Road running

Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road (as opposed to track and cross country running). Road racing offers competitors a variety of challenges to overcome such as hills, sharp bends, varied pavement, inclement weather, and a large group to compete against- or with. Aerobic fitness, or the ability of the body to utilize oxygen, is important to have to complete the long distances. Anaerobic fitness, that is, the body's capability at responding when there isn't enough oxygen for the muscle, is necessary to charge up hills and past competitors on the finish line. A common saying for runners is that the sport is 90% mental. Recreational running became popular due to high-profile runners such as Steve Prefontaine.

Race courses are usually held on the streets of major cities and towns but could be on any sealed road. Most road races are either 5k (3.1 miles), 10k (6.2 miles), half-marathon (13.1 miles), or marathon (26.2 miles), but non-standard distances are also acceptable. San Francisco's "Bay to Breakers" is 12k (7.46 miles); "City to Surf" in Sydney, Australia is 13k, and Honolulu's "Great Aloha Run" is 8.15 miles. Large road races are often community-wide events that highlight or raise money for an issue or project, most notably Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure, which is held nationwide to raise breast cancer awareness. Any running event that covers a distance further than a marathon is called an ultramarathon. These can be measured in distance (for example, 100 kilometers) or by time (whoever has run the farthest after 24 hours).

Professional road racing's governing body is the IAAF. Competitors from around the world participate in what is dubbed the "elite" races for cash prizes. Kenyans and Ethiopians are renowned for their skill and it is rare for a race's top finishers not to include competitors from these countries.