Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, ranging from 500 metres up to two miles. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1500 m came about as a result of running 3+3⁄4 laps of a 400 m outdoor track or 7+1⁄2 laps of a 200 m indoor track, which were commonplace in continental Europe in the 20th century.
Ivo Van Damme was a Belgian middle-distance runner.
The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and race in separate lanes for the entire course. In many countries, athletes previously competed in the 440-yard dash (402.336 m)—which is a quarter of a mile and was referred to as the "quarter-mile"—instead of the 400 m (437.445 yards), though this distance is now obsolete.
Dmitrijs Miļkevičs is a former Latvian track athlete who competed in 400 metres and 800 metres.
Rick Wohlhuter is a retired American middle-distance runner.
LaShawn Merritt is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 metres. He is a former Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.65 seconds makes him the eleventh fastest of all time.
Adam Piotr Kszczot is a retired Polish middle-distance runner who specialised in the 800 metres. His achievements include silver medals at the 2015 and 2017 World Championships in Athletics, gold at the 2018 World Indoor Championships as well as silver and bronze at the 2014 and 2010 World Indoor Championships respectively. Kszczot won three gold medals in the 800 m at both the European Outdoor and Indoor Championships. He twice competed at the Olympic Games, in 2012 and 2016, narrowly missing the final on both occasions.
The men's 800 metres event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal was held on July 23, 1976, July 24, 1976, and on July 25, 1976. Forty-two athletes from 31 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by 0.36 seconds by Alberto Juantorena of Cuba, the nation's first medal in the event; Juantorena would later complete an unusual double in winning the 400 metres as well. Ivo van Damme's silver was Belgium's first medal in the event since 1960, matching the 1960 silver for best result for the nation.
The men's 1,500m metres was an event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The final was held on Saturday 31 July 1976 and was contested by 9 athletes. The semifinals were held on 30 July 1976 and were contested by 18 athletes. The heats were held on 29 July 1976 and 45 athletes entered; 42 athletes from 28 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by John Walker of New Zealand, the nation's first 1500 metres title since 1964 and third overall. Ivo Van Damme's silver was Belgium's first medal in the event.
Andreas Kramer is a Swedish middle-distance runner specialising in the 800 metres. He won the silver medal at the 2018 European Championships and the silver medal at the 2024 World Indoor Championships. With the performance of 1:49.62 he is the current European junior indoor record holder.
Donavan Brazier is an American middle-distance runner. He holds the American junior record in the men's 800 meters and won the gold medal at the 2019 World Championships. He was the American national and NACAC area record holder in the event from 2019 until 2024, when Marco Arop and Bryce Hoppel ran 1:41.20 and 1:41.67 to break the NACAC record and American record respectively.
Jake Wightman is a British middle-distance runner who primarily competes in the 1500 metres. He won the gold medal at the 2022 World Championships, the first global gold in a middle distance event for a British male since Seb Coe's 1500 m title at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. At the European Athletics Championships, Wightman earned a bronze in 2018 and a silver for the 800 metres in 2022. He won bronze medals at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Ismael Debjani is a Belgian middle-distance runner who competes primarily in the 1500 metres. He represented his country at the 2017 World Championships without advancing from the first round.
Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir is a Kenyan middle-distance runner. He is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and 2022 World champion in the 800 metres. Korir won the silver medal in the event at the 2018 African Championships in Athletics.
Tony van Diepen is a Dutch track and field athlete competing in the 400 and 800 metres. He won the bronze medal in the 400 m at the 2019 European Indoor Championships and silver at the 2021 European Indoor Championships. Van Diepen earned five medals with Dutch 4 × 400 m relays, either men's or mixed, at major championships, including silver for the men's relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Bryce Hoppel is an American middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres. He is the reigning 800 m world indoor champion having won gold at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. He also is a 7-time U.S. champion and two-time NCAA champion over the distance. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Hoppel set an American record in the event, with a time of 1:41.67 to become the 7th fastest man at the distance.
Isaac Kimeli is a Kenyan born Belgian middle- and long-distance runner. He won the silver medal in the 3000 metres at the European Indoor Championships. Kimeli earned a silver in the 5000 metres at the European U23 Championships. He took four individual medals at the European Cross Country Championships.
Gabriela Gajanová is a Slovak middle-distance runner specialising in the 800 metres. Gajanová won a bronze medal at the 2017 European U20 Championships. She won silver in the 800 metres at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, Italy. In 2023, at the World Athletics Continental Tour in Bellinzona, Gajanová ran 800 meters in 1:58.78, surpassing the qualification threshold for 2024 Summer Olympics.
Tibo De Smet is a Belgian middle-distance runner, who specializes in the 800 metres.
The 2022 Belgian Indoor Athletics Championships was the year's national championship in indoor track and field for Belgium. It was held on Saturday 26 February at the Complexe sportif de Blocry in Louvain-la-Neuve. A total of 23 events, 12 for men and 11 for women, were contested. It served as preparation for the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
