How many laps does an Olympic 5,000-metre track race cover?

An Olympic 5,000-metre track race covers 12.5 laps of a standard 400-metre outdoor track.

The calculation is straightforward: 5,000 metres divided by 400 metres per lap equals 12.5 laps. Athletes therefore finish on the opposite side of the track from where a race beginning at the finish line would complete a whole lap.

The 5,000 metres is the standard long-distance track event equivalent to the road 5-kilometre distance. It replaced the 3,000 metres as the principal championship men’s distance event in many competitions, while both distances have distinct histories.

The event has been part of the men’s Olympic program since 1912. It entered the women’s Olympic program in 1996, replacing the women’s 3,000 metres as the longer standard track race.