# Distance race -- No endurance

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distance-race-no-endurance/189350>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 18, 2003, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distance-race-no-endurance/189350 "2003-07-18T09:43:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Major\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Major\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Kong)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distance-race-no-endurance/189350/1 "2003-07-18T09:43:52Z")

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What is the longest running race that requires no endurance skills. I know the 100m needs some endurance.

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**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distance-race-no-endurance/189350/2 "2003-07-18T11:38:42Z")

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To look at “endurance” loosely, I would say once you leave the “sprint” or “dash” races, you need to use a different running style and more muscle conservation. 100m would be a sprint, you go all out the whole way.

For the more strict definition of “endurance”, there is no defined time limit or distnace involved, it would be a matter of opinion.

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**Author:** ![xiaoping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/77aa72/32.png) [@xiaoping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xiaoping)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distance-race-no-endurance/189350/3 "2003-07-18T15:46:08Z")

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I agree that it is a matter of opinion. It’s also a matter of who is racing. Certainly _I_ could not sprint a 200 or 400m race, but most of the track meets I’ve attended have had people pushing it hard all the way.

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**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distance-race-no-endurance/189350/4 "2003-07-19T15:08:41Z")

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_[1) "]M. Spenser and P Gastin. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol 33, No.1, 2001, pp 157-162.]([http://www.skifaster.net/skifaster/article.asp?DocumentID=75](http://www.skifaster.net/skifaster/article.asp?DocumentID=75))_  
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> [@](#):
>
> 200m run: 29% aerobic; 71% anaerobic  
> 400m run: 43% aerobic; 57% anaerobic  
> 800m run: 66% aerobic: 34% anaerobic  
> 1500m run: 84% aerobic; 16% anaerobic

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