:40.45Berihu Aregawi30 June 2023Lausanne
8912:40.96Jacob Kiplimo30 May 2024Oslo
1012:41.61Cheptegei #230 June 2023Lausanne
1112:41.73Kejelcha #215 June 2023Oslo
1112:41.73Kiplimo #215 June 2023Oslo
1312:41.86Gebrselassie #213 August 1997Zürich
1412:42.18Gebrhiwet #221 July 2023Monaco
1512:42.58Aregawi #221 July 2023Monaco
91612:42.70Telahun Haile Bekele21 July 2023Monaco
101712:43.02Selemon Barega31 August 2018Brussels
111812:44.27Andreas Almgren15 June 2025Stockholm
1912:44.39Gebrselassie #316 August 1995Zürich
2012:44.90Komen #213 August 1997Zürich
122112:45.01Mohamed Katir21 July 2023Monaco
2212:45.09Komen #314 August 1996Zürich
132312:45.27Nico Young12 June 2025Oslo
142412:45.71Jacob Krop2 September 2022Brussels
2512:45.82Gebrhiwet #331 August 2018Brussels
1512:45.93Biniam Mehary12 June 2025Oslo
1612:46.33Nicholas Kimeli9 June 2022Rome
1712:46.41Kuma Girma12 June 2025Oslo
1812:46.53Eliud Kipchoge2 July 2004Rome
1912:46.59George Mills12 June 2025Oslo
2012:46.81Dejen Gebremeskel6 July 2012Saint-Denis
2112:46.96Grant Fisher2 September 2022Brussels
2212:47.04Sileshi Sihine2 July 2004Rome
2312:47.20Mohammed Ahmed10 July 2020Portland
2412:47.67Thierry Ndikumwenayo12 June 2025Oslo
2512:48.20Graham Blanks12 June 2025Oslo

Women (outdoor)

  • Updated July 2025.
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1113:58.06Beatrice Chebet5 July 2025Eugene
2214:00.21Gudaf Tsegay17 September 2023Eugene
3314:01.29Agnes Jebet Ngetich5 July 2025Eugene
414:03.69Chebet #26 June 2025Rome
514:04.41Tsegay #25 July 2025Eugene
4614:05.20Faith Kipyegon9 June 2023Paris
714:05.92Chebet #317 September 2023Eugene
5814:06.62Letesenbet Gidey7 October 2020Valencia
914:07.94Gidey #29 June 2023Paris
1014:08.79Gidey #33 September 2023Berlin
1114:09.52Chebet #45 September 2024Zurich
1214:09.82Chebet #514 September 2024Brussels
61314:11.15Tirunesh Dibaba6 June 2008Oslo
1414:12.29Tsegay #323 July 2023London
71514:12.59Almaz Ayana2 June 2016Rome
81614:12.88Meseret Defar22 July 2008Stockholm
1714:12.92Chebet #623 July 2023London
91814:12.98Ejgayehu Taye27 May 2022Eugene
1914:13.31Taye #29 June 2023Paris
2014:13.32Tsegay #48 June 2021Hengelo
102114:13.42Sifan Hassan23 July 2023London
2214:14.09Taye #38 June 2021Hengelo
2314:14.32Ayana #217 May 2015Shanghai
112414:15.24Senbere Teferi8 June 2021Hengelo
122514:15.41Genzebe Dibaba4 July 2015Saint-Denis
1314:16.54Medina Eisa23 July 2023London
1414:18.37Hellen Obiri8 June 2017Rome
1514:18.76Tsigie Gebreselama25 May 2024Eugene
1614:19.33Freweyni Hailu6 June 2025Rome
1714:19.45Alicia Monson23 July 2023London
1814:20.68Agnes Tirop21 July 2019London
1914:20.87Vivian Cheruiyot29 July 2011Stockholm
2014:22.76Aynadis Mebratu25 May 2024Eugene
2114:23.05Lilian Kasait Rengeruk9 June 2023Paris
2214:23.15Nadia Battocletti6 June 2025Rome
2314:23.67Margaret Kipkemboi9 June 2023Paris
2414:23.71Birke Haylom25 May 2024Eugene
2514:23.75Liliya Shobukhova19 July 2008Kazan

Men (indoor)

  • Updated 2 March 2025.
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1112:44.09Grant Fisher14 February 2025Boston
2212:49.60Kenenisa Bekele20 February 2004Birmingham
3312:50.38Haile Gebrselassie14 February 1999Birmingham
4412:51.48Daniel Komen19 February 1998Stockholm
5512:51.56Nico Young2 March 2025Boston
6612:51.61William Kincaid27 January 2023Boston
712:51.84Fisher #216 February 2024Boston
7812:53.29Isiah Koech11 February 2011Düsseldorf
912:53.73Fisher #312 February 2022Boston
81012:54.92Jimmy Gressier14 February 2025Boston
91112:54.99Joe Klecker27 January 2023Boston
101212:55.02Adriaan Wildschutt2 March 2025Boston
111312:55.72Eliud Kipchoge11 February 2011Düsseldorf
1412:56.76Wildschutt #226 January 2024Boston
121512:56.87Mohammed Ahmed12 February 2022Boston
131612:57.08Marc Scott12 February 2022Boston
1712:57.14Young #226 January 2024Boston
141812:57.52Edwin Kurgat26 January 2024Boston
151912:57.82Cole Hocker21 February 2025Boston
162012:57.97Cooper Teare21 February 2025Boston
172112:58.67Thomas Longosiwa10 February 2012Düsseldorf
182212:58.68George Mills26 January 2024Boston
192312:58.73Sam Atkin26 January 2024Boston
2412:59.04Gebrselassie #220 February 1997Stockholm
202512:59.43Jack Rayner21 February 2025Boston
2112:59.77Gulveer Singh21 February 2025Boston
2212:59.89Graham Blanks7 December 2024Boston
2313:00.48Emmanuel Bor12 February 2022Boston
2413:01.26Galen Rupp16 January 2014Boston
2513:02.09Yared Nuguse26 January 2024Boston

Women (indoor)

  • Updated December 2025.
TimeAthleteNationDatePlace
1114:18.86Genzebe Dibaba19 February 2015Stockholm
2214:24.37Meseret Defar18 February 2009Stockholm
314:24.79Defar #210 February 2010Stockholm
3414:27.42Tirunesh Dibaba27 January 2007Boston
4514:30.79Konstanze Klosterhalfen27 February 2020Boston
5614:31.38Gabriela DeBues-Stafford11 February 2022Boston
714:32.93T. Dibaba #229 January 2005Boston
6814:33.17Elise Cranny11 February 2022Boston
914:35.46T. Dibaba #328 January 2006Boston
71014:39.29Berhane Adere31 January 2004Stuttgart
81114:39.89Kimberley Smith27 February 2009New York City
91214:42.94Senayet Getachew27 January 2024Boston
101314:43.25Fantaye Belayneh27 January 2024Boston
1414:44.53T. Dibaba #46 February 2010Boston
111514:44.79Jane Hedengren6 December 2025Boston
121614:44.94Aynadis Mebratu27 January 2024Boston
131714:46.37Marta Garcia27 January 2024Boston
141814:46.51Josette Andrews27 January 2024Boston
151914:46.80Sentayehu Ejigu10 February 2010Stockholm
162014:47.35Gabriela Szabo13 February 1999Dortmund
2114:47.62Ejigu #27 February 2009Boston
172214:47.62Shalane Flanagan7 February 2009Boston
2314:48.21Adere #25 February 2003Dortmund
182414:48.41Whittni Morgan31 January 2025Boston
192514:48.51Vanessa Fraser27 February 2020Boston
2014:48.75Courtney Frerichs11 February 2022Boston
2114:49.12Laura Muir4 January 2017Glasgow
2214:49.36Gete Wami11 February 2001Dortmund
2314:49.78Courtney Wayment27 January 2024Boston
2414:50.89Ella Donaghu31 January 2025Boston
2514:51.26Nozomi Tanaka16 February 2025Boston

Olympic medalists

Men

Two men have won the Olympic 5000 metres on two occasions, both times back-to-back. Lasse Virén of Finland was the first to achieve the feat, winning the title in 1972 in Munich, before retaining the title in 1976 in Montreal. Mo Farah of Great Britain matched the achievement, winning the title in 2012 in London, and retaining it four years later in Rio de Janeiro. Both men achieved 5000/10000 m doubles on each occasion.
Paavo Nurmi is the only male runner to have won three Olympic medals at the distance; one gold and two silvers between 1920 and 1928.

Women

Only one woman has won the Olympic 5000 metres title twice, Ethiopian Meseret Defar winning in Athletics at the [2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 5000 metres|Athens in 2004], taking silver behind compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba in 2008, before regaining the title in Athletics at the [2012 Summer Olympics – Women's 5000 metres|London in 2012]. Defar and Dibaba are the only athletes with three Olympic medals at the distance, with both reaching the podium in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

World Championships medalists

Men

In the World Championships, Great Britain's Mo Farah stands alone, the most successful and most decorated athlete in the event with three gold medals and four medals in total between 2011 and 2017. Kenya's Ismael Kirui was the first athlete to win the title twice in 1993 and 1995, and Ethiopia's Muktar Edris the third between 2017 and 2019.

Women

Romania's Gabriela Szabo won the title twice between 1995 and 1997. Since then four African runners - two Kenyan, two Ethiopian - have repeated the feat; Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar of Ethiopia and Vivian Cheruiyot and Hellen Obiri of Kenya. Meseret Defar's five medals - 2 gold, a silver and two bronze won between 2005 and 2013 - are the most won in the event by any athlete.

Season's bests

Women