3000 metres

Common card · No. 471180

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. 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...

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