" Road running or road racing is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road (as opposed to track and cross country running). Such a race is called a road race . Road racing offers competitors a variety of challenges to overcome such as hills, sharp bends, varied pavement, inclement weather, and a large group to compete against- or with. Aerobic fitness, or the ability of the body to utilize oxygen, is important to have to complete the long distances. Anaerobic fitness, that is, the body's capability at responding when there isn't enough oxygen for the muscle, is necessary to charge up hills and past competitors on the finish line. A common saying for runners is that the sport is 90% mental. Recreational running became popular due to high-profile runners such as Steve Prefontaine. Central Race Running Race courses are usually held on the streets of major cities and towns but they could be on any sealed road. Most road races are either 5 km (3. "

"2 miles), but non-standard distances are also acceptable. The "Round the Bays" run in Auckland, New Zealand is 8. 4 km (5. 2 miles), the SBLI Falmouth Road Race in Falmouth Cape Cod is 7 miles long, San Francisco's "Bay to Breakers" is 12 km (7. 46 miles); "City to Surf" in Sydney, Australia is 14 km, Honolulu's "Great Aloha Run" is 8. 15 miles (13. 12 km), and the "Charleston Distance Run" in Charleston, West Virginia is 15 miles (24. In Minnesota Race Running14 km). Any running that covers a distance further than a marathon is called ultrarunning; the event is an ultramarathon. "