What running is like as a sport and the different type of running distances and events that take place around the world.

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Running is, in my opinion, one of the best sports in the world. Not only is there a never-ending list of health benefits that go along with it, but it is also offers great versatility as it has so many different distances and events that take place throughout the world.

There is such a broad range of health benefits from taking part in regular running sessions, including an improvement in your cardiovascular fitness, it helps strengthen both your muscles and bones, and also helps you to maintain a healthy weight while at the same time it manages to release feel good endorphins which leaves you feeling fresh and full of energy for the day ahead.

As well as being an excellent source of exercise, running is also a competitive sport that makes up a huge amount of big worldwide sporting events such as the Olympics. The great thing about running is that there are so many different races and distances for athletes to compete in so it never gets boring for spectators or the public to watch.

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There are sprinting races, middle distance races,long distance races, and even ultra-distance events. The sprint events include the 100m,200m, and 400m sprint, while both the 800m and 1500m make up the middle distance events. Sprint relays such as the 4x100m,4x200m, and 4x400m have also proven to be hugely popular amongst athletes.

There are quite a large amount of long distance races including the 5000m and 10000m on the track, the marathon on the road, and also cross country. An event called the steeplechase is also a very popular long distance event, especially in the Olympics. It requires athletes to be able to run 3000m on the track while also managing to clear a total of 28 normal hurdle barriers and 7 water barriers along the way.

Ultra-distance events have become very popular in the recent years as it gives athletes a huge endurance challenge while also allowing them to take in all the beautiful surroundings that they pass by on the run. Races that are classified as ultra-distance events include any race that is longer than a marathon which is 26.2 miles. The most common ultra-distance races are the 50km,50mile,100mile, and 100km.

The Olympics,the IAAF World Championships,the European Athletics Championships, and the IAAF World Indoor Championships are the biggest athletic events for elite runners. The Olympics are held every 4 years, while the other 3 events are held every 2 years. The last Olympics took place in Rio, Brazil in 2016, and the next one will be in Tokyo, Japan in 2020. The World Championships are set to take place in London this year from the 4th to the 13th of August and I am literally bursting with excitement!

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