How Long Is A 10K? - ACTIVE

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How long is a 10K? You're new to running and have heard about races called a 10K, but you have no idea what it means. It's okay, you're not alone. 

Here's the 10K breakdown.

The 'K' stands for kilometer, which is 0.62 miles or 1093.6 yards (http://www.metric-conversions.org). Therefore, a 10K is 10 kilometers (10,000 meters) or 6.2 miles. It's double the distance of a 5K race.

More: How Long Is a 5K? 

When you hear about races such as Annual Summers End 10,000, you can know that it's a 10K or 6.2 miles. The 10,000-meter race is the longest standard track event. On a standard outdoor track (400 meters) you would need to run 25 laps to complete a 10K. On a standard indoor track (200 meters) you would need to run 50 laps to run a 10K. 

How Long Is a 10K?

To help put this distance into perspective, consider the following facts:

  • You would have to run a football field (including the end zone, which is 109.73 meters) 91.14 times to finish a 10K. 
  • King Kong would have to climb the Empire State Building (443.2 meters high, including antenna) 26.25 times to complete a 10K.
  • A tourist would need to scale the Eiffel Tower (324 meters tall) 31.25 times to cover a 10K distance.

More: 10 Steps to a Successful 10K

World Records

According to Track and Field News, the current men's outdoor world-record holder is Ethiopian runner Kenenisa Bekele at 26:17.53. The current women's outdoor world-record holder is Wang Junxia of China at 29:31.78.

The 10K distance is popular with both beginner and experienced runners. If you're a true beginner, check out online training programs to help you train for a 10K.

More: 4 Tips to Finish Your First 10K Strong

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