Dolichos (race)

The dolichos or dolichus (Δόλιχος, meaning "long race") was a long-distance footrace introduced at the ancient Olympic Games in 720 BC.

Sources vary on the exact length of the race. Most accounts estimate the dolichos covered approximately 12 to 24 lengths of the stadium track, or between 1,400 and 4,800 Greek feet (roughly 4.8 km). On average, this amounted to about 12.5 laps, or 3 miles (4.8 km). The race was conducted similarly to modern long-distance events: runners started and finished inside the stadium, but the course extended through the sanctuary grounds of Olympia.

The course often passed prominent landmarks, including shrines and statues. Notably, athletes would pass by the Nike statue near the temple of Zeus before returning to the stadium.

The dolichos was not as popular as the shorter sprint races, such as the stadion. According to Philostratus, dolichos runners "move almost as if they were walking, holding up their hands in front of them" before executing a final sprint—comparable to the modern "sit-and-kick" strategy seen in Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 meter races.