middle distance

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008)

Middle distance track events are track races longer than sprints up to 3000 metres.

Middle distance events

The standard middle distances are the 800 m, 1500 m, mile (in the United States), and the 3000 m (which is viewed by some as more of a long distance event). In the United States, the 3000 m is more common at the high school and collegiate levels (along with the US two mile). In Japan, the 800, 1500 and 3000 meter events are competed in both genders for junior high school and high school, except that high school boys jump to 5000 meters. Both 3000 and 5000 meter distances are sometimes described as long distance^[1] but also frequently as middle distance,^[2][3][4] depending on the context. From the perspective of a longer race like a half marathon, marathon or relays such as the ekiden relay, the 5000 meter race might be viewed as middle distance.

What constitutes a good mark for each event of course varies by gender, age, individual, intensity of training/competition, point in the competitive season and many other factors.

600 m

This middle distance length is rather uncommon, and is mainly run by sprinters wishing to test their endurances at a longer distance. The 600 m is also used as an early season stepping stone by 800 m runners before they have reached full race fitness. The record at this distance is for men:

• Johnny Gray (United States) 1:12.81 Santa Monica 24 May 1986

For women:

• Ana Fidelia Quirot (Cuba) 1:22.63 Guadalajara 25 July 1997

800 m

The 800 m consists of two laps around a standard 400 m 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 and the exhaustion it caused the competitors. Without the benefits of modern training, men of the era were, in contrast, expected to run themselves to complete exhaustion during competitions^{[citation needed]}. The current record is for men:

• Wilson Kipketer (Denmark), 1:41.11 Cologne 24 August 1997

For women:

• Jarmila Kratochvílová (Czechoslovakia) 1:53.28 Munich, 26 July 1983

1000 m

This distance is not commonly raced, though it is more common than the 500 m event is for sprinters. This is commonly raced as an indoor men's heptathlon event, or as an indoor high school event. The record at this distance for men is:

• Noah Ngeny (Kenya) 2:11.96 Rieti 5 September 1999

For women:

• Svetlana Masterkova (Russia) 2:28.98 Munich 23 August 1996

1200 m

A distance seldom raced on its own, but commonly raced as part of the Distance Medley Relay.

1500 m

Along with the 800 m, this is a premier middle-distance race, covering three and three-quarter laps around a standard Olympic-sized track. In recent years, races over this distance have become more of a prolonged sprint, 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. This is a difficult distance to compete at, mentally, in addition to being one of the more tactical middle-distance track events. The distance is often witness to some of the most tactical, physical races in the sport, as many championship races are won in the final few metres. The record at this distance for men is:

• Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco) 3:26.00 Rome 14 July 1998

For women:

• Qu Yunxia (China) 3:50.46 Beijing 11 September 1993

1600 m

At exactly four laps of a normal 400 m track, this distance is raced as the metric mile as a near replacement for the mile (it is, in fact, about 9 m shorter; however, it is still colloquially referred to as "the mile"). The 1500 m, however, is the most popular distance run at the college and international levels. A mile is almost exactly 3.75 laps in lane 5 which is more exact than 4 laps in lane 1.

Mile

This length of middle-distance race, 1760 yards, (1609.344 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.

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.

Historically, the mile took the place that the 1500 m has today. It is still raced on the world class level, but usually only at select occasions, like the famous Wanamaker Mile held annually at the Millrose Games. Running a mile in less than four minutes is a famously difficult achievement, long thought impossible by the scientific community. The first man to break the four minute barrier was Englishman Roger Bannister at Oxford in 1954. The term "miler" is sometimes also applied to a 1500 m runner. The record at this distance for men is:

• Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco) 3:43.13 Rome 7 July 1999

For women:

• Svetlana Masterkova (Russia) 4:12.56 Zürich 14 August 1996

2000 m

• Another event that is rarely run, a miler's speed will generally allow him/her to prevail at this distance over less balanced challengers. The record at this distance for men is:

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

For women:

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

3000 m

• Truly on the borderline between middle and longer distances, the 3000 m (7.5 laps) is a standard race in the United States, though it is not raced at the outdoor IAAF World Championships. This race requires decent speed, but a lack of natural quickness can be made up for with superior aerobic conditioning and supporting race tactics. The record at this distance for men is:

• Daniel Komen (Kenya) 7:20.67 Rieti 1 September 1996

For women:

• Junxia Wang (China) 8:06.11 Beijing 13 September 1993

3200 m

At exactly 8 laps on a standard 400 m track, this event is typically run only in American high schools along with the 1600 m. It is colloquially called the "two-mile," as the distance is only about 18 metres shorter than two miles. In college, the typical runner of this event would convert to the 3,000 metre run.

2,000 metre steeplechase

Another race only run in high school meets. The typical specialist in this event would move up to the 3000m steeplechase in college.

3,000 metre steeplechase

• The 3,000 metre Steeplechase is a distance event requiring greater strength, stamina, and agility than the flat 3,000 metre event. This is because athletes are required to jump over five barriers per lap, after a flat first 200 m to allow for settling in. One barrier per lap is placed in front of a water pit, meaning that runners are also forced to deal with the chaffing of wet shoes as they race. The world record for men is:

• Saif Saeed Shaheen (Qatar) 7:53.63 Brussels 3 September 2004

For women:

• Gulnara Samitova (Russia) 8:58.81 Beijing 17 August 2008

Middle Distance Times: Youth Focus

The tables below do not focus on record times but rather on the performance of many runners in a given year (in this case, 2007 and 2008). These are the top 100 (or even 500) junior high school and high school runners in Japan and the USA. Results from other countries would be welcomed.

800 meters

1500 meters

A few states of the USA use this distance, among them Oregon, Florida and Massachusetts.

1600 meters

3000 meters

A few states of the USA use this distance, among them Oregon, Massachusetts and Florida.

3200 meters

2000 meter steeplechase

In the USA, the steeplechase is still relatively uncommon in high school. One example is New York state, where high school boys compete in the 3000 meter steeplechase and the high school girls compete in the 2000 meter steeplechase. In many states, both boys and girls compete in the 2000 meter steeple chase.^[9]

3000 meter steeplechase

5000 meters

Japanese high school boys regularly run 5000 meters on the track rather than 3000 meters. USA high school boys rarely run this distance except during cross country.

References and Notes

1. ^ Yamashita Makoto, Long Distance: Preparation Season Training, Track and Field Magazine (Japan), Vol 56 No 3, February 2006, page 220.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} 2008 High School Middle Distance Detailed List, All Japan High School Ekiden Spectator's Guide, January Supplement, Track and Field Magazine (Japan), Vol 59 No 1, January 2009, pages 87-90.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} 2008 Japan and Junior High School Middle Distance Top 100, Track and Field Magazine (Japan), Vol 59 No 1, January 2009, pages 152-153.
4. ^ New Athletes in Middle Distance and Race Walking Top 10 lists, Track and Field Magazine (Japan), Vol 59 No 1, January 2009, pages 154.
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Athletic.Net middle school
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p} www/.Milesplit.us/rankings, National Outdoor TF Rankings, accessed 25/01/2009
7. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} 2007 High School Detailed List by Year-in-School, Track and Field Magazine (Japan), Vol 58 No 6, April 2008, pages 182-196.
8. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} www.Dyestat.com, accessed 25/01/2009
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Athletic.Net high school
10. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Track and Field News, accessed 25/01/2009

• (Japanese) Track and Field Magazine (Rikujou kyougi magazine); contact Baseball Magazine Company, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 102-0073; sportsclick.jp/track.
• Milesplit. US, as of 2008, represents results primarily from the eastern states of USA.
• Athletic.net, as of 2008, represents results from all states of USA, but especially the western states.
• The centralized collection of high school and especially middle school data in the USA is relatively new, and there is more 2008 data than 2007 data. For both high school and middle school, many good performances may not have been reported to the various agencies.
• Middle school often implies the students are one year younger than junior high. Japanese junior high corresponds with USA 7th, 8th and 9th grades.

See also

• Athletics long distances
• Athletics (track and field)
• Ekiden
• The Flying Finns
• Relay race
• Sprints