Stayers

Stayers is a term used in English with multiple senses. In general usage, a stayer is a person who remains in a place rather than moving away; the term is common in demographic research to distinguish residents who stay from those who relocate (movers). In sports, and particularly in horse racing, staying describes horses that specialize in long-distance races and thus are valued for stamina.

In horse racing, staying horses tend to have greater endurance and perform best over longer distances rather than sprinters or middle-distance runners. In British and Irish flat racing, staying races are typically longer than about 1 mile 6 furlongs (roughly 14 furlongs). Elite stayers may contest events such as the Ascot Gold Cup and the Doncaster Cup, with similar long-distance races found in other racing systems, including the Melbourne Cup in Australia. Breeders favor pedigrees associated with stamina, and trainers emphasize endurance conditioning and sound temperament. The concept of staying also appears in national hunts and other long-distance racing traditions.

In demographic terms, stayers are residents who persist in a given location across census periods, contributing to community continuity, housing demand, and local labor markets. Studies compare stayers and movers to understand patterns of urban development, age structure, and economic stability. The term may also appear in other contexts to describe things that endure or are kept rather than replaced.