1500 metres
The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilometers or approximately 15⁄16 miles. The event is closely associated with its slightly longer cousin, the mile race, from which it derives its nickname "the metric mile".[1]
Athletics 1500 metres | |
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![]() Olavi Salsola, Olavi Salonen and Olavi Vuorisalo (The three Olavis) break the 1,500 m world record in 1957 in Turku, Finland. | |
World records | |
Men | ![]() |
Women | ![]() |
Olympic records | |
Men | ![]() |
Women | ![]() |
World Championship records | |
Men | ![]() |
Women | ![]() |
The demands of the race are similar to that of the 800 metres, but with a slightly higher emphasis on aerobic endurance and a slightly lower sprint speed requirement. The 1500 metre race is predominantly aerobic, but anaerobic conditioning is also required.[2]
Each lap run during the world-record race run by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco in 1998 in Rome, Italy averaged just under 55 seconds (or under 13.8 seconds per 100 metres).[3]
1,500 metres is three and three-quarter laps around a 400-metre track. During the 1970s and 1980s this race was dominated by British runners, along with an occasional Finn, American, or New Zealander. Through the 1990s, many African runners began to win Olympic medals in this race, especially runners from Kenya, Ethiopia, and East Africa, as well as North African runners from Morocco and Algeria. In the 2020s, European runners began to emerge again in the men's event, with Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the youngest of a dynasty of Norwegian middle-distance runners, winning Olympic Gold in 2021, and Scottish and British runner Jake Wightman winning the World Championship title the following year at the head of an all-European podium. Faith Kipyegon of Kenya maintained Africa's grip on the global titles in the female event in the same time period, although here again, Europeans Sifan Hassan and Laura Muir, and Americans such as Jenny Simpson also contended for the podium.
In the Modern Olympic Games, the men's 1,500-metre race has been contested from the beginning, and at every Olympic Games since. The first winner, in 1896, was Edwin Flack of Australia, who also won the first gold medal in the 800-metre race. The women's 1,500-metre race was first added to the Summer Olympics in 1972, and the winner of the first gold medal was Lyudmila Bragina of the Soviet Union. During the Olympic Games of 1972 through 2008, the women's 1,500-metre race has been won by three Soviets plus one Russian, one Italian, one Romanian, one Briton, one Kenyan, and two Algerians. The 2012 Olympic results are still undecided as a result of multiple doping cases. The best women's times for the race were controversially[4] set by Chinese runners, all set in the same race on just two dates four years apart at the Chinese National Games. At least one of those top Chinese athletes has admitted to being part of a doping program.[5] This women's record was finally broken by Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia in 2015.
In American high schools, the 1,600-metre run, also colloquially referred to as "metric mile", is the designated official distance by the National Governing Body the NFHS. Because of the legacy, since US customary units are better-known in America, the mile run (which is 1609.344 metres in length) is more frequently run than the 1,500-metre run. For convenience, national rankings are standardized by converting all 1,500-metre run times to their mile run equivalents.[6]
Strategy
Many 1500 metres events, particularly at the championship level, turn into slow, strategic races, with the pace quickening and competitors jockeying for position in the final lap to settle the race in a final sprint. Such is the difficulty of maintaining the pace throughout the duration of the event, most records are set in planned races led by pacemakers or "rabbits" who sacrifice their opportunity to win by leading the early laps at a fast pace before dropping out.
The person who wins the race is behind watching.
Continental records
Area | Men | Women | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Time | Athlete | Nation | Time | Athlete | Nation | |
Africa (records) | 3:26.00 WR | Hicham El Guerrouj | ![]() | 3:50.07 WR | Genzebe Dibaba | ![]() |
Asia (records) | 3:29.14 | Rashid Ramzi | ![]() | 3:50.46 | Yunxia Qu | ![]() |
Europe (records) | 3:28.32 | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | ![]() | 3:51.95 | Sifan Hassan | ![]() |
North, Central America and Caribbean (records) | 3:29.30 | Bernard Lagat | ![]() | 3:54.99 | Shelby Houlihan | ![]() |
Oceania (records) | 3:29.66 | Nick Willis | ![]() | 3:58.81 | Jessica Hull | ![]() |
South America (records) | 3:33.25 | Hudson de Souza | ![]() | 4:05.67 | Letitia Vriesde | ![]() |
All-time top 25
Men
- Correct as of July 2022.[10]
Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 3:26.00 | Hicham El Guerrouj | ![]() | 14 JUL 1998 | Rome | |
2 | 3:26.12 | El Guerrouj #2 | 24 AUG 2001 | Brussels | |||
2 | 3 | 3:26.34 | Bernard Lagat | ![]() | 24 AUG 2001 | Brussels | |
4 | 3:26.45 | El Guerrouj #3 | 12 AUG 1998 | Zürich | |||
3 | 5 | 3:26.69 | Asbel Kiprop | ![]() | 17 JUL 2015 | Monaco | [11] |
6 | 3:26.89 | El Guerrouj #4 | 16 AUG 2002 | Zürich | |||
7 | 3:26.96 | El Guerrouj #5 | 08 SEP 2002 | Rieti | |||
8 | 3:27.21 | El Guerrouj #6 | 11 AUG 2000 | Zürich | |||
9 | 3:27.34 | El Guerrouj #7 | 19 JUL 2002 | Monaco | |||
4 | 10 | 3:27.37 | Noureddine Morceli | ![]() | 12 JUL 1995 | Nice | |
11 | 3:27.40 | Lagat #2 | 06 AUG 2004 | Zürich | |||
12 | 3:27.52 | Morceli #2 | 25 JUL 1995 | Monaco | |||
13 | 3:27.64 | El Guerrouj #8 | 6 AUG 2004 | Zürich | |||
5 | 13 | 3:27.64 | Silas Kiplagat | ![]() | 18 JUL 2014 | Monaco | [12] |
15 | 3:27.65 | El Guerrouj #9 | 24 AUG 1999 | Seville | |||
16 | 3:27.72 | Kiprop #2 | 19 JUL 2013 | Monaco | [13] | ||
17 | 3:27.91 | Lagat #3 | 19 JUL 2002 | Monaco | |||
6 | 18 | 3:28.12 | Noah Ngeny | ![]() | 11 AUG 2000 | Zürich | |
7 | 19 | 3:28.28 | Timothy Cheruiyot | ![]() | 09 JUL 2021 | Monaco | [14] |
8 | 20 | 3:28.32 | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | ![]() | 07 AUG 2021 | Tokyo | [15] |
21 | 3:28.37 | Morceli #3 | 09 SEP 1995 | Monaco | |||
El Guerrouj #10 | 08 AUG 1998 | Monaco | |||||
23 | 3:28.38 | El Guerrouj #11 | 06 JUL 2001 | Saint-Denis | |||
24 | 3:28.40 | El Guerrouj #12 | 05 SEP 2003 | Brussels | |||
25 | 3:28.41 | Cheruiyot #2 | 20 JUL 2018 | Monaco | |||
9 | 3:28.75 | Taoufik Makhloufi | ![]() | 17 JUL 2015 | Monaco | [16] | |
10 | 3:28.76 | Mohamed Katir | ![]() | 09 JUL 2021 | Monaco | [17] | |
11 | 3:28.79 | Abdalaati Iguider | ![]() | 17 JUL 2015 | Monaco | ||
12 | 3:28.80 | Elijah Manangoi | ![]() | 21 JUL 2017 | Monaco | [18] | |
13 | 3:28.81 | Mo Farah | ![]() | 19 JUL 2013 | Monaco | [13] | |
Ronald Kwemoi | ![]() | 18 JUL 2014 | Monaco | [19] | |||
15 | 3:28.95 | Fermín Cacho | ![]() | 13 AUG 1997 | Zürich | ||
16 | 3:28.98 | Mehdi Baala | ![]() | 05 SEP 2003 | Brussels | ||
17 | 3:29.02 | Daniel Kipchirchir Komen | ![]() | 14 JUL 2006 | Rome | ||
18 | 3:29.05 | Josh Kerr | ![]() | 07 AUG 2021 | Tokyo | [20] | |
19 | 3:29.14 | Rashid Ramzi | ![]() | 14 JUL 2006 | Rome | ||
20 | 3:29.18 | Venuste Niyongabo | ![]() | 22 AUG 1997 | Brussels | ||
21 | 3:29.23 | Jake Wightman | ![]() | 19 JUL 2022 | Eugene | [21] | |
22 | 3:29.29 | William Chirchir | ![]() | 24 AUG 2001 | Brussels | ||
23 | 3:29.46 | Said Aouita | ![]() | 23 AUG 1985 | Berlin | ||
Daniel Komen | ![]() | 16 AUG 1997 | Monaco | ||||
25 | 3:29.47 | Augustine Choge | ![]() | 14 JUN 2009 | Berlin | [22] |
Women
- Correct as of August 2022.[23]
Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 3:50.07 | Genzebe Dibaba | ![]() | 17 JUL 2015 | Monaco | [24] |
2 | 2 | 3:50.37 | Faith Kipyegon | ![]() |
10 AUG 2022 | Monaco | [25] |
3 | 3 | 3:50.46 | Yunxia Qu | ![]() | 11 SEP 1993 | Beijing | |
4 | 4 | 3:50.98 | Bo Jiang | ![]() | 18 OCT 1997 | Shanghai | |
5 | 3:51.07 | Kipyegon #2 | 09 JUL 2021 | Monaco | [26] | ||
5 | 6 | 3:51.34 | Yinglai Lang | ![]() | 18 OCT 1997 | Shanghai | |
6 | 7 | 3:51.92 | Junxia Wang | ![]() | 11 SEP 1993 | Beijing | |
7 | 8 | 3:51.95 | Sifan Hassan | ![]() | 05 OCT 2019 | Doha | [27] |
8 | 9 | 3:52.47 | Tatyana Kazankina | ![]() | 13 AUG 1980 | Zürich | |
10 | 3:52.59 | Kipyegon #3 | 28 MAY 2022 | Eugene | [28] | ||
11 | 3:52.96 | Kipyegon #4 | 18 JUL 2022 | Eugene | [29] | ||
12 | 3:53.11 | Kipyegon #5 | 06 AUG 2021 | Tokyo | [30] | ||
13 | 3.53.23 | Kipyegon #6 | 21 AUG 2021 | Eugene | [31] | ||
14 | 3:53.60 | Hassan #2 | 09 JUL 2021 | Monaco | [32] | ||
15 | 3:53.63 | Hassan #3 | 10 JUN 2021 | Florence | |||
9 | 16 | 3:53.91 | Lili Yin | ![]() | 18 OCT 1997 | Shanghai | |
17 | 3:53.91 | Kipyegon #7 | 10 JUN 2021 | Florence | |||
10 | 18 | 3:53.96 | Paula Ivan | ![]() | 01 OCT 1988 | Seoul | |
11 | 19 | 3:53.97 | Lixin Lan | ![]() | 18 OCT 1997 | Shanghai | |
12 | 20 | 3:54.01 | Gudaf Tsegay | ![]() | 20 JUN 2021 | Chorzów | |
21 | 3:54.11 | Dibaba #2 | 08 JUL 2015 | Barcelona | |||
22 | 3:54.21 | Tsegay #2 | 28 MAY 2022 | Eugene | [33] | ||
23 | 3:54.22 | Kipyegon #8 | 05 OCT 2019 | Doha | |||
13 | 24 | 3:54.23 | Olga Dvirna | ![]() | 27 JUL 1982 | Kyiv | |
25 | 3:54.38 | Tsegay #3 | 05 OCT 2019 | Doha | [34] | ||
14 | 3:54.50 | Laura Muir | ![]() | 06 AUG 2021 | Tokyo | [35] | |
15 | 3:54.52 | Zhang Ling | ![]() | 18 OCT 1997 | Shanghai | ||
16 | 3:54.99 | Shelby Houlihan | ![]() | 05 OCT 2019 | Doha | ||
17 | 3:55.07 | Yanmei Dong | ![]() | 18 OCT 1997 | Shanghai | ||
18 | 3:55.30 | Hassiba Boulmerka | ![]() | 08 AUG 1992 | Barcelona | ||
19 | 3:55.33 | Sureyya Ayhan | ![]() | 05 SEP 2003 | Brussels | ||
20 | 3:55.68 | Yuliya Fomenko | ![]() | 08 JUL 2006 | Saint-Denis | ||
21 | 3:56.12 | Gabriela DeBues-Stafford | ![]() | 05 OCT 2019 | Doha | [34] | |
22 | 3:56.14 | Zamira Zaitseva | ![]() | 27 JUL 1982 | Kyiv | ||
23 | 3:56.18 | Maryam Yusuf Jamal | ![]() | 27 AUG 2006 | Rieti | ||
24 | 3:56.28 | Freweyni Hailu | ![]() | 09 JUL 2021 | Monaco | [36] | |
25 | 3:56.29 | Shannon Rowbury | ![]() | 17 JUL 2015 | Monaco |
Annulled marks
- Mariem Selsouli of Morocco ran 3:56.15 in 2012. This performance was annulled due to doping offences.
Men (indoor)
- Correct as of February 2023.[37]
Rank | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3:30.60 | Jakob Ingebrigtsen | ![]() |
17 February 2022 | Liévin | |
2 | 3:31.04 | Samuel Tefera | ![]() |
16 February 2019 | Birmingham | |
3 | 3:31.18 | Hicham El Gurreouj | ![]() |
2 February 1997 | Stuttgart | |
4 | 3:31.25+ | Yomif Kejelcha | ![]() |
3 March 2019 | Boston | |
5 | 3:31.76 | Haile Gebrselassie | ![]() |
1 February 1998 | Stuttgart | |
6 | 3:32.11 | Laban Rotich | ![]() |
1 February 1998 | Stuttgart | |
7 | 3:32.35 | Ollie Hoare | ![]() |
13 February 2021 | New York City | |
8 | 3:32.48 | Neil Gourley | ![]() |
25 February 2023 | Birmingham | [38] |
9 | 3:32.86+ | Josh Kerr | ![]() |
27 February 2022 | Boston | |
10 | 3:32.97 | Selemon Barega | ![]() |
17 February 2021 | Toruń | |
11 | 3:33.08 | Daniel Komen | ![]() |
13 February 2005 | Karlsruhe | |
12 | 3:33.10 | Deresse Mekonnen | ![]() |
20 February 2010 | Birmingham | |
13 | 3:33.17 | Vénuste Niyongabo | ![]() |
22 February 1998 | Liévin | |
14 | 3:33.22+ | Yared Nuguse | ![]() |
11 February 2023 | New York City | |
15 | 3:33.23 | Augustine Choge | ![]() |
19 February 2011 | Birmingham | |
16 | 3:33.28 | Adel Mechaal | ![]() |
25 February 2023 | Birmingham | [38] |
17 | 3:33.32 | Andrés Manuel Díaz | ![]() |
24 February 1999 | Athens | |
18 | 3:33.34 | Bernard Lagat | ![]() |
11 February 2005 | Fayetteville | |
19 | 3:33.36 | Abel Kipsang | ![]() |
20 March 2022 | Belgrade | |
20 | 3:33.49 | Andrew Coscoran | ![]() |
25 February 2023 | Birmingham | [38] |
21 | 3:33.59 | Teddese Lemi | ![]() |
20 March 2022 | Belgrade | |
22 | 3:33.76+ | Edward Cheserek | ![]() |
9 February 2018 | Boston | |
23 | 3:33.96 | Haron Keitany | ![]() |
8 February 2009 | Ghent | |
24 | 3:33.99 | Ivan Hesko | ![]() |
13 February 2005 | Karlsruhe | |
25 | 3:34.10 | Abdelaati Iguider | ![]() |
14 February 2012 | Liévin |
Women (indoor)
- Correct as of February 2023.[39]
Olympic medalists
Men
Women
World Championships medalists
Men
Women
European Championships medalists
Men
Women
World Indoor Championships medalists
Men
Women
- A Known as the World Indoor Games
Season's bests
- "i" indicates performance on 200m indoor track
Other sports
1,500 metres is also an event in swimming, speed skating, and wheelchair racing. The world records for the distance in swimming for men are 14:31.02 (swum in a 50-metre pool) by Sun Yang, 14:08.06 (swum in a 25-metre pool) by Gregorio Paltrinieri; and by women 15:25.48 (swum in a 50-metre pool)[41] by Katie Ledecky, and 15:19.71 (swum in a 25-metre pool) by Mireia Belmonte García.
The world records for the distance in speed skating are 1:40.17 by Kjeld Nuis and 1:49.83 by Miho Takagi.
The records for wheelchair racing vary by disability classification:
- T51: 4:53.50 by Hélder Mestre
- T52: 3:29.79 by Raymond Martin
- T53 and T54: 2:51.84 by Brent Lakatos
Notes and references
- In the United States, where the mile race remains highly popular, 'metric mile' often refers to a 1600 metre race, an event generally not run outside its borders.
- 1500 m - Introduction. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-02-07.
- "IAAF: 100 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2018 - iaaf.org". iaaf.org.
- "Scandal as controversial Chinese athlete Wang Junxia enters IAAF Hall of Fame". The Daily Telegraph. London. 9 March 2012. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012.
- Bloom, Ben (25 February 2016). "Athletics world records blow as Wang Junxia 'admits' being part of Chinese state-sponsored doping regime". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
- McCune R. R. (2011-07-11). Verzbicas Breaks Four. Lets Run. Retrieved on 2012-02-07.
- "Bayi's record may be gone but it should never be forgotten". HeraldScotland.
- "Men's outdoor 1500 Metres | Records". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- "Women's outdoor 1500 Metres | Records". worldathletcs.org. World Athletics. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- "All-time men's best 1500m". alltime-athletics.com. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- "1500m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 17 July 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- Mike Rowbottom (18 July 2014). "Kiplagat shows his class with 3:27.64 in Monaco - IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- Mike Rowbottom (19 July 2013). "Seven world leads on magical night in Monaco – IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
- "1500m Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- "Men's 1500m Final Results" (PDF). olympics.com. 7 August 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- "1500m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 17 July 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- "1500m Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- "1500m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- "IAAF Diamond League - 1500m Results". www.diamondleague-monaco.com. 18 July 2014. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- "Men's 1500m Final Results" (PDF). olympics.com. 7 August 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- "Men's 1500m Final Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- "1500m Results". IAAF. 14 June 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- "All-time women's best 1500m". alltime-athletics.com. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- "IAAF Diamond League Monaco - 1500m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- "1500m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- "1500m Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- "1500m Women − Final − Results" (PDF). IAAF. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- Cathal Dennehy (29 May 2022). "Norman reigns in fierce 400m clash with record run in Eugene". World Athletics. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- "Women's 1500m Final Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
- "Women's 1500m Final Results" (PDF). olympics.com. 6 August 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- "Prefontaine Classic 2021 Complete Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- "1500m Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- Cathal Dennehy (29 May 2022). "Norman reigns in fierce 400m clash with record run in Eugene". World Athletics. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- "1500m Women − Final − Results" (PDF). IAAF. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- "Women's 1500m Final Results" (PDF). olympics.com. 6 August 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- "1500m Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- "1500 Metres - men - senior - indoor". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
- "Tsegay threatens world indoor 3000m record, as tour titles are won in Birmingham | REPORT | World Athletics". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- "1500 Metres - women - senior - indoor". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
- On 17 August 2015, the Court of Arbitration for Sport says it approved a settlement agreed to by Turkish athlete Aslı Çakır Alptekin and the IAAF. Alptekin has agreed to forfeit her 1500 metres Olympic title and serve an eight-year ban for blood doping.12 On 29 March 2017, Turkish athlete Gamze Bulut was banned for doping and lost her Olympic silver medal. Maryam Yusuf Jamal of Bahrain was advanced to gold, the silver medal was awarded to Tatyana Tomashova of Russia, and the bronze medal was awarded to Abeba Aregawi of Ethiopia. Tomashova was earlier found guilty of doping and missed the 2008 Olympics because of that, and was banned after the Olympics for failing another drug test.3
- "Katie Ledecky Chops 2 Seconds Off 1500 Free World Record at 2015 FINA World Championships". swimmingworldmagazine.com. 4 August 2015.
External links
