Middle distance track events are track races longer than sprints up to (and arguably including) 5000 meters. Biological factors that go primarily into a middle distance racer are developed fast and type 1 slow twitch muscles, adrenaline (usually for the final kick), anaerobic respiration (bringing it in after the final kick), racing tactics, and aerobic conditioning. The 1500 m has been estimated to require an equal contribution from fast and slow twitch muscles. The metre (Commonwealth English) or meter (American English) (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ...

Common distances (and not so common ones):

The standard middle distances are the 800 m, 1500 m, mile (in the US), and the 3000 m. The 3000 m is more common in the US at the high school and collegiate level (along with the US two mile) and is in fact not run at the world championships.

600 m

• This middle distance length is rather uncommon. The record at this distance for men:

• Johnny Gray 1:12.81 Santa Monica, USA 24 May 1986

For women: May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Ana Fidelia Quirot 1:22.63 Guadalajara, ESP 25 July 1997

Ana Fidelia Quirot (born March 23, 1963, Santiago de Cuba) is an athlete from Cuba who specialised in the 800m but was also successful over 400m. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

800 m

The 800 m is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. It was included in the first women's track programme in 1928, but suspended until 1960 because of shock at the exhaustion it caused the competitors. By contrast, without today's training regimes, male competitors of the day were expected to run themselves to exhaustion in competition. 800m is a common track running event. ...

Tactics

In a modern competition, the first 100 m is run in lanes, after which competitors may break for the inside without deliberately obstructing or pushing another competitor. Running flat out for this distance is impossible and tactics can be a factor in reaching the finish line first. Running in the lead is often considered a disadvantage as trailing runners can choose when to accelerate past the leader, and the effect of wind resistance. Runners not in first place on the inside can find themselves boxed if other runners start to overtake them. Running in last place is not recommended as there may be too much ground to make up when the final sprint for the finish starts.

In top class races, the lane start usually ensures a brisk pace for the first 200 m. Occasionally, no one will be happy to lead and the field will bunch for the remainder of the first lap leaving a sprint on the second lap. More often, one runner will ensure a fast first lap and the winner will be the one who slows least on the second lap, despite the appearance of sprinting at the finish. However, the occasional 800-meter runner is able to produce a world-class 800 with even laps, or even negative splits.

Records

800 m runners are often fast enough to run in the 4 x 400 metres relay but only Alberto Juantorena and Jarmila Kratochvilova have won major international titles at 400 m and 800 m. Competing successfully at 800 m and 1500 m is more common. The 4 x 400 metres relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 metres or 1 lap. ... Alberto Juantorena Danger (born December 3, 1950 is a former Cuban athlete. ... Jarmila Kratochvílová was a late-developing Czech 400m runner whose career was dogged by injury and illness. ...

World Record for men:

• Wilson Kipketer 1:41.11 Köln 24 August 1997

World Record for women: Wilson Kipketer (born December 12, 1972 in Kapchemoyiwo, Kenya into the Kalenjin tribe) is a middle distance runner. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Jarmila Kratochvílová 1:53.28 München 26 July 1983

Jarmila Kratochvílová was a late-developing Czech 400m runner whose career was dogged by injury and illness. ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Trivia

In the last 11 Olympic Games, athletes from 10 different countries have won the men's 800 metres title.

1000 m

• More popular than the 500 metres is to the sprints. The record at this distance for men:

• Noah Ngeny 2:11.96 Rieti 5 September 1999

For women: Noah Kiprono Ngeny (born November 2, 1978) is a Kenyan athlete, the surprise winner of the 1500 m at the 2000 Summer Olympics. ... September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

• Svetlana Masterkova 2:28.98 München 23 August 1996

Svetlana Alexandrovna Masterkova (born January 17, 1968) is former Russian middle distance runner. ... August 23 is the 235th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (236th in leap years), with 130 days remaining. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

1200 m

• Common distance that is part of the distance medley relay

Medley is a combination of four different swimming styles into one race. ...

1500 m

• The other premier middle distance race. Is becoming more of a prolonged sprint nowadays, with each lap averaging 55 seconds for the world record performance by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco in 1998 at Rome (two 1:50 s 800 m performances back to back). Thus, speed is necessary, and it seems that the more aerobic conditioning, the better. Three and three-quarter laps around the track. Lots of tactics can be employed in this race, too numerous to discuss here. A very tough distance to perform at mentally. The distance is often witness to some of the more tactical, more physical races in the sport, as many championship races are won in the final few meters.

This is also known in the US as "the metric mile". The record at this distance for men: El Guerrouj after winning his second medal in 5000 m, Athens 2004 Hicham El Guerrouj (born September 14, 1974, Berkane, Morocco) is a world record setting middle distance athlete and credited by some as the greatest middle-distance runner of all time as well as the King of the Mile... A metric mile is a distance of 1,500 meters. ...

• Hicham El Guerrouj 3:26.00 Roma 14 July 1998

For women: El Guerrouj after winning his second medal in 5000 m, Athens 2004 Hicham El Guerrouj (born September 14, 1974, Berkane, Morocco) is a world record setting middle distance athlete and credited by some as the greatest middle-distance runner of all time as well as the King of the Mile... July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 170 days remaining. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

• Yunxia Qu 3:50.46 Beijing 11 September 1993

September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

Mile

This length of track, 1760 yards, (1609 metres), is very common in countries that don't use the metric system, and is still often referred to as the "Blue Riband" of the track. This article is about the unit of measure known as the yard. ... The metre (Commonwealth English) or meter (American English) (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ... The International System of Units (abbreviated SI from the French language name Système International dUnités) is the most widely used system of units. ... The Blue Riband is an award held by the ship with the record for a transatlantic crossing. ...

When the International Amateur Athletic Federation decided in 1976 to recognise only world records for metric distances, it made an exception for the mile and records are kept to this day. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is the international governing body for the sport of athletics (known in the US as track and field). It was founded in 1912 at its first Congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation. ...

Historically, the mile took the place that the 1500 m has today. It is still raced on the world class level, but only at select locations. It can be romantically appreciated as a remnant of the past but is still fiercely contested. It is famous for its 4 minute barrier that so many people tried to break. The term "miler" is sometimes also applied to a 1500 m runner. The record at this distance for men: The much vaunted and previously thought to be impossible 4 minute mile is an exceptional benchmark in the sport of running. ...

• Hicham El Guerrouj 3:43.13 Rome 07 July 1999

For women: El Guerrouj after winning his second medal in 5000 m, Athens 2004 Hicham El Guerrouj (born September 14, 1974, Berkane, Morocco) is a world record setting middle distance athlete and credited by some as the greatest middle-distance runner of all time as well as the King of the Mile... July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

• Svetlana Masterkova 4:12.56 Zürich 14 August 1996

Svetlana Alexandrovna Masterkova (born January 17, 1968) is former Russian middle distance runner. ... August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

2000 m

• Another event that is rarely run, it is one where a miler's speed will generally prevail over that of anyone challenging him or her. The record at this distance for men:

• Hicham El Guerrouj 4:44.79 Berlin September 7, 1999

For women: El Guerrouj after winning his second medal in 5000 m, Athens 2004 Hicham El Guerrouj (born September 14, 1974, Berkane, Morocco) is a world record setting middle distance athlete and credited by some as the greatest middle-distance runner of all time as well as the King of the Mile... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

• Sonia O'Sullivan 5:25.36 Edinburgh July 8, 1994

Sonia OSullivan (1969-) is an Irish runner from Cobh, County Cork. ... July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...

3000 m

• Truly on the borderline between middle and longer distances, the 3000 m are a standard race. Requires decent speed, but can be made up with superior aerobic conditioning and race tactics to support that. The record at this distance for men:

• Daniel Komen 7:20.67 Rieti 01 September 1996

For women: Daniel Kipngetich Komen (born May 17, 1976) is a Kenyan runner best known as the first (and thus far only) man to achieve back-to-back sub-four minute miles on his way to clocking a world record 7:58. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

• Junxia Wang 8:06.11 Beijing 13 September 1993

vanessa was the fastes runner in her time Wang Junxia (王军霞, born January 19, 1973 in Jiaohe, Jilin Province) is a Chinese long-distance runner who holds the world record for the womens 3000m and 10,000m events. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

See also

• Athletics
• sprints
• Athletics long distances
• Relay race