24-hour run

For similar 24-hour racing events, see 24-hour race.
Service members and civilians stationed at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, start the 24-Hour Run for Charity, April 16, 2011.

A 24-hour run is a form of ultramarathon, in which a competitor runs as far as they can in 24 hours. They are typically held on 1- to 2-mile loops or occasionally 400-meter tracks.

Top runners will often run 200 kilometres (124 mi) or more, depending on conditions, and the best can go beyond 270 kilometres (168 mi). Some participants will have a crew to help them, but others just set up a camp with all the gear and supplies they need near the starting area to access each loop. Often 24-hour events are combined with 6-, 12-, and 48-hour events. 24-hour runs have also been held in relay formats, with runners completing a mile each in succession for 24 hours. Often these events are not internationally sanctioned, and are more for charitable purposes.[1]

The world records for the event on all surfaces are 270.363 km (167.996 miles) for women, set by Miho Nakata of Japan in 2023,[2][3] and 319.614 km (198.598 miles) for men, set by Aleksandr Sorokin of Lithuania in 2022.[4]

  1. ^ Bangor Daily News, Bangor, Maine, USA, Style Section, Page 17, "Marathon to raise money for American Cancer Society"
  2. ^ iRunFar: Japan’s Miho Nakata Sets Women’s 24-Hour World Record.
  3. ^ "Japan's Miho Nakata Breaks 24-Hour World Record By Narrow 246 Meters At World Championships". 2023-12-02. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  4. ^ "2022 IAU 24 European Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 18 September 2022.