The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature hundreds of events across more than 30 sports.
While some like basketball and gymnastics will be decided by a score, others will feature a racing format where the top time wins.
From the track to the swimming pool and beyond, there are several different types of racing events on the Olympic slate. They range from all-out sprints like the 50m freestyle swim to literal marathons.
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But just how far will these Olympians have to travel as they try to chase down gold? Here's a breakdown of distances at the 2024 Games:
How many laps are in Olympic track events?
One lap around an oval-shaped Olympic track is equal to 400 meters, or roughly 0.25 miles. One meter is equal to about 3.3 feet or 1.1 yards.
There will be track events in Paris ranging from 100 to 10,000 meters. Here's how many laps each race entails:
- 100m: 1/4 lap
- 110m (hurdles): 0.275 lap
- 200m: 1/2 lap
- 400m: 1 lap
- 800m: 2 laps
- 1500m: 3 3/4 laps
- 3000m (steeplechase): 7 1/2 laps
- 5000m: 12 1/2 laps
- 10000m: 25 laps
How many miles is the Olympic marathon?
The Olympic marathon is a 26.219-mile race with a route that passes through nine of the Île-de-France region’s districts.
How long are the Olympic race walking events?
There will be men's and women's 20km race walks that are roughly 12.4 miles long. A new mixed relay event will feature teams of four combining to complete the same distance as the marathon (26.219 miles).
How long are the Olympic cycling races?
Outdoor cycling events, or road cycling, will include time trial and road races. The time trial events are around 20 miles long. The men's road race is roughly 169 miles in length, while the women's is around 98 miles.
Indoor cycling races, or track cycling, take place on a velodrome that's 250 meters in length, or roughly 0.16 miles. Here's a look at how may laps each event features:
- Individual sprint: 3 laps
- Team sprint: 3 laps
- Keirin: 6 laps
- Team pursuit: 16 laps
- Madison: 120 laps for women's, 200 laps for men's
- Omnium: Three 30-lap races and one 80-lap race for women's, three 40-lap races and one 100-lap race for men's
BMX races, meanwhile, are single-lap events held on a course that's roughly 400 meters in length.
How many laps are in the Olympic swimming events?
An Olympic swimming pool is 50 meters in length. One lap equals 50 meters, with events at the Paris Games ranging from one to 30 laps:
- 50m: 1 lap
- 100m: 2 laps
- 200m: 4 laps
- 400m: 8 laps
- 800m: 16 laps
- 1500m: 30 laps
How long are the Olympic open water races?
The marathon swimming events are 10 kilometers in length, or roughly 6.2 miles, and will be held in the River Seine.
How long are rowing races at the Olympics?
All Olympic rowing races are 2,000 meters long, or roughly 1.2 miles.
How long are canoe and kayak races at the Olympics?
Canoe and kayak races range from 200 to 1,000 meters:
- 200m: 0.12 miles
- 500m: 0.31 miles
- 1000m: 0.62 miles
