1500 metres world record progression

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Paavo Nurmi breaks the 1,500 m world record in Helsinki in 1924. Paavo Nurmi breaks 1,500 m world record.jpg
Paavo Nurmi breaks the 1,500 m world record in Helsinki in 1924.

The 1500-metre run became a standard racing distance in Europe in the late 19th century, perhaps as a metric version of the mile, a popular running distance since at least the 1850s in English-speaking countries. [1]

Contents

A distance of 1500 m sometimes is called the "metric mile". The French had the first important races over the distance, holding their initial championship in 1888.

When the Olympic Games were revived in 1896, metric distances were run, including the 1500; however, most of the best milers in the world were absent, and the winning time of 4:33 1/5 by Australian Edwin Flack was 17 4/5 seconds slower than the amateur mile record, despite the fact one mile is 109.344 metres longer than 1500 metres.

The 1900 Olympics and 1904 Olympics showed improvements in times run, but it was not until the 1908 Olympics that a meeting of the top milers over the distance took place, and not until the 1912 Olympics that a true world-class race over the distance was run. [2]

The distance has now almost completely replaced the mile in major track meets.

Men (outdoors)

Pre-IAAF

TimeAthleteDatePlace
4:24+3/5Flag of France.svg  J. Borel  (FRA)1892
4:21Flag of France.svg  Fernand Meiers  (FRA)1893-05-28 Paris, France
4:19+4/5Flag of France.svg  Felix Bourdier  (FRA)1894-07-22 Paris, France
4:18+2/5Flag of France.svg  Albin Lermusiaux  (FRA)1895-05-12 Paris, France
4:16+4/5Flag of France.svg  Michel Soalhat  (FRA)1895-05-26 Paris, France
4:15+3/5Flag of the United States (1891-1896).svg  Thomas Conneff  (USA)1895-08-26 New York City, United States
4:10+2/5Flag of France.svg  Albin Lermusiaux  (FRA)1896-06-26 Paris, France
4:09Flag of the United States (1896-1908).svg  John Bray  (USA)1900-05-30 Bayonne, France
4:06+1/5Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Charles Bennett  (GBR)1900-07-15 Paris, France
4:05+2/5Flag of the United States (1896-1908).svg  James Lightbody  (USA)1904-09-03 St. Louis, United States
3:59+4/5Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Harold Wilson  (GBR)1908-05-30 London, Great Britain
3:59+1/5Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg  Abel Kiviat  (USA)1912-05-26 New York City, United States
3:56+4/5Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg  Abel Kiviat  (USA)1912-06-01 New York City, United States

IAAF era

The first world record in the 1500 m for men (athletics) was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as World Athletics, in 1912. To July 17, 2015, the IAAF has ratified 38 world records in the event. [3]

Ratified
Not ratified
Ratified but later rescinded
Pending ratification
TimeAutoAthleteDatePlace
3:55.8Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg  Abel Kiviat  (USA)1912-06-08 Cambridge, United States
3:54.7Flag of Sweden.svg  John Zander  (SWE)1917-08-05 Stockholm, Sweden
3:52.6Flag of Finland.svg  Paavo Nurmi  (FIN)1924-06-19 Helsinki, Finland
3:51.0Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Otto Peltzer  (GER)1926-09-11 Berlin, Germany
3:49.2Flag of France.svg  Jules Ladoumegue  (FRA)1930-10-05 Paris, France
3:49.2Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Luigi Beccali  (ITA)1933-09-09 Turin, Italy
3:49.0Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Luigi Beccali  (ITA)1933-09-17 Milan, Italy
3:48.8Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  Bill Bonthron  (USA)1934-06-30 Milwaukee, United States
3:47.8Flag of New Zealand.svg  Jack Lovelock  (NZL)1936-08-06 Berlin, Germany
3:47.6Flag of Sweden.svg  Gunder Hägg  (SWE)1941-08-10 Stockholm, Sweden
3:45.8Flag of Sweden.svg  Gunder Hägg  (SWE)1942-07-17 Stockholm, Sweden
3:45.0Flag of Sweden.svg  Arne Andersson  (SWE)1943-08-17 Gothenburg, Sweden
3:43.0Flag of Sweden.svg  Gunder Hägg  (SWE)1944-07-07 Gothenburg, Sweden
3:43.0Flag of Sweden.svg  Lennart Strand  (SWE)1947-07-15 Malmö, Sweden
3:43.0Flag of Germany.svg  Werner Lueg  (FRG)1952-06-29 Berlin, Germany
3:42.8+Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  Wes Santee  (USA)1954-06-04 Compton, United States
3:41.8+Flag of Australia (converted).svg  John Landy  (AUS)1954-06-21 Turku, Finland
3:40.8Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957; 1-2 aspect ratio).svg  Sándor Iharos  (HUN)1955-07-28 Helsinki, Finland
3:40.8Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957; 1-2 aspect ratio).svg  László Tábori  (HUN)1955-09-06 Oslo, Norway
3:40.8Flag of Denmark.svg  Gunnar Nielsen  (DEN)1955-09-06 Oslo, Norway
3:40.6Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957; 1-2 aspect ratio).svg  István Rózsavölgyi  (HUN)1956-08-03 Tata, Hungary
3:40.2Flag of Finland.svg  Olavi Salsola  (FIN)1957-07-11 Turku, Finland
3:40.2Flag of Finland.svg  Olavi Salonen  (FIN)1957-07-11 Turku, Finland
3:38.1Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Stanislav Jungwirth  (TCH)1957-07-12 Stará Boleslav, Czechoslovakia
3:36.0Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Herb Elliott  (AUS)1958-08-28 Gothenburg, Sweden
3:35.6Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Herb Elliott  (AUS)1960-09-06 Rome, Italy
3:33.1Flag of the United States.svg  Jim Ryun  (USA)1967-07-08 Los Angeles, United States
3:32.23:32.16Flag of Tanzania.svg  Filbert Bayi  (TAN)1974-02-02 Christchurch, New Zealand
3:32.13:32.03Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Sebastian Coe  (GBR)1979-08-15 Zürich, Switzerland
3:32.13:32.09Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Steve Ovett  (GBR)1980-07-15 Oslo, Norway
3:31.43:31.36Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Steve Ovett  (GBR)1980-08-27 Koblenz, West Germany
3:31.24Flag of the United States.svg  Sydney Maree  (USA)1983-08-28 Cologne, West Germany
3:30.77Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Steve Ovett  (GBR)1983-09-04 Rieti, Italy
3:29.67Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Steve Cram  (GBR)1985-07-16 Nice, France
3:29.46Flag of Morocco.svg  Saïd Aouita  (MAR)1985-08-23 Berlin, Germany
3:28.86Flag of Algeria.svg  Noureddine Morceli  (ALG)1992-09-06 Rieti, Italy
3:27.37Flag of Algeria.svg  Noureddine Morceli  (ALG)1995-07-12 Nice, France
3:26.00Flag of Morocco.svg  Hicham El Guerrouj  (MAR)1998-07-14 Rome, Italy

The "Time" column indicates the ratified mark; the "Auto" column indicates a fully automatic time that was also recorded in the event when hand-timed marks were used for official records, or which was the basis for the official mark, rounded to the 10th of a second, depending on the rules then in place.

Auto times to the hundredth of a second were accepted by the IAAF for events up to and including 10,000 m from 1981. [3] Hence, Steve Ovett's record at 3:31.4 was rendered as 3:31.36 from that year.

Women (outdoors)

Pre-IAAF

TimeAthleteDatePlace
5:18.2Flag of the Soviet Union (1924-1936).svg  Anna Mushkina  (URS)1927-08-19 Moscow, Soviet Union
5:07.0Flag of the Soviet Union (1924-1936).svg  Anna Mushkina  (URS)1934-09-16 Alma-Ata, Soviet Union
5:02.0Flag of the Soviet Union (1924-1936).svg  Lydia Freiberg  (URS)1936-07-13 Moscow, Soviet Union
4:47.2Flag of the Soviet Union (1924-1936).svg  Yevdokiya Vasilyeva  (URS)1936-07-30 Moscow, Soviet Union
4:45.2Flag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg  Yevdokiya Vasilyeva  (URS)1937-09-13 Moscow, Soviet Union
4:41.8Flag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg  Anna Zaytseva-Bosenko  (URS)1940-06-10 Moscow, Soviet Union
4:38.0Flag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg  Yevdokiya Vasilyeva  (URS)1944-08-17 Moscow, Soviet Union
4:37.8Flag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg  Olga Ovsyannikova  (URS)1946-09-15 Dnepropetrovsk, Soviet Union
4:37.0Flag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg  Nina Pletnyova  (URS)1952-08-30 Leningrad, Soviet Union
4:35.4Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Phyllis Perkins  (GBR)1956-05-17 Hornchurch, Great Britain
4:30.0Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Diane Leather  (GBR)1957-05-16 Hornchurch, Great Britain
4:29.7+Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Diane Leather  (GBR)1957-07-19 London, Great Britain
4:19.0+Flag of New Zealand.svg  Marise Chamberlain  (NZL)1962-12-08 Perth, Australia

IAAF era

The first world record in the 1,500 m for women (athletics) was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as World Athletics, in 1967. [4]

TimeAutoAthleteDatePlaceRef
4:17.3+Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Anne Smith  (GBR)1967-06-03 Chiswick, Great Britain
4:15.6Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Maria Gommers  (NED)1967-10-24 Sittard, Netherlands
4:12.4Flag of Italy.svg  Paola Pigni  (ITA)1969-07-02 Milan, Italy
4:10.74:10.77Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Jaroslava Jehličková  (CZE)1969-09-20 Athens, Greece
4:09.64:09.62Flag of East Germany.svg  Karin Burneleit  (GDR)1971-08-15 Helsinki, Finland
4:06.9Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Ludmila Bragina  (URS)1972-07-18 Moscow, Soviet Union
4:06.54:06.47Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Ludmila Bragina  (URS)1972-09-04 Munich, Germany
4:05.14:05.07Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Ludmila Bragina  (URS)1972-09-07 Munich, Germany
4:01.44:01.38Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Ludmila Bragina  (URS)1972-09-09 Munich, Germany
3:56.0Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Tatyana Kazankina  (URS)1976-06-28 Podolsk, Soviet Union
3:55.0Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Tatyana Kazankina  (URS)1980-07-06 Moscow, Soviet Union
3:52.47Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Tatyana Kazankina  (URS)1980-08-03 Zürich, Switzerland
3:50.46Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  Qu Yunxia  (CHN)1993-09-11 Beijing, China
3:50.07Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Genzebe Dibaba  (ETH)2015-07-17 Fontvieille, Monaco [5]
3:49.11Flag of Kenya.svg  Faith Kipyegon  (KEN)2023-06-02 Florence, Italy [6]
3:49.04
Flag of Kenya.svg  Faith Kipyegon  (KEN)
2024-07-07 Paris, France [7]

+ - En route time during mile race.

The "Time" column indicates the ratified mark; the "Auto" column indicates a fully automatic time that was also recorded in the event when hand-timed marks were used for official records, or which was the basis for the official mark, rounded to the 10th of a second, depending on the rules then in place.

The IAAF accepted records to the hundredth of a second starting in 1981.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's 100 metres world record progression</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1500 metres</span> Middle distance running event, "the metric mile"

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Men's 200 metres world record progression</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">10,000 metres world record progression</span>

The official world records in the 10,000 metres are held by Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei with 26:11 minutes for men and Kenyan Beatrice Chebet with 28:54.14 for women.

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References

General
Specific
  1. Nelson, Cordner; Quercetani, Roberto (1985). The Milers. Tafnews Press. p. 14. ISBN   0-911521-15-1.
  2. Nelson, Cordner; Quercetani, Roberto (1985). The Milers. Tafnews Press. p. 21. ISBN   0-911521-15-1.
  3. 1 2 "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. pp. Pages 546, 549. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  4. "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. pp. Pages 546, 642. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
  5. "IAAF Diamond League Monaco - 1500m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 17 July 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  6. "1500m Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 2 June 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  7. "1500m Result" (PDF). swisstiming.com. 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.

Further reading