The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to 3 miles 188 yards or 16,404 feet 2 inches. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over 12+1⁄2 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.
Hellen Onsando Obiri is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. She is the only woman to have won world titles in indoor track, outdoor track and cross country. Obiri is a two-time Olympic 5,000 metres silver medallist from the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she also placed fourth over the 10,000 metres. She is a two-time world champion after winning the 5,000 m in 2017 and again in 2019, when she set a new championship record. Obiri also took world bronze for the 1,500 metres in 2013 and silver in the 10,000 m in 2022. She won the 3,000 metres race at the 2012 World Indoor Championships, claimed silver in 2014, and placed fourth in 2018. She is the 2019 World Cross Country champion. Obiri triumphed in the 2023 Boston Marathon, her second marathon race. She places fifth in the half marathon on the world all-time list.
Cameron Levins is a Canadian long-distance runner. He won the bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Levins had the best-Canadian finish ever of fourth in the marathon at the 2022 World Championships, setting a new Canadian record. He is the North American record holder for the marathon and the Canadian record holder for the half marathon.
Almaz Ayana Eba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres and bronze in the 5,000 metres at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Almaz is a four-time World Athletics Championships medallist earning a bronze for the 5,000m in 2013, gold at the event in 2015 as well as gold in the 10,000m and silver in the 5,000m in 2017.
Sifan Hassan is a Dutch middle- and long-distance runner. She is most recognized for her versatility in running championship and world-leading performances in widely disparate distances. She completed an unprecedented triple at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, winning gold medals in both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres and a bronze medal for the 1,500 metres. Hassan is the only athlete in Olympic history to win medals across a middle-distance event and both long-distance races in a single Games. She is only the second of three women to complete an Olympic distance double. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Hassan secured a bronze medal in both the women's 5,000 m and 10,000 m events and gold in the women's marathon, becoming the only woman to win the Olympic gold medal in the 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres and Marathon races.
Madeline Heiner is an Australian runner. She placed fourth in the women's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she placed 7th in the 3000m steeplechase final and 10th in the 5000m final. She also represented Australia in the 2015 IAAF World Championships, 2017 IAAF World Championships and the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Birhanu Balew is an Ethiopian-born long-distance runner representing Bahrain. He reached the final of the 5000 m event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Camille French is a New Zealand long-distance runner.
Stewart "Stewie" McSweyn is an Australian long-distance runner. He was a finalist in the men's 1500 metres in the Tokyo Olympics, and has also been a World Championships and Commonwealth Games finalist in the 3000 metres steeplechase, 5000 metres and 10,000 metres.
Joe Klecker is an American long-distance runner. After a successful collegiate career with the Colorado Buffaloes he turned professional in 2020 joining the On Athletics Club coached by Dathan Ritzenhein. Klecker holds personal bests of 3:37.00 for 1500m, 7:34.14 for 3000m, 12:54.99 for 5000m, and 27:07.57 for 10000m, all set as a part of the On Athletics Club.
Isobel Batt-Doyle is an Australian Olympic athlete.
Ejgayehu Taye is an Ethiopian Olympic long-distance runner. She won the bronze medal for the 3000 metres at the 2022 World Indoor Championships. She also held the mixed world record 5 km road race from 2021 to 2024, with a time of 14:19.
Daniel Simiu Ebenyo is a Kenyan middle-distance and long-distance runner.
Parul Chaudhary is an Indian athlete from Uttar Pradesh, who specialises in 5000 metres and 3000 metres steeplechase. She is the first Indian runner to clock a sub-9 minute time in the women's 3000m.
Ky Robinson is an Australian long-distance runner. Competing for Stanford, he won the 5000 and 10,000 m at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In 2022, he represented his home country at the World Championships in Eugene and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. In December 2023, he set an Australian indoor 5000 m record in a time of 13:06.42.
Megan Keith is a British track and field athlete and cross country runner. She was the 2023 European U23 champion over 5,000 metres and won a bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2024 European Athletics Championships.
Lauren Ryan is an Australian track and field athlete who competes as a long-distance runner. She is the Australian national record holder over 10,000m.
Biniam Mehary is an Ethiopian middle and long-distance runner. In February 2024, he set a new under-20 world record in the 1500 metres indoors.
Filomenaleonisa Iakopo is an American Samoan sprinter. She is of Samoan and Chamorro descent from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), making her the first athlete from the CNMI to participate in the Summer Olympics. She qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics and was named American Samoa's flagbearer.
