Athletics is a group of sporting events that involves competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and racewalking.
Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least 3 km (1.9 mi). Physiologically, it is largely aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength.
An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres. Various distances are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of 50 kilometres (31 mi) to over 100 kilometres (62 mi). 50k and 100k are both World Athletics record distances, but some 100 miles (160 km) races are among the oldest and most prestigious events, especially in North America. Around 100 miles is typically the longest course distance raced in under 24 hours but there are also longer multi-day races of 200 miles (320 km) or more, sometimes raced in stages with breaks for sleep. While some ultras are road races, many take place on trails, leading to a large overlap with the sports of trail running and mountain running.
Trail running is a sport-activity which combines running, and, where there are steep gradients, hiking, that is run "on any unpaved surface". It is similar to both mountain and fell running. Mountain running may, however, include paved sections. Trail running normally takes place in warm climates, or on good paths, or tracks which are relatively easy to follow, and does not necessarily involve the significant amounts of ascent, or need for navigating skills, normal in fell running. Unlike road running and track running it generally takes place on hiking trails, often in mountainous terrain, where there can be much larger ascents and descents. It is difficult to definitively distinguish trail running from cross country running. In general, however, cross country is an IAAF-governed discipline that is typically raced over shorter distances.
Fell running, also sometimes known as hill running, is the sport of running and racing, off-road, over upland country where the gradient climbed is a significant component of the difficulty. The name arises from the origins of the English sport on the fells of northern Britain, especially those in the Lake District. It has elements of trail running, cross country and mountain running, but is also distinct from those disciplines.
Mountain running is a sports discipline which takes place mainly off-road in mountainous terrain, but if there is significant elevation gain on the route, surfaced roads may be used. In this it differs from fell running; also its courses are more clearly marked and avoid dangerous sections. It is a form of trail running if it is run on unpaved surfaces. Mountain running is a combination of running, jogging, and walking, depending on how steep the trail is.
Anne Golden Bersagel is an American long-distance runner and lawyer.
Marc Lauenstein is a Swiss orienteering competitor and runner. He received a silver medal on the long distance at the 2005 World Orienteering Championships in Aichi, and again in Aarhus in 2006. He earned a bronze medal in 2005 as a member of the Swiss relay team.
The World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships, is an annual international mountain running competition organised by the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA).
Stevie Kremer is an American ski mountaineer and long-distance runner.
Renee Metivier Baillie is an American long-distance runner who competed at multiple IAAF World Cross Country Championships and finished eighth at the 2012 Chicago Marathon.
Isabelle Guillot is a French athlete, born in 1961, who is a specialist in Mountain trail running, who runs for the Blagnac Sporting Athletic Club. She began to run conventional distance running athletic competitions later, in 1986, while still a young teacher. She is Co-author of the book Courir Grandeur Nature.
Aline Camboulives is a French long-distance runner who specialises in mountain running and road running. Triple French champion of Marathon, she was previously a cyclist, member of the French team in 2002.
Allison "Allie" Ostrander is an American long-distance runner from Soldotna, Alaska. The repeat NCAA Division I steeplechase champion in 2017, 2018 and 2019, she competed for the Boise State University Broncos. In July 2019, Ostrander announced her plans to forgo her final season of NCAA eligibility and begin running professionally.
Jim Walmsley is an American long-distance runner. An ultra-trail specialist, his wins include the JFK 50 Mile in 2014, 2015 and 2016, the Lake Sonoma 50 in 2016 and 2018, the Tarawera Ultramarathon in 2017, and the Western States 100 in 2018, 2019, and 2021. He holds several course records and fastest known times, including the Western States 100, set in 2018 and further improved by 21 minutes in 2019. Sponsored by Hoka One One, Walmsley was named UltraRunner of the Year for four years in a row - 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. In addition, he qualified and ran in the 2020 Olympic trials in the marathon with his 2019 qualifying performance at the Houston half-marathon. While competing in the Hoka One One Project Carbon X 100K Challenge on May 5, 2019 he set a new world best for the 50 mile distance, completing it in 4:50:07. Walmsley won the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships in 2019.
2019 Ukrainian Athletics Championships among the athletes of the senior age category was held from 21 to 23 August in Lutsk at Avanhard Stadium.
The 2019 Russian Athletics Championships was held from 24–27 July at the Olympic Stadium in Cheboksary. It was the seventh time that the capital of the Chuvash Republic hosted the event. The four-day competition featured 40 track and field events and was attended by 731 athletes from 72 regions of the country.
Martina Strähl is a Swiss female long-distance runner and mountain runner, world champion at the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships (2015) and twice at the European Mountain Running Championships.
Ekaterina Mityaeva is a Russian athlete specializing in trail running, skyrunning, mountain running and ultra running. She is a winner and prize-winner of the international competitions and Championships of Russia.
The 25K run is a long distance running footrace that is between the distance of a half marathon and a marathon. It was formerly an official world record distance in road running by World Athletics, but has since been downgraded to world best status. Separately, the Association of Road Racing Statisticians retains world records in the 25K distance. The ARRS holds different standards for records than World Athletics, with exclusions for certain point-to-point races and mixed sex races. As a result its women's world record is 1:26:34 by Nancy Conz, set in 1982.
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