| Event: | 10K run |
| Wrmen: | Berihu Aregawi 26:33 (2023) |
| Wrwomen: | Agnes Ngetich 28:46 (2024) |
The 10K run is a long-distance road running competition over a distance of 10abbr=offNaNabbr=off. Also referred to as the 10K road race, 10 km, or simply 10K, it is one of the most common types of road running event, alongside the shorter 5K and longer half marathon and marathon. It is usually distinguished from the 10,000 metres track running event by stating the distance in kilometres, rather than metres.
As one of the shortest common road distances, many 10K races attract high levels of public participation. Among the largest 10K races, the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, United States had over 55,000 participants in 2011 while the Vancouver Sun Run and Bolder Boulder both had close to 50,000 runners.[1] [2] [3] The popularity of 10K races lies in the fact that, for most adults, the 10K distance is long enough to represent a challenge but short enough to remain accessible for an untrained runner.[4]
Most popular 10K races are an annual fixture in a city or area and typically incorporate an element of charity running, where participants raise funds for a cause, based upon their completion of the course. Members of the public may take part in the races as a competition or simply for pleasure as a fun run. Some races also allow wheelchair racers to enter. Traditional New Year's Day races are often held over 10K, including the San Silvestre Vallecana in Spain.
The accessibility of the distance, and road running in general, has meant that local governments and health charities often form partnerships with races as a way of promoting physical fitness among the general public.[5] Medical organisations, fitness groups, drinks manufacturers and sportswear companies are typical commercial sponsors of 10K events.[6] [7]
The 10-kilometre metric distance has been used for road running events for a large portion of the modern era of athletics – the Běchovice–Prague race is one of the longest-running events over the distance, having first been held in 1897.[8] [9] In Western countries using imperial measurements, the 6-mile run (9.7 km) was once more prevalent, but many long-running events (such as the Cincinnati Thanksgiving Day Race and Saltwell Road Race) have adapted their courses to match the metric distance.[10]
At the professional level, there are many races which offer significant prize money to athletes who achieve a high finishing position in the race. At the highest level, annual prize money can total over US$100,000 at races such as the World's Best 10K, Peachtree Road Race, Apryle Showers Run - Florida's Fastest 10K and World 10K Bangalore.[11] [12]
The 10K road distance has never featured on the event programmes of the Athletics at the Summer Olympics or the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. However, it did briefly have its own individual championship for women in the form of the IAAF World Women's Road Race Championships, which was contested over ten kilometres in 1983 and 1984.[13] As a result, the highest level 10K road competitions occur at individual races run by race promoters, who attract elite international level runners through prize money and appearance fees. These types of races are held in all parts of the world, but the highest calibre races are mainly concentrated in the United States, Canada, Europe and East Asia.
The world records for the 10K road distance are 26:24 minutes for men (Rhonex Kipruto, 2020) and 29:43 minutes for women (Joyciline Jepkosgei, 2017).[14] [15] Performances over ten kilometres on the roads were not recognised as world records by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) until 2003 and instead the fastest times were referred to as "world bests". This changed in August 2003 when the IAAF Congress approved world record status for a number of specified road distances, including the 10 km.[16]
As with other forms of professional long-distance running, East African athletes have been dominant in the 10K distance since the 1990s. As of January 2020, all ten of the fastest male 10K runners are East African (five of them Kenyan), while nine of the top ten female runners are Kenyan.
| Area | Men | Women | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Time | Athlete | Nation | ||
| 26:24 | Kenya | 28:46 | Kenya | ||||
| 27:51 | Bahrain | 30:05 | Bahrain | ||||
| 27:13 | Switzerland | 30:19 | Great Britain | ||||
| 27:23 | United States | 30:52 | United States | ||||
| 27:28 | New Zealand | 31:17 | Australia | ||||
| 27:48 | Brazil | 32:03 | Brazil | ||||
| Rank | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Race | Place | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 26:24 | Rhonex Kipruto | Kenya | 12 January 2020 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [21] |
| 1 | 26:33 | Berihu Aregawi | Ethiopia | 11 March 2023 | Laredo | [22] | |
| 2 | 26:37 | Yomif Kejelcha | Ethiopia | 16 March 2024 | Laredo | [23] | |
| 3 | 26:38 | Joshua Cheptegei | Uganda | 1 December 2019 | 10K Valencia Trinidad Alfonso | Valencia | [24] |
| 4 | 26:44 | Leonard Patrick Komon | Kenya | 26 September 2010 | Singelloop Utrecht | Utrecht | |
| 5 | 26:48 | Jacob Kiplimo | Uganda | 14 January 2024 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [25] |
| 6 | 26:49 | Sebastian Sawe | Kenya | 29 April 2023 | Adizero Road to Records | Herzogenaurach | [26] |
| 7 | 26:50 | Kibiwott Kandie | Kenya | 30 April 2022 | Adizero Road to Records | Herzogenaurach | [27] |
| 8 | 26:51 | Nicholas Kimeli | Kenya | 25 September 2022 | Brașov Running Festival | Brașov | [28] |
| 9 | 26:55 | Weldon Langat | Kenya | 25 September 2022 | Brașov Running Festival | Brașov | |
| 15 January 2023 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [29] | ||||
| Isaac Kibet Ndiema | Kenya | 25 September 2022 | Brașov Running Festival | Brașov | |||
| 11 | 26:56 | Tadese Worku | Ethiopia | 12 September 2021 | Road to Records | Herzogenaurach | [30] |
| Rodrigue Kwizera | Burundi | 30 April 2022 | Adizero Road to Records | Herzogenaurach | |||
| 26:56 | Hicham Amghar | Morocco | 7 April 2023 | NAS Sports Tournament 10K | Dubai | [31] | |
| 13 | 26:57 | Felix Kipkoech | Kenya | 3 October 2021 | The Giants Geneva | Geneva | [32] |
| Charles Kipkurui Langat | Kenya | 15 January 2023 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [33] | ||
| Birhanu Balew | Bahrain | 14 January 2024 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [34] | ||
| 16 | 26:58 | Daniel Simiu Ebenyo | Kenya | 9 January 2022 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [35] |
| 17 | 26:59 | Peter Mwaniki Aila | Kenya | 14 January 2024 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [36] |
| 18 | 27:00 | Yasin Haji | Ethiopia | 20 March 2022 | 10 km de Lille | Lille | [37] |
| 30 April 2022 | Adizero Road to Records | Herzogenaurach | |||||
| 19 | 27:01 | Micah Kipkemboi Kogo | Kenya | 29 March 2009 | Parelloop | Brunssum | |
| Jacob Kosen | Kenya | 15 January 2023 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [38] | ||
| Dennis Kibet Kitiyo | Kenya | 14 January 2024 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [39] | ||
| 22 | 27:02 | Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia | 11 December 2002 | QSI 10K Road Race | Doha | [40] |
| Geoffrey Koech | Kenya | 7 September 2019 | Prague Grand Prix | Prague | [41] | ||
| 24 | 27:04 | Josphat Kiprono Menjo | Kenya | 18 April 2010 | Cursa de Bombers | Barcelona | |
| Jacob Krop | Kenya | 15 January 2023 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [42] |
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 27:04:
The following athletes had their performance (inside 27:04) annulled due to doping offences:
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Race | Place | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26:41 | Jacob Kiplimo | Uganda | 31 December 2018 | San Silvestre Vallecana | Madrid | [44] | |
| 26:54 | Eliud Kipchoge | Kenya | 31 December 2006 | San Silvestre Vallecana | Madrid | ||
| 26:54 | Zersenay Tadese | Eritrea | 31 December 2006 | San Silvestre Vallecana | Madrid | ||
| 26:54 | Abadi Hadis | Ethiopia | 31 December 2018 | San Silvestre Vallecana | Madrid |
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 27:04:
| Rank | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Race | Place | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28:46 | Agnes Ngetich | Kenya | 14 January 2024 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [47] |
| 2 | 28:57 | Emmaculate Acholi | Kenya | 14 January 2024 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [48] |
| 3 | 29:14 | Yalemzerf Yehualaw | Ethiopia | 27 February 2022 | Castellón 10K | Castellón de la Plana | [49] |
| 4 | 29:32 | Lilian Rengeruk | Kenya | 14 January 2024 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [50] |
| 5 | 29:38 | Kalkidan Gezahegne | Bahrain | 3 October 2021 | The Giants Geneva | Geneva | |
| 6 | 29:43 | Joyciline Jepkosgei | Kenya | 9 September 2017 | Prague Grand Prix | Prague | [51] |
| 7 | 29:46 | Sheila Chepkirui | Kenya | 12 January 2020 | 10K Valencia | Valencia | [52] |
| 8 | 29:50 | Rosemary Wanjiru | Kenya | 12 January 2020 | 10K Valencia | Valencia | |
| Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi | Kenya | 3 October 2021 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [53] | ||
| 29:50 | Faith Chepkoech | Kenya | 25 February 2024 | 10K Facsa Castellón | Castellón de la Plana | [54] | |
| 11 | 29:51 | Norah Jeruto | Kenya | 12 January 2020 | 10K Valencia | Valencia | |
| 12 | 29:54 | Fotyen Tesfay | Ethiopia | 25 February 2024 | 10K Facsa Castellón | Castellón de la Plana | [55] |
| 13 | 29:55 | Janeth Chepngetich | Kenya | 14 January 2024 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [56] |
| 14 | 29:56 | Diana Chepkorir | Kenya | 25 February 2024 | 10K Facsa Castellón | Castellón de la Plana | [57] |
| Likina Amebaw | Ethiopia | 5 April 2024 | Festival of Running ASICS Speed Race | Paris | [58] | ||
| 16 | 29:57 | Dorcas Kimeli | Kenya | 7 September 2019 | Prague Grand Prix | Prague | |
| Loice Chemnung | Kenya | 5 April 2024 | Festival of Running ASICS Speed Race | Paris | [59] | ||
| 18 | 30:01 | Agnes Tirop | Kenya | 12 September 2021 | Road to Records | Herzogenaurach | |
| 30:01 | Jesca Chelangat | Kenya | 15 January 2023 | Valencia | [60] | ||
| 20 | 30:03 | Joy Cheptoyek | Uganda | 14 January 2024 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [61] |
| 21 | 30:05 | Lonah Chemtai Salpeter | Israel | 1 September 2019 | Tilburg 10K | Tilburg | [62] |
| 22 | 30:06 | Fancy Chemutai | Kenya | 9 September 2017 | Prague Grand Prix | Prague | |
| 23 | 30:08 | Cintia Chepngeno | Kenya | 14 January 2024 | 10K Valencia Ibercaja | Valencia | [63] |
| 24 | 30:12 | Senbere Teferi | Ethiopia | 10 June 2023 | New York Mini 10K | New York City | [64] |
| 25 | 30:14 | Vicoty Chepngeno | Kenya | 27 February 2022 | Castellón 10K | Castellón de la Plana | [65] |
| 30:14 | Catherine Reline | Kenya | 10 September 2023 | Brașov Running Festival | Brașov | [66] |
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 30:14:
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Race | Place | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29:12 | Letesenbet Gidey | Ethiopia | 17 November 2019 | Zevenheuvelenloop | Nijmegen | [68] | |
| 29:45 | Yalemzerf Yehualaw | Ethiopia | 24 October 2021 | Valencia Half Marathon | Valencia | [69] | |
| Sheila Chepkirui | Kenya | 24 October 2021 | Valencia Half Marathon | Valencia | [70] | ||
| 29:54 | Brigid Kosgei | Kenya | 31 December 2018 | San Silvestre Vallecana | Madrid | ||
| 29:59 | Hellen Obiri | Kenya | 31 December 2018 | San Silvestre Vallecana | Madrid | ||
| 30:05 | Violah Jepchumba | Bahrain | 1 April 2017 | Prague Half Marathon | Prague | [71] | |
| 30:14 | Joan Chelimo | Kenya | 7 April 2018 | Prague Half Marathon | Prague | [72] |
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 30:14: