Long-distance running confined area. Early tracks were usually on flattened earth or were simply marked areas of grass. The style of running tracks became refined during the 20th century: the oval running tracks were standardised to 400 metres in distance and cinder tracks were replaced by synthetic all-weather running track of asphalt and rubber from the mid-1960s onwards. It was not until the 1912 Stockholm Olympics that the standard long-distance track events of 5000 metres and 10,000 metres were introduced. Long-distance road running competitions are mainly conducted on courses of paved or tarmac roads, although major events often finish on the track
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 10,000 metres Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 10,000 metres The Men's 10,000 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on August 17 at the Beijing National Stadium. The race was dominated by the Ethiopian and Kenyan teams along with Tadese of Eritrea. With 200m remaining, Bekele pulled away from the rest of the field with a final lap of 53.42 seconds, winning his second 10,000m Olympic gold medal. The qualifying standards for the 2008 event were 27:50.00 (A standard) and 28:10.00 (B standard). The Men's 10,000m competition consisted of only one race the Final. Prior to this competition,