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 championship in the United States in non-Olympic years from 1953 to 1973. It required 12 laps around a track.Continental records
- Updated 5 July 2025.
All-time top 25
Men (outdoor)
- Updated June 2025.
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | |||
| 1 | 1 | 12:35.36 | Joshua Cheptegei | 14 August 2020 | Monaco | ||
| 2 | 2 | 12:36.73 | Hagos Gebrhiwet | 30 May 2024 | Oslo | ||
| 3 | 3 | 12:37.35 | Kenenisa Bekele | 31 May 2004 | Hengelo | ||
| 4 | 4 | 12:38.95 | Yomif Kejelcha | 30 May 2024 | Oslo | ||
| 5 | 5 | 12:39.36 | Haile Gebrselassie | 13 June 1998 | Helsinki | ||
| 6 | 6 | 12:39.74 | Daniel Komen | 22 August 1997 | Brussels | ||
| 7 | 12:40.18 | K. Bekele #2 | 1 July 2005 | Saint-Denis | |||
| 7 | 8 | 12:40.45 | Berihu Aregawi | 30 June 2023 | Lausanne | ||
| 8 | 9 | 12:40.96 | Jacob Kiplimo | 30 May 2024 | Oslo | ||
| 10 | 12:41.61 | Cheptegei #2 | 30 June 2023 | Lausanne | |||
| 11 | 12:41.73 | Kejelcha #2 | 15 June 2023 | Oslo | |||
| 11 | 12:41.73 | Kiplimo #2 | 15 June 2023 | Oslo | |||
| 13 | 12:41.86 | Gebrselassie #2 | 13 August 1997 | Zürich | |||
| 14 | 12:42.18 | Gebrhiwet #2 | 21 July 2023 | Monaco | |||
| 15 | 12:42.58 | Aregawi #2 | 21 July 2023 | Monaco | |||
| 9 | 16 | 12:42.70 | Telahun Haile Bekele | 21 July 2023 | Monaco | ||
| 10 | 17 | 12:43.02 | Selemon Barega | 31 August 2018 | Brussels | ||
| 11 | 18 | 12:44.27 | Andreas Almgren | 15 June 2025 | Stockholm | ||
| 19 | 12:44.39 | Gebrselassie #3 | 16 August 1995 | Zürich | |||
| 20 | 12:44.90 | Komen #2 | 13 August 1997 | Zürich | |||
| 12 | 21 | 12:45.01 | Mohamed Katir | 21 July 2023 | Monaco | ||
| 22 | 12:45.09 | Komen #3 | 14 August 1996 | Zürich | |||
| 13 | 23 | 12:45.27 | Nico Young | 12 June 2025 | Oslo | ||
| 14 | 24 | 12:45.71 | Jacob Krop | 2 September 2022 | Brussels | ||
| 25 | 12:45.82 | Gebrhiwet #3 | 31 August 2018 | Brussels | |||
| 15 | 12:45.93 | Biniam Mehary | 12 June 2025 | Oslo | |||
| 16 | 12:46.33 | Nicholas Kimeli | 9 June 2022 | Rome | |||
| 17 | 12:46.41 | Kuma Girma | 12 June 2025 | Oslo | |||
| 18 | 12:46.53 | Eliud Kipchoge | 2 July 2004 | Rome | |||
| 19 | 12:46.59 | George Mills | 12 June 2025 | Oslo | |||
| 20 | 12:46.81 | Dejen Gebremeskel | 6 July 2012 | Saint-Denis | |||
| 21 | 12:46.96 | Grant Fisher | 2 September 2022 | Brussels | |||
| 22 | 12:47.04 | Sileshi Sihine | 2 July 2004 | Rome | |||
| 23 | 12:47.20 | Mohammed Ahmed | 10 July 2020 | Portland | |||
| 24 | 12:47.67 | Thierry Ndikumwenayo | 12 June 2025 | Oslo | |||
| 25 | 12:48.20 | Graham Blanks | 12 June 2025 | Oslo |
Women (outdoor)
- Updated July 2025.
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | |||
| 1 | 1 | 13:58.06 | Beatrice Chebet | 5 July 2025 | Eugene | ||
| 2 | 2 | 14:00.21 | Gudaf Tsegay | 17 September 2023 | Eugene | ||
| 3 | 3 | 14:01.29 | Agnes Jebet Ngetich | 5 July 2025 | Eugene | ||
| 4 | 14:03.69 | Chebet #2 | 6 June 2025 | Rome | |||
| 5 | 14:04.41 | Tsegay #2 | 5 July 2025 | Eugene | |||
| 4 | 6 | 14:05.20 | Faith Kipyegon | 9 June 2023 | Paris | ||
| 7 | 14:05.92 | Chebet #3 | 17 September 2023 | Eugene | |||
| 5 | 8 | 14:06.62 | Letesenbet Gidey | 7 October 2020 | Valencia | ||
| 9 | 14:07.94 | Gidey #2 | 9 June 2023 | Paris | |||
| 10 | 14:08.79 | Gidey #3 | 3 September 2023 | Berlin | |||
| 11 | 14:09.52 | Chebet #4 | 5 September 2024 | Zurich | |||
| 12 | 14:09.82 | Chebet #5 | 14 September 2024 | Brussels | |||
| 6 | 13 | 14:11.15 | Tirunesh Dibaba | 6 June 2008 | Oslo | ||
| 14 | 14:12.29 | Tsegay #3 | 23 July 2023 | London | |||
| 7 | 15 | 14:12.59 | Almaz Ayana | 2 June 2016 | Rome | ||
| 8 | 16 | 14:12.88 | Meseret Defar | 22 July 2008 | Stockholm | ||
| 17 | 14:12.92 | Chebet #6 | 23 July 2023 | London | |||
| 9 | 18 | 14:12.98 | Ejgayehu Taye | 27 May 2022 | Eugene | ||
| 19 | 14:13.31 | Taye #2 | 9 June 2023 | Paris | |||
| 20 | 14:13.32 | Tsegay #4 | 8 June 2021 | Hengelo | |||
| 10 | 21 | 14:13.42 | Sifan Hassan | 23 July 2023 | London | ||
| 22 | 14:14.09 | Taye #3 | 8 June 2021 | Hengelo | |||
| 23 | 14:14.32 | Ayana #2 | 17 May 2015 | Shanghai | |||
| 11 | 24 | 14:15.24 | Senbere Teferi | 8 June 2021 | Hengelo | ||
| 12 | 25 | 14:15.41 | Genzebe Dibaba | 4 July 2015 | Saint-Denis | ||
| 13 | 14:16.54 | Medina Eisa | 23 July 2023 | London | |||
| 14 | 14:18.37 | Hellen Obiri | 8 June 2017 | Rome | |||
| 15 | 14:18.76 | Tsigie Gebreselama | 25 May 2024 | Eugene | |||
| 16 | 14:19.33 | Freweyni Hailu | 6 June 2025 | Rome | |||
| 17 | 14:19.45 | Alicia Monson | 23 July 2023 | London | |||
| 18 | 14:20.68 | Agnes Tirop | 21 July 2019 | London | |||
| 19 | 14:20.87 | Vivian Cheruiyot | 29 July 2011 | Stockholm | |||
| 20 | 14:22.76 | Aynadis Mebratu | 25 May 2024 | Eugene | |||
| 21 | 14:23.05 | Lilian Kasait Rengeruk | 9 June 2023 | Paris | |||
| 22 | 14:23.15 | Nadia Battocletti | 6 June 2025 | Rome | |||
| 23 | 14:23.67 | Margaret Kipkemboi | 9 June 2023 | Paris | |||
| 24 | 14:23.71 | Birke Haylom | 25 May 2024 | Eugene | |||
| 25 | 14:23.75 | Liliya Shobukhova | 19 July 2008 | Kazan |