| Event: | 1500 metres |
| Image Upright: | 1.2 |
The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run 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 miles. The event is closely associated with its slightly longer cousin, the mile race, from which it derives its nickname "the metric mile".[1]
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 mid-2010s and 2020s, European and American runners began to emerge again in the men's event. American Matthew Centrowitz Jr. won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In the 2020 Summer Olympics, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the youngest of a dynasty of Norwegian middle-distance runners, won Olympic Gold, while Scottish and British runner Jake Wightman won the World Championship title the following year at the head of an all-European podium. Wightman's compatriot Josh Kerr won gold at the world championships the year after. In the 2024 Summer Olympics, Americans and Europeans continued to dominate the podium, with Cole Hocker, Kerr, and Yared Nuguse earning gold, silver, and bronze respectively. 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. Unfortunately for the European and American contenders Australian Jessica Hull lived up to her expectations and took the silver medal, cementing her place as one of the greatest female 1500m runners of all time, especially after running the 5th fastest 1500m ever two weeks earlier in a race where Faith Kipyegon won and broke the world record.
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]
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.
| Area | Men | Women | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Time | Athlete | Nation | ||
| 3:26.00 | 3:49.04 | Faith Kipyegon | |||||
| 3:29.14 | 3:50.46 | ||||||
| 3:26.73 | 3:51.95 | ||||||
| 3:27.65 | Cole Hocker | 3:54.99 | |||||
| 3:29.41 | Oliver Hoare | 3:50.83 | Jessica Hull | ||||
| 3:33.25 | 4:05.67 | ||||||
See also: 1500 metres world record progression.
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 3:26.00 | 14 July 1998 | ||||
| 2 | 3:26.12 | El Guerrouj #2 | 24 August 2001 | ||||
| 2 | 3 | 3:26.34 | 24 August 2001 | ||||
| 4 | 3:26.45 | El Guerrouj #3 | 12 August 1998 | ||||
| 3 | 5 | 3:26.69 | 17 July 2015 | [10] | |||
| 4 | 6 | 3:26.73 | 12 July 2024 | [11] | |||
| 7 | 3:26.89 | El Guerrouj #4 | 16 August 2002 | ||||
| 8 | 3:26.96 | El Guerrouj #5 | 8 September 2002 | ||||
| 9 | 3:27.14 | Ingebrigtsen #2 | 16 July 2023 | [12] | |||
| 10 | 3:27.21 | El Guerrouj #6 | 11 August 2000 | ||||
| 11 | 3:27.34 | El Guerrouj #7 | 19 July 2002 | ||||
| 5 | 12 | 3:27.37 | 12 July 1995 | ||||
| 13 | 3:27.40 | Lagat #2 | 6 August 2004 | ||||
| 14 | 3:27.52 | Morceli #2 | 25 July 1995 | ||||
| 15 | 3:27.64 | El Guerrouj #8 | 6 August 2004 | ||||
| 6 | 16 | 3:27.64 | 18 July 2014 | [13] | |||
| 17 | 3:27.65 | El Guerrouj #9 | 24 August 1999 | ||||
| 7 | 17 | 3:27.65 | Cole Hocker | 6 August 2024 | Saint-Denis | [14] | |
| 19 | 3:27.72 | Kiprop #2 | 19 July 2013 | ||||
| 8 | 20 | 3:27.79 | Josh Kerr | 6 August 2024 | Saint-Denis | ||
| 9 | 21 | 3:27.80 | Yared Nuguse | 6 August 2024 | Saint-Denis | ||
| 22 | 3:27.91 | Lagat #3 | 19 July 2002 | ||||
| 23 | 3:27.95 | Ingebrigtsen #3 | 15 June 2023 | Oslo | [15] | ||
| 10 | 24 | 3:28.12 | Noah Ngeny | 11 August 2000 | Zürich | ||
| 25 | 3:28.21 | El Guerrouj #10 | 7 July 1999 | [16] [17] | |||
| 11 | 3:28.28 | Timothy Cheruiyot | 9 July 2021 | [18] | |||
| 12 | 3:28.75 | 17 July 2015 | [19] | ||||
| 13 | 3:28.76 | 9 July 2021 | |||||
| 14 | 3:28.79 | 17 July 2015 | |||||
| 15 | 3:28.80 | 21 July 2017 | [20] | ||||
| 12 July 2024 | [21] | ||||||
| 17 | 3:28.81 | 19 July 2013 | [22] | ||||
| 18 July 2014 | [23] | ||||||
| 19 | 3:28.95 | 13 August 1997 | |||||
| 20 | 3:28.98 | 5 September 2003 | |||||
| 21 | 3:29.02 | 14 July 2006 | |||||
| 22 | 3:29.11 | Abel Kipsang | 16 July 2023 | ||||
| 23 | 3:29.14 | Rashid Ramzi | 14 July 2006 | Rome | |||
| 24 | 3:29.18 | Vénuste Niyongabo | 22 August 1997 | Brussels | |||
| 15 June 2023 | [24] |
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 3:49.04 | 7 July 2024 | [26] | |||
| 2 | 3:49.11 | Kipyegon #2 | 2 June 2023 | Florence | [27] | ||
| 2 | 3 | 3:50.07 | Genzebe Dibaba | 17 July 2015 | Monaco | [28] | |
| 3 | 4 | 3:50.30 | Gudaf Tsegay | 20 April 2024 | Xiamen | [29] | |
| 5 | 3:50.37 | Kipyegon #3 | 10 August 2022 | Monaco | [30] | ||
| 4 | 6 | 3:50.46 | Qu Yunxia | 11 September 1993 | Beijing | ||
| 7 | 3:50.72 | Kipyegon #4 | 16 September 2023 | Eugene | [31] | ||
| 5 | 8 | 3:50.83 | Jessica Hull | 7 July 2024 | Paris | [32] | |
| 6 | 9 | 3:50.98 | Jiang Bo | 18 October 1997 | Shanghai | ||
| 10 | 3:51.07 | Kipyegon #5 | 9 July 2021 | Monaco | [33] | ||
| 11 | 3:51.27 | Kipyegon #6 | 10 August 2024 | Saint-Denis | |||
| 7 | 12 | 3:51.34 | Lang Yinglai | 18 October 1997 | Shanghai | ||
| 13 | 3:51.41 | Kipyegon #7 | 21 July 2023 | Monaco | [34] | ||
| 8 | 14 | 3:51.92 | Wang Junxia | 11 September 1993 | Beijing | ||
| 9 | 15 | 3:51.95 | Sifan Hassan | 5 October 2019 | Doha | [35] | |
| 10 | 16 | 3:52.47 | Tatyana Kazankina | 13 August 1980 | |||
| 17 | 3:52.56 | Hull #2 | 10 August 2024 | Saint-Denis | |||
| 18 | 3:52.59 | Kipyegon #8 | 28 May 2022 | [36] | |||
| 11 | 19 | 3:52.61 | 10 August 2024 | ||||
| 12 | 20 | 3:52.75 | 10 August 2024 | ||||
| 21 | 3:52.96 | Kipyegon #9 | 18 July 2022 | Eugene | [37] | ||
| 22 | 3:53.11 | Kipyegon #10 | 6 August 2021 | Tokyo | [38] | ||
| 13 | 23 | 3:53.22 | Birke Haylom | 20 April 2024 | [39] | ||
| 24 | 3:53.23 | Kipyegon #11 | 21 August 2021 | [40] | |||
| 14 | 25 | 3:53.37 | 10 August 2024 | ||||
| 15 | 3:53.91 | Yin Lili | 18 October 1997 | Shanghai | |||
| 16 | 3:53.96 | Paula Ivan | 1 October 1988 | Seoul | |||
| 17 | 3:53.97 | Lan Lixin | 18 October 1997 | Shanghai | |||
| 18 | 3:54.23 | Olga Dvirna | 27 July 1982 | Kyiv | |||
| 19 | 3:54.52 | 18 October 1997 | |||||
| 20 | 3:54.87 | 16 July 2023 | |||||
| 21 | 3:54.99 | 5 October 2019 | |||||
| 22 | 3:55.07 | 18 October 1997 | |||||
| 23 | 3:55.30 | 8 August 1992 | |||||
| 24 | 3:55.33 | 5 September 2003 | |||||
| 30 June 2024 | [41] |
| 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 Guerrouj | 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 | Olli Hoare | 13 February 2021 | New York City | |||
| 8 | 3:32.48 | Neil Gourley | 25 February 2023 | Birmingham | [43] | ||
| 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 | |||
| 17 | 3:33.32 | Andrés Manuel Díaz | 24 February 1999 | Piraeus | |||
| 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 | |||
| 21 | 3:33.59 | Teddese Lemi | 20 March 2022 | Belgrade | |||
| 22 | 3:33.66 | Hobbs Kessler | 4 February 2024 | Boston | [44] | ||
| 23 | 3:33.76 | Edward Cheserek | 9 February 2018 | Boston | |||
| 24 | 3:33.86 | George Mills | 11 February 2024 | New York City | [45] | ||
| 25 | 3:33.96 | Haron Keitany | 8 February 2009 | Ghent |
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 3:33.27 (top 25 performances)
| Rank | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3:53.09 | Gudaf Tsegay | 9 February 2021 | Liévin | |||
| 2 | 3:55.17 | Genzebe Dibaba | 1 February 2014 | Karlsruhe | |||
| 3 | 3:55.28 | Freweyni Hailu | 6 February 2024 | Toruń | [47] | ||
| 4 | 3:55.47 | Diribe Welteji | 6 February 2024 | Toruń | |||
| 5 | 3:56.47 | Hirut Meshesha | 6 February 2024 | Toruń | |||
| 6 | 3:57.91 | Abeba Aregawi | 6 February 2014 | Stockholm | |||
| 7 | 3:58.28 | Yelena Soboleva | 18 February 2006 | Moscow | |||
| 8 | 3:58.43 | Birke Haylom | 4 February 2024 | Boston | [48] | ||
| 9 | 3:58.79 | Tigist Girma | 6 February 2024 | Toruń | |||
| 10 | 3:59.58 | Laura Muir | 9 February 2021 | Liévin | |||
| 11 | 3:59.75 | Gelete Burka | 9 March 2008 | Valencia | |||
| 12 | 3:59.79 | Maryam Yusuf Jamal | 9 March 2008 | Valencia | |||
| 13 | 3:59.87 | Konstanze Klosterhalfen | 8 February 2020 | New York City | |||
| 14 | 3:59.98 | Regina Jacobs | 1 February 2003 | Boston | |||
| 15 | 4:00.20 | Elle Purrier | 8 February 2020 | New York City | |||
| 16 | 4:00.27 | Doina Melinte | 9 February 1990 | East Rutherford | |||
| 17 | 4:00.28 | Dawit Seyaum | 28 February 2016 | Boston | |||
| 18 | 4:00.46 | Sifan Hassan | 19 February 2015 | Stockholm | |||
| 19 | 4:00.52 | Jemma Reekie | 8 February 2020 | New York City | |||
| 20 | 4:00.72 | Natalya Gorelova | 27 February 2003 | Moscow | |||
| 21 | 4:00.8 | Mary Decker | 8 February 1980 | New York City | |||
| 4:00.80 | Gabriela DeBues-Stafford | 8 February 2020 | New York City | ||||
| 23 | 4:00.97 | Habitam Alemu | 10 February 2024 | Liévin | [49] | ||
| 24 | 4:01.17 | Beatrice Chepkoech | 6 February 2024 | Toruń | |||
| 25 | 4:01.19 | Jessica Hull | 11 February 2024 | New York City | [50] |
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 3:59.79 (top 25 performances)
| Age group | Men | Women | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Time | Athlete | Nation | ||
| 3:28.81 | 3:51.34 | ||||||
| 3:33.26 | 3:54.52 | ||||||
See main article: 1500 metres at the Olympics.
See main article: 1500 metres at the World Championships in Athletics.
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 15:20.48 (swum in a 50-metre pool)[51] 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:
4:53.50 by Hélder Mestre
3:29.79 by Raymond Martin