The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word KILOMETRES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
K
I
L
O
M
E
T
R
E
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "distance" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case distance = kilometres.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does KILOMETRES mean?
KILOMETRES noun- (official BIPM spelling, Australian, New Zealand, Irish, Indian and South African spelling) An SI unit of length equal to 103 metres. Symbol: km