500 metres facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Athletics500 metres |
|
|---|---|
| World records | |
| Men |  David Rudisha 57.69 (2016) |
| Women |  Femke Bol 1:05.63 (2023) |
The 500 metres is a running race that's not very common in track and field events. It's a middle-distance running event, meaning it's longer than a sprint but shorter than a long-distance race. Athletes run this distance on a track or sometimes on a road.
World Records in 500 Metres
Even though the 500 metres isn't run very often, athletes have set some amazing world records! These records show how fast and strong runners can be.
Men's World Record
The fastest time ever recorded for the men's 500 metres was set by David Rudisha from Kenya. He ran it in an incredible 57.69 seconds on 10 September 2016. This record was set on a road course in Newcastle, England.
Other top male runners have also achieved impressive times:
- Mark English from
Ireland ran 57.91 seconds. - Martyn Rooney from
Great Britain ran 59.02 seconds. - Nijel Amos from
Botswana ran 59.26 seconds.
Some races happen indoors (marked with 'i'), which means they are on an indoor track. Sometimes, tracks are oversized (marked with 'OT'), or the race might be affected by altitude (marked with 'A'), which can make it easier to run faster because the air is thinner. Hand timing (marked with 'h') means someone started and stopped a stopwatch by hand, which is less precise than electronic timing.
Women's World Record
The fastest time for the women's 500 metres was set by Femke Bol from Netherlands. She ran it in 1 minute and 5.63 seconds on 4 February 2023. This record was set on an indoor track in Boston, USA.
Other fast women runners include:
- Tatana Kocembova from
Czechoslovakia ran 1:05.9 (hand-timed). - Olesya Krasnomovets from
Russia ran 1:06.31. - Lynsey Sharp from Great Britain ran 1:06.62.
These athletes train very hard to achieve such incredible speeds and endurance!
