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This article is about the concept of endurance.

For other uses, see endurance (disambiguation).

Contents 1 Endurance exercise 2 Equestrian Sport 3 Auto racing 4 Aviation 5 Non-athletic endurance

Endurance or aerobic exercise consists of performing low- to medium-intensity exercise for very long periods of time. E.g., jogging or running several miles to hundreds of miles; cycling dozens of miles to thousands of miles; swimming hundreds of yards to dozens of miles.

Physical endurance is differentiated from other forms of physical stress in that in endurance exercise fatigue of the muscles and cardiovascular system do not force the effort to end. The need for sleep, the buildup of non-recyclable waste chemicals, the depletion of convertible energy stores and other needed chemicals (e.g., water, sodium), physical injury, psychological failure, or attainment of the goal will bring the effort to an end.

In equestrian sport, Endurance riding refers to long distance races (often 100 miles) by one horse-rider pair. Endurance races were part of military history and also have a place in the history of the American West. The Tevis Cup is a famous race from the east to the west side of the Sierra Nevada. There is also a race in Kentucky called the Kentucky Derby.

It is an international sport and is governed at the international level by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI).

In auto racing, endurance refers to long distance races, often 1000 kilometers or more. Usually 3 to 5 drivers will share the driving. Endurance races include the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Petit Le Mans, the Spa 24 Hours at Spa-Francorchamps, and Zolder 24 Hours in Belgium, as well as the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in California, and Takashi 24 in Japan. Perhaps the most gruelling endurance race is the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, when some 200 cars start the race in uncertain weather conditions around a 23 kilometre track in Germany's Eifel mountain region.

In aviation, the "endurance" of an aircraft refers to the maximum amount of time it may remain in flight with a given amount of fuel.

Any act requiring sustained patience or tolerance of stress is endurance. An example: surviving as a prisoner of war for several years.

The concept of spiritual endurance is a foundational principle of the Christian faith for some people, and the notion of spiritual endurance plays a role in many other world faiths, belief systems and cults throughout the world.