The 800 metres, or 800 meters, is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since the first modern games in 1896. During the winter track season the event is usually run by completing four laps of an indoor 200-metre track.
Indoor athletics has been contested at every Asian Indoor Games and Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games since the inaugural games at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games, except the first combined games at the 2013 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. The programme includes track and field events in 26 events. The World Athletics and Asian Athletics Association are the world and continental respectively governing body.
The 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, which is also counted as the 5th Asian Indoor Games, was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan in 2017. It became the third city in the former Soviet countries to win the right of hosting an Olympic Council of Asia-sanctioned event, following Astana and Almaty in Kazakhstan, which jointly-hosted the 2011 Asian Winter Games. The host city was chosen in Kuwait on 19 December 2010. On 6 July 2013 the flag of the Olympic Council of Asia was officially handed over to the mayor of the city of Ashgabat.
Purnima Hembram is an Indian track and field athlete. She won bronze medals in the heptathlon at the 2015 and 2017 Asian Championships and placed fourth at the 2018 Asian Games.
Ahmed Khader A. Al-Muwallad is a Saudi Arabian athlete specialising in the high hurdles. He won a gold medal at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and a bronze at the 2017 Asian Championships.
Amir Moradi is an Iranian middle-distance runner who specialises in the 800 metres. He won a bronze medal at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
Jung Il-woo is a South Korean athlete specialising in the shot put. He won a bronze medal at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
Gayanthika Artigala Thushari Abeyratne is a Sri Lankan middle-distance runner who established a national record time at 800m.
Gulshanoi Satarova is a Kyrgyz middle-distance runner. She won a silver medal in the 1500 metres at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
Mazen Moutan Al-Yassin is a Saudi Arabian sprinter specialising in the 400 metres. He won a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. With the time of 46.35 he is the current Saudi indoor national record holder.
Atchima Eng-Chuan is a Thai sprinter specialising in the 400 metres. She won a bronze medal at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. She holds the current national indoor record in the 400 metres.
Rejepbaý Rejepow is a Turkmen weightlifter. He is a silver medalist at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, United States and the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships in Bogotá, Colombia. Rejepow is also a distinguished athlete of the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan. He competed in the men's 81 kg at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.
Lui Lai Yiu is an athlete from Hong Kong specialising in the sprint hurdles. She won a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games. She also won a gold medal at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
Pratchaya Tepparak is a Thai athlete specialising in the triple jump. He won a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
Ahmad Smour is a Jordanian long-distance runner.
Kazakhstan competed at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Hong Kong competed at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Thailand competed at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Host country Turkmenistan competed at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
The following table is an overview of national records in the 800 metres.
