1500 metres

The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event

Middle distance track event

Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. 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 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...

.

Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.

In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could run 400 metres. Each lap ran during the world-record race run by Hicham El Guerrouj

Hicham El Guerrouj

Hicham El Guerrouj "King of the Mile" is a Moroccan former middle distance runner...

 of Morocco in 1998 in Rome, Italy averaged just under 56 seconds (or under 13.8 seconds every 100 metres). 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

British people

The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

 runners, along with an occasional Finn

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

, American, or New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

er, but through the 1990s a large number of African runners began to take over in being the masters of this race, with runners from Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

, Morocco

Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

, and Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

 winning the Olympic gold medals.

In the Modern Olympic Games, the men's 1,500-metre race has been contested from the beginning, and at every Olympiad since. The first winner, in 1896, was Edwin Flack of Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, 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

Lyudmila Bragina

Lyudmila Ivanovna Bragina is a former Soviet middle distance runner. She was born in Sverdlovsk and trained at Dynamo in Krasnodar....

 of the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

. During the Olympiads of 1972 through 2008, the women's 1,500-metre race has been won by three Soviet

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

s plus one Russian

Russians

The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....

, one Italian, one Romanian, one Briton

British people

The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

, one Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

n, and two Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

ns, with the latter two winners being a big step forward for the women of Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 countries, and for North Africa

North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...

 as a whole.

In American high schools, the one-mile run (which is 1609.344 metres in length) and the 1,600-metre run, also colloquially referred to as "metric mile

Metric mile

Metric mile is a distance which approximates one statute mile at a round figure of metres . The term is most commonly used in track running and swimming....

", are more frequently run than the 1,500-metre run, since imperial unit

Imperial unit

The system of imperial units or the imperial system is the system of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824, which was later refined and reduced. The system came into official use across the British Empire...

s are better-known in America. Which distance is used depends on which state the high school is in, and, for convenience, national rankings are standardized by converting all 1,600-metre run times to their mile run equivalents.

Men

• Updated July 2010.

Rank	Res.	Athlete	Nation	Date	Location
1.	3:26.00	Hicham El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj "King of the Mile" is a Moroccan former middle distance runner...		14 July 1998	Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
2.	3:26.34	Bernard Lagat Bernard Lagat Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat is an American middle and long distance champion athlete.Lagat was born in Kapsabet, Kenya...		24 August 2001	Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
3.	3:27.37	Noureddine Morceli Noureddine Morceli Noureddine Morceli is a retired Algerian athlete, winner of the 1500 m run at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Born in Ténès, Noureddine Morceli rose to athletic prominence after winning the silver medal in the 1500 m at the World Junior Championships in 1988...		12 July 1995	Nice Nice Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
4.	3:28.12	Noah Ngeny Noah Ngeny Noah Kiprono Ngeny is a former Kenyan athlete, Olympic gold medalist at 1500 m at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and world record holder in the 1000 m.-Before Sydney:...		11 August 2000	Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
5.	3:28.95	Fermín Cacho Fermín Cacho Fermín Cacho Ruiz is a Spanish athlete, winner of the 1500 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics.Born in Ágreda, Spain, Cacho had an enviable competitive record in the 1500 m, but it wasn't until late in his career that he produced a time of corresponding quality.Cacho's first notable result came in...		13 August 1997	Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
6.	3:28.98	Mehdi Baala Mehdi Baala Mehdi Baala is a French middle-distance athlete competing mainly at 1500 metres. Baala has won numerous major medals, including two European titles. Baala is considered to be the best French middle-distance runner of all time...		5 September 2003	Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
7.	3:29.02	Daniel Kipchirchir Komen Daniel Kipchirchir Komen Daniel Kipchirchir Komen is a Kenyan middle distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres.He graduated from Timboroa High School in 2003...		14 July 2006	Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
8.	3:29.14	Rashid Ramzi Rashid Ramzi Rashid Ramzi is a Moroccan-Bahraini track and field athlete competing internationally for Bahrain in the 800 metres and 1500 metres. Ramzi was investigated by the IAAF after the 2008 Summer Games and was stripped of his gold medal for doping.Ramzi was born in Asfi, Morocco...		14 July 2006	Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
9.	3:29.18	Vénuste Niyongabo Vénuste Niyongabo Vénuste Niyongabo is a middle distance runner from Burundi. In 1996, he became the first Olympic medalist from Burundi by winning the 5000 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics...		22 August 1997	Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
10.	3:29.27	Silas Kiplagat Silas Kiplagat Silas Kiplagat is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. He is the reigning Commonwealth champion in the event and is the tenth fastest of all-time over the distance....		22 July 2010	Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...

Women

• Updated April 2010.

Rank	Res.	Athlete	Nation	Date	Location
1.	3:50.46	Yunxia Qu		11 September 1993	Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
2.	3:50.98	Bo Jiang		18 October 1997	Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
3.	3:51.34	Yinglai Lang		18 October 1997	Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
4.	3:51.92	Junxia Wang		11 September 1993	Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
5.	3:52.47	Tatyana Kazankina Tatyana Kazankina Tatyana Vasilyevna Kazankina is a Soviet/Russian former runner who set seven world records and won a total of three gold medals at the Olympic Games. She was also awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and the title Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR in 1976...		13 August 1980	Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
6.	3:53.91	Lili Yin		18 October 1997	Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
7.	3:53.96	Paula Ivan Paula Ivan -References:...		1 October 1988	Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
8.	3:53.97	Lixin Lan		18 October 1997	Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
9.	3:54.23	Olga Dvirna Olga Dvirna Olga Dvirna is a retired female middle distance runner who represented the USSR in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She set her personal best in the women's 1,500 metres on July 27, 1982 at a meet in Kiev.-References:*...		27 July 1982	Kiev Kiev Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
10.	3:54.52	Ling Zhang Zhang Ling (athlete) Zhang Ling is a female Chinese middle distance runner.On 18 October 1997 in Shanghai she ran the 1500 metres in 3:54.52 minutes. This ranks her eighth in the world of all time, behind Qu Yunxia, Jiang Bo, Lang Yinglai, Wang Junxia, Tatyana Kazankina, Yin Lili, Paula Ivan, Lan Lixin and Olga Dvirna...		18 October 1997	Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

Men's seasons best (Outdoor)

Year		1967	3:33.1		Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
1968 1968 in athletics While the most notable story coming out of 1968 was Socio-Political, politics involved with the Olympics was not something unique to this year. However, the year marked the beginning of several emerging elements of contemporary Track and Field.-Automatic timing:...	3:34.9		Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
1969	3:37.2		Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
1970	3:34.0		Colombes Colombes Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes ....
1971	3:36.0		Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
1972	3:36.33		Munich Munich Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
1973	3:34.6		Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
1974	3:32.16		Christchurch Christchurch Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
1975	3:32.4		Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
1976	3:34.19		Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
1977	3:32.72		Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
1978	3:35.48		Edmonton Edmonton Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
1979	3:32.03		Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
1980 1980 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:*Olympic Boycott Games*Olympic Games*World Cross Country Championships-World Best Year Performance:-January:*January 1 — Masumi Aya, Japanese hammer thrower*January 2 — Yusuke Yachi, Japanese race walker...	3:31.36		Koblenz Koblenz Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
1981 1981 in athletics (track and field) -International events:*Asian Championships*Central American and Caribbean Championships*European Indoor Championships*South American Championships*World Cross Country Championships-100 metres:-200 metres:-400 metres:-800 metres:-1,500 metres:...	3:31.57		Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
1982 1982 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:*African Championships*Asian Games*Central American and Caribbean Championships*Commonwealth Games*European Championships*European Indoor Championships*World Cross Country Championships-Men:-Women:...	3:32.12		Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
1983 1983 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:*Asian Championships*Balkan Games*Central American and Caribbean Championships*European Indoor Championships*Mediterranean Games*Pan American Games*South American Championships*World Championships*World Cross Country Championships...	3:30.77		Rieti Rieti Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
1984 1984 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:*African Championships in Rabat, Morocco*Balkan Games in Athens, Greece*European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden*World Cross Country Championships in New York, United States*Olympic Games in Los Angeles, United States-Men:...	3:31.54		Hengelo Hengelo Hengelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel. The city lies along the motorways A1/E30 and A35 and it has a station for the International Amsterdam – Hannover – Berlin service.-Traffic and transport:...
1985 1985 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* African Championships* Asian Championships* Balkan Games* Bolivarian Games* Central American and Caribbean Championships* European Indoor Championships* South American Championships* Pan Arab Games* World Cross Country Championships...	3:29.46		Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
1986 1986 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* Asian Games* Balkan Games* European Championships* European Indoor Championships* Commonwealth Games* Goodwill Games* World Junior Championships-Men:-Women:...	3:29.77		Rieti Rieti Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
1987 1987 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* All-Africa Games* Asian Championships* Central American and Caribbean Championships* European Indoor Championships* Mediterranean Games* Pan American Games* World Championships* World Indoor Championships...	3:30.69		Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
1988 1988 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* African Championships* Balkan Games* European Indoor Championships* Olympic Games* World Cross Country Championships* World Junior Championships-Men:...	3:30.95		Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
1989 1989 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* African Championships* Asian Championships* Balkan Games* Central American and Caribbean Championships* Bolivarian Games* European Indoor Championships* Jeux de la Francophonie* South American Championships...	3:30.55		Rieti Rieti Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
1990 1990 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* African Championships* Asian Games* Balkan Games* Central American and Caribbean Championships* Commonwealth Games* European Championships* European Indoor Championships* Goodwill Games* World Cross Country Championships...	3:32.60		Bologna Bologna Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
1991 1991 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* All-Africa Games* Asian Championships* Central American and Caribbean Championships* Mediterranean Games* Pan American Games* South American Championships* World Championships* World Cross Country Championships...	3:31.00		Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
1992 1992 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* African Championships* Balkan Games* European Indoor Championships* Olympic Games* Pan Arab Games* World Cross Country Championships* World Junior Championships-Men:-Women:-100 metres:-200 metres:-400 metres:-800 metres:...	3:28.86		Rieti Rieti Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
1993 1993 in athletics (track and field) -International events:* African Championships* Asian Championships* Bolivarian Games* Central American and Caribbean Games* Central American Championships* East Asian Games* Maccabiah Games* Mediterranean Games* Chinese National Games...	3:29.20		Narbonne Narbonne Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
1994 1994 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* Asian Games* Balkan Games* Commonwealth Games* European Championships* European Indoor Championships* Jeux de la Francophonie* Goodwill Games* World Cross Country Championships* World Junior Championships-Women:...	3:30.61		Villeneuve d'Ascq Villeneuve d'Ascq Villeneuve-d'Ascq is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. With more than 60,000 inhabitants, it is one of the main cities of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole and the largest in area after Lille ; it is also one of the main cities of the Nord-Pas de Calais region.Built up...
1995	3:27.37		Nice Nice Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
1996	3:29.05		Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
1997	3:28.91		Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
1998 1998 in athletics (track and field) This page shows the main events during the 1998 year in athletics throughout the world.-Championships:* African Championships* Asian Championships* Asian Games* Balkan Games* Central American and Caribbean Games* Commonwealth Games...	3:26.00		Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
1999 1999 in athletics (track and field) This page shows the main events during the 1999 year in athletics throughout the world.-International Events:* All-Africa Games* Balkan Games* Central American and Caribbean Championships* Pan American Games* Pan Arab Games...	3:27.65		Seville Seville Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
2000 2000 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2000.The primary athletics competition for the 2000 season was at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.-World:...	3:27.21		Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
2001 2001 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2001.The foremost competition of the season was the 2001 World Championships in Athletics in Edmonton, Canada...	3:26.12		Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
2002 2002 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2002.There was no primary championships that season, although continental championships were held in Africa, Asia and Europe. The foremost athletics competitions at...	3:26.89		Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
2003 2003 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2003.The foremost competition of the year was the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, followed by the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships...	3:28.40		Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
2004 2004 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2004.The major competition of the year was the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the event, Yelena Isinbayeva cleared a world record 4.91 m in the pole vault...	3:27.40		Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
2005 2005 in athletics (track and field) This page shows the main events during the 2005 year in athletics throughout the world.-World:* World Championships* World Athletics Final* World Cross Country Championships* World Half Marathon Championships* World Youth Championships...	3:29.30		Rieti Rieti Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
2006 2006 in athletics (track and field) The following events in athletics took place in 2006:-Championships:* March: 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships * March: 2006 Commonwealth Games...	3:29.02		Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
2007 2007 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2007.-World:*World Championships in Athletics*World Athletics Final*World Cross Country Championships...	3:30.54		Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
2008 2008 in athletics (track and field) -International events:*2008 Summer Olympic Games, held in Beijing, China*African Championships, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia*European Cup, super league held in Annecy, France*World Indoor Championships, held in Valencia, Spain...	3:31.49		Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
2009 2009 in athletics (track and field) This page contains an overview of the year 2009 in athletics.The major competition of the year was the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. At the event, Usain Bolt reaffirmed himself as one of the world's foremost athletes with world records in the 100 and 200 metres...	3:29.47		Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
2010 2010 in athletics (track and field) In 2010 there was no obvious, primary athletics championship, as neither the Summer Olympics nor the World Championships in Athletics occurred in the year...	3:29.27		Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...

Women's seasons best (Outdoor)

Year	1970	4:12.2		Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
1971	4:09.6		Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
1972	4:01.4		Munich Munich Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
1973	4:04.6		Potsdam Potsdam Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
1974	4:02.25		Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
1975	4:06.0		Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
1976	3:56.0		Podolsk Podolsk Podolsk is an industrial city and the administrative center of Podolsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Pakhra River...
1977	4:02.65		Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
1978	3:59.01		Prague Prague Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
1979	3:57.4		Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
1980 1980 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:*Olympic Boycott Games*Olympic Games*World Cross Country Championships-World Best Year Performance:-January:*January 1 — Masumi Aya, Japanese hammer thrower*January 2 — Yusuke Yachi, Japanese race walker...	3:52.47		Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
1981 1981 in athletics (track and field) -International events:*Asian Championships*Central American and Caribbean Championships*European Indoor Championships*South American Championships*World Cross Country Championships-100 metres:-200 metres:-400 metres:-800 metres:-1,500 metres:...	3:57.78		Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
1982 1982 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:*African Championships*Asian Games*Central American and Caribbean Championships*Commonwealth Games*European Championships*European Indoor Championships*World Cross Country Championships-Men:-Women:...	3:54.23		Kiev Kiev Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
1983 1983 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:*Asian Championships*Balkan Games*Central American and Caribbean Championships*European Indoor Championships*Mediterranean Games*Pan American Games*South American Championships*World Championships*World Cross Country Championships...	3:57.12		Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
1984 1984 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:*African Championships in Rabat, Morocco*Balkan Games in Athens, Greece*European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden*World Cross Country Championships in New York, United States*Olympic Games in Los Angeles, United States-Men:...	3:56.63		Prague Prague Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
1985 1985 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* African Championships* Asian Championships* Balkan Games* Bolivarian Games* Central American and Caribbean Championships* European Indoor Championships* South American Championships* Pan Arab Games* World Cross Country Championships...	3:57.24		Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
1986 1986 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* Asian Games* Balkan Games* European Championships* European Indoor Championships* Commonwealth Games* Goodwill Games* World Junior Championships-Men:-Women:...	3:56.7		Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
1987 1987 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* All-Africa Games* Asian Championships* Central American and Caribbean Championships* European Indoor Championships* Mediterranean Games* Pan American Games* World Championships* World Indoor Championships...	3:58.56		Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
1988 1988 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* African Championships* Balkan Games* European Indoor Championships* Olympic Games* World Cross Country Championships* World Junior Championships-Men:...	3:53.96		Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
1989 1989 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* African Championships* Asian Championships* Balkan Games* Central American and Caribbean Championships* Bolivarian Games* European Indoor Championships* Jeux de la Francophonie* South American Championships...	3:59.23		Nice Nice Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
1990 1990 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* African Championships* Asian Games* Balkan Games* Central American and Caribbean Championships* Commonwealth Games* European Championships* European Indoor Championships* Goodwill Games* World Cross Country Championships...	3:58.69		Villeneuve d'Ascq Villeneuve d'Ascq Villeneuve-d'Ascq is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. With more than 60,000 inhabitants, it is one of the main cities of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole and the largest in area after Lille ; it is also one of the main cities of the Nord-Pas de Calais region.Built up...
1991 1991 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* All-Africa Games* Asian Championships* Central American and Caribbean Championships* Mediterranean Games* Pan American Games* South American Championships* World Championships* World Cross Country Championships...	3:59.16		Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
1992 1992 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* African Championships* Balkan Games* European Indoor Championships* Olympic Games* Pan Arab Games* World Cross Country Championships* World Junior Championships-Men:-Women:-100 metres:-200 metres:-400 metres:-800 metres:...	3:55.30		Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
1993 1993 in athletics (track and field) -International events:* African Championships* Asian Championships* Bolivarian Games* Central American and Caribbean Games* Central American Championships* East Asian Games* Maccabiah Games* Mediterranean Games* Chinese National Games...	3:50.46		Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
1994 1994 in athletics (track and field) -International Events:* Asian Games* Balkan Games* Commonwealth Games* European Championships* European Indoor Championships* Jeux de la Francophonie* Goodwill Games* World Cross Country Championships* World Junior Championships-Women:...	3:59.10		Nice Nice Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
1995	3:58.85		Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
1996	3:56.77		Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
1997	3:50.98		Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
1998 1998 in athletics (track and field) This page shows the main events during the 1998 year in athletics throughout the world.-Championships:* African Championships* Asian Championships* Asian Games* Balkan Games* Central American and Caribbean Games* Commonwealth Games...	3:56.97		Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
1999 1999 in athletics (track and field) This page shows the main events during the 1999 year in athletics throughout the world.-International Events:* All-Africa Games* Balkan Games* Central American and Caribbean Championships* Pan American Games* Pan Arab Games...	3:59.31		Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
2000 2000 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2000.The primary athletics competition for the 2000 season was at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.-World:...	3:57.40		Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
2001 2001 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2001.The foremost competition of the season was the 2001 World Championships in Athletics in Edmonton, Canada...	3:59.35		Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
2002 2002 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2002.There was no primary championships that season, although continental championships were held in Africa, Asia and Europe. The foremost athletics competitions at...	3:57.75		Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
2003 2003 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2003.The foremost competition of the year was the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, followed by the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships...	3:55.33		Brussels Brussels Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
2004 2004 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2004.The major competition of the year was the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the event, Yelena Isinbayeva cleared a world record 4.91 m in the pole vault...	3:57.90		Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
2005 2005 in athletics (track and field) This page shows the main events during the 2005 year in athletics throughout the world.-World:* World Championships* World Athletics Final* World Cross Country Championships* World Half Marathon Championships* World Youth Championships...	3:56.79		Rieti Rieti Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
2006 2006 in athletics (track and field) The following events in athletics took place in 2006:-Championships:* March: 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships * March: 2006 Commonwealth Games...	3:55.68		Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
2007 2007 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2007.-World:*World Championships in Athletics*World Athletics Final*World Cross Country Championships...	3:58.75		Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
2008 2008 in athletics (track and field) -International events:*2008 Summer Olympic Games, held in Beijing, China*African Championships, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia*European Cup, super league held in Annecy, France*World Indoor Championships, held in Valencia, Spain...	3:59.84		Lausanne Lausanne Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
2009 2009 in athletics (track and field) This page contains an overview of the year 2009 in athletics.The major competition of the year was the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. At the event, Usain Bolt reaffirmed himself as one of the world's foremost athletes with world records in the 100 and 200 metres...	3:56.55		Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
2010 2010 in athletics (track and field) In 2010 there was no obvious, primary athletics championship, as neither the Summer Olympics nor the World Championships in Athletics occurred in the year...	3:57.65		Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....

Other sports

1,500 metres is also an event in swimming

Swimming (sport)

Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...

 and speed skating

Speed skating

Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...

. The world records for the distance in swimming are 14:10.10 (swum in a 25 metre pool) and 14:34.56 (swum in a 50 metre pool) by Grant Hackett

Grant Hackett

Grant Hackett OAM is an Australian former swimmer most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This achievement has led him to be regarded as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history...

, and 15:32.90 (swum in a 25 metre pool) and 15:42.54 by Kate Ziegler

Kate Ziegler

Kate Marie Ziegler is an American long-distance swimmer. She currently holds the world record in the 1500-meter freestyle ....

.

The world records for the distance in speed skating

Speed skating

Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...

 are 1:41.04 by Shani Davis

Shani Davis

Shani Davis is an Olympic Champion speed skater from the United States.At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport at the Olympic Winter Games . He also won the silver in the 1,500 m...

 and 1:51.79 by Cindy Klassen

Cindy Klassen

Cindy Klassen, OM is a Canadian long track speed skater. Klassen is a six-time medalist at the Winter Olympics. She is tied with Clara Hughes for Canada's all-time most decorated Olympian with 6 medals each...

.

External links

• Statistics