Long Track Speed Skating vs Short Track Speed Skating: same distances, totally different races - so what's the difference? (Ellia & Niall’s guide)

At Milano Cortina 2026, Team GB has two athletes competing in Speed Skating - Ellia Smeding (long track speed skating) and Niall Treacy (short track speed skating) - who are both racing the 500m, 1000m and 1500m - but despite the matching distance names, these are two very different Olympic sports. So what's the difference?

In long track, it’s all about delivering the cleanest, fastest race against the clock on a full-size oval, where efficiency and pacing are everything. In short track, it’s head-to-head pack racing on a rink-sized circuit, where positioning, passing, and split-second decisions can matter just as much as raw speed.

At-a-glance: what changes between the two sports in Speed Skating

Long track (Ellia) is typically a time trial in pairs on a 400m oval, with lane changes each lap to keep distances equal. Short track (Niall) is raced on a 111.12m oval marked on a standard rink, with multiple skaters sharing the same line in a knockout format of heats and finals.

Quick way to remember it:

Long track (Ellia)

• Track: 400m oval, two lanes

• Racing style: usually time trial in pairs 

• Winning: fastest time overall

• Key skill: efficiency, pacing, holding speed

  
  

Short track (Niall)

• Track: 111.12m oval on a standard 60m x 30m rink

• Racing style: pack racing, multiple skaters together

• Winning: finishing position through heats/finals (with rules/penalties in play)

• Key skill: positioning, passing, decision-making at speed

The ice: 400m oval vs a rink-sized oval

Long track takes place on a 400m track with two competition lanes in the classical distances (including 500m/1000m/1500m). Short track is raced on a 111.12m track laid out on a standard 60m x 30m rink, which is why corners come around fast and the action feels instantly tighter.

Key takeaway: long track gives athletes space to build speed; short track compresses everything into more corners, more traffic, and more racecraft.

How you win: fastest time vs finishing position

In long track, most events are time trial format: skaters go in pairs, but the goal is the fastest time overall once everyone has raced. Athletes also switch lanes once per lap to compensate for the inner lane being shorter than the outer.

In short track, it’s a head-to-head progression: you advance through heats and later rounds into finals largely based on finishing position, with penalties and disqualifications sometimes reshaping the race order.

What this means when you’re watching:

• Long track: you’ll hear a lot about splits, pacing, and margins

• Short track: you’ll hear a lot about positioning, passes, and decisions

  
  

Same distances, different “feel” (because lap counts change)

Even before tactics come into it, the same distances behave differently because the tracks are different.

On long track, those shared distances translate to:

• 500m = 1¼ laps

• 1000m = 2½ laps

• 1500m = 3¾ laps 

  
  

On short track, the same distances mean more laps — and far more corners:

• 500m = 4½ laps

• 1000m = 9 laps

• 1500m = 13½ laps 

  
  

That’s why long track often looks like controlled rhythm and build, while short track can flip from patient to frantic in the space of a lap.

The skates (and kit): built for completely different jobs

Both sports are “speed skating,” but the equipment is tuned to what each format demands.

Long track skates are famous for clap skates - blades that detach slightly at the heel to allow a longer, more efficient push (perfect for long straights and wider turns).

Short track skates prioritise control in tight corners and close racing. Blades are typically shorter (about 30–45cm) than long track (about 40–55cm), helping with quicker handling through dynamic turns and pack movement.

Because short track is pack racing, you’ll also notice more obvious protective kit — and one iconic detail: the small balls on the fingertips of gloves, which help skaters safely touch the ice for stability through corners.

Olympic records and world records: the history behind the hype

Long track records are deeply tied to time-trial racing — chasing the perfect run. Short track records are a little different culturally because races can be tactical, but when a race goes flat-out, records are still celebrated.

Here are key benchmarks across the same distances Ellia and Niall are racing:

Long track (women) — the pace Ellia is up against

• 500m — OR: 36.94 (Nao Kodaira) | WR: 36.09 (Femke Kok)

• 1000m — OR: 1:12.31 (Jutta Leerdam, Milano Cortina 2026) | WR: 1:11.61 (Brittany Bowe)

• 1500m — OR: 1:53.28 (Ireen Wüst) | WR: 1:49.83 (Miho Takagi)

  
  

Short track (men) — the targets in Niall’s world

• 500m — OR/WR: 39.584 (Wu Dajing)

• 1000m — OR: 1:23.042 | WR: 1:20.875 (Hwang Daeheon)

• 1500m — OR: 2:09.213 | WR: 2:07.943 (Sjinkie Knegt)

  
  

And a fun extra bit of context: the ISU notes that “fast ice” venues like Calgary and Salt Lake City have historically helped produce many of the quickest times - this is usually due to differences like height above sea level - where everu milisecond counts, it makes a difference!

Beyond Ellia and Niall’s distances: what else is on the Olympic programme?

Even though Ellia and Niall share the 500m/1000m/1500m, each discipline also has its own extra events that show off different strengths.

In long track, the Olympic programme also includes endurance distances and team formats - notably the 3000m/5000m/10,000m (depending on gender), plus Team Pursuit and the Mass Start (the big exception where long track becomes pack racing).

In short track, the signature additional events are the relays: women’s 3000m relay, men’s 5000m relay, and the mixed team relay — some of the most tactical, high-stakes racing of the Games.

Inspire To Skate: feel the Olympic spark for yourself

If watching Ellia and Niall has you thinking “I want to try that,” Inspire To Skate is British Ice Skating’s campaign designed to help more people take their first steps onto the ice during the Olympic season - whether you’re completely new, returning after years away, or just curious to give skating a go. Head to the British Ice Skating Olympic Hub for the latest from Milano Cortina 2026 and how you can start your own skating journey.