Bislett Games
Encyclopedia
The Bislett Games is an annual track and field event
at the Bislett Stadion
in Oslo
, Norway
. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League
events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League
. It is sponsored by ExxonMobil
and officially known as the ExxonMobil Bislett Games.
The first international athletics meeting at Bislett was held in 1924. Until 1937 the competitions are known as "The American Meetings". Different organizers staged the meetings between 1947 and 1965 until the three athletics associations BUL, Vidar and Tjalve formed the Bislett Alliance. At this year Arne Haukvik
founded the Bislett Games. He was a former politician and director of the meeting, who used to invite the athletes, sponsors and the press to his home for his traditional “strawberry party” the day before the event each year. He died of cancer in 2002 at age 76. The tradition however is continued.
The Bislett stadion was used for speed skating
events at the Olympics
, but nowadays it is better known for its Bislett Games athletics meeting. Bislett Games attract the best track and field athletes from all over the world, and 65 world records have been set on its forgiving, brick-coloured track so far. Due to the building of the new Bislett Stadion in Oslo, which started in April 2004, the 2004 edition of the traditional athletics meeting was staged on Fana stadion
in Bergen under the name Bergen Bislett Games.
In 2009, a severe storm delayed proceedings and even caused damage to the track-side clock display. Sanya Richards
recorded the fastest women's 400 metres
time since 2006 while the Dream Mile
brought a number of records with winner Deresse Mekonnen
improving upon his Ethiopian record
, Kenyan William Biwott Tanui
setting a world junior record and third-placed Augustine Choge
beating his personal best. Former javelin winners Andreas Thorkildsen
and Tero Pitkämäki
continued their five-year shared dominance of the Bislett Games, with Pitkämäki taking the victory this time.
+ = en route to a longer distance
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
at the Bislett Stadion
Bislett stadion
Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here...
in 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...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League
IAAF Golden League
The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League
IAAF Diamond League
The Samsung Diamond League is an annual series of track and field meetings held from 2010 onwards, beginning with the 2010 IAAF Diamond League...
. It is sponsored by ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
and officially known as the ExxonMobil Bislett Games.
History
Arne Haukvik
Arne Haukvik was a Norwegian sports official for IL i BUL and politician for the Centre Party and the Pensioners Party. He is best known for founding the Bislett Games...
founded the Bislett Games. He was a former politician and director of the meeting, who used to invite the athletes, sponsors and the press to his home for his traditional “strawberry party” the day before the event each year. He died of cancer in 2002 at age 76. The tradition however is continued.
The Bislett stadion was used for 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...
events at the Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, but nowadays it is better known for its Bislett Games athletics meeting. Bislett Games attract the best track and field athletes from all over the world, and 65 world records have been set on its forgiving, brick-coloured track so far. Due to the building of the new Bislett Stadion in Oslo, which started in April 2004, the 2004 edition of the traditional athletics meeting was staged on Fana stadion
Fana stadion
Fana stadion is a multi-use stadium in the borough of Fana in Bergen, Norway.Used for football matches, it is the home ground of Second Division team Fana IL....
in Bergen under the name Bergen Bislett Games.
In 2009, a severe storm delayed proceedings and even caused damage to the track-side clock display. Sanya Richards
Sanya Richards
Sanya Richards-Ross is a track and field athlete who competes internationally for the United States. She won an Olympic gold medal in the 4×400 meters relay at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, an individual bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics for the 400 m, and a gold medal in the 2009...
recorded the fastest women's 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
time since 2006 while the Dream Mile
Dream Mile
The Dream Mile was a match race between Jim Ryun and Marty Liquori on May 16, 1971. The event took place at the Martin Luther King International Freedom Games at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
brought a number of records with winner Deresse Mekonnen
Deresse Mekonnen
Deresse Mekonnen Tsigu is an Ethiopian middle distance runner, who specializes in the 1500 metres. He is a two-time World Indoor champion and was the silver medallist at the 2009 World Championships...
improving upon his Ethiopian record
Ethiopian records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Ethiopia maintained by Ethiopian Athletic Federation .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:+ = en route to longer distance# = not officially ratified by IAAF-External links:* *...
, Kenyan William Biwott Tanui
William Biwott Tanui
İlham Tanui Özbilen is a middle distance runner now representing Turkey....
setting a world junior record and third-placed Augustine Choge
Augustine Choge
Augustine Kiprono Choge is a Kenyan middle distance and long distance runner.He won world youth and junior titles on the track in 2003 and 2004, eventually going on to set a world junior record for the 3000 metres in 2005...
beating his personal best. Former javelin winners Andreas Thorkildsen
Andreas Thorkildsen
Andreas Thorkildsen is a Norwegian javelin thrower, born in Kristiansand. He is the first male javelin thrower in history to be European champion, World champion and Olympic champion...
and Tero Pitkämäki
Tero Pitkämäki
Tero Kristian Pitkämäki is a Finnish javelin thrower and the former World Champion. Pitkämäki is known for his rivalry with Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen. The two are very close friends, however...
continued their five-year shared dominance of the Bislett Games, with Pitkämäki taking the victory this time.
World records
Over the course of its history, numerous world records have been set at the Games and former athletics meetings at Bislett stadium.Bislett Games
| Year | Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event... |
14:11.15 | Tirunesh Dibaba Tirunesh Dibaba Tirunesh Dibaba also known as Tirunesh Dibaba Kenene is an Ethiopian long distance track athlete and the outdoor 5000 metres world record holder. She is the current Olympic 5000 metres and 10,000 metres champion... |
|
| 2008 | 800 m 800 metres The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps... (junior) |
1:42.69 | Abubaker Kaki | |
| 2007 | 5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event... |
14:16.63 | Meseret Defar Meseret Defar Meseret Defar is a female long-distance runner from Ethiopia who competes chiefly in the 3000 metres and 5000 metres events. She has won medals at top-tier international competitions including Olympic and World Championship gold medals over 5000 metres... |
|
| 2004 | 5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event... |
14:24.68 | Elvan Abeylegesse Elvan Abeylegesse Elvan Abeylegesse is an Ethiopian-born Turkish middle and long distance track and field athlete, running in the disciplines of 1500 m, 3000 m and 5000 m, but also 10000 m, 2 miles and cross country... |
|
| 2004 | 5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event... (junior) |
14:30.88 | Tirunesh Dibaba Tirunesh Dibaba Tirunesh Dibaba also known as Tirunesh Dibaba Kenene is an Ethiopian long distance track athlete and the outdoor 5000 metres world record holder. She is the current Olympic 5000 metres and 10,000 metres champion... |
|
| 2000 | Javelin throw Javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon... |
69.48 m | Trine Hattestad Trine Hattestad Trine Hattestad is a former Norwegian javelin thrower. She was born on 18 April 1966 in Lørenskog, Norway.... |
|
| 1997 | 10000 m | 26:31.32 | Haile Gebreselassie | |
| 1994 | 10000 m | 26:52.23 | William Sigei William Sigei William Cheruiyot Sigei is a former Kenyan long-distance runner who won the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1993 and 1994. In 1994 he a set a new world record over 10,000 metres in Oslo with 26:52.23 minutes.Today he is ranked eighteenth of all times over 10,000 metres... |
|
| 1994 | 20000 m walk | 2:04:55 | Bernardo Segura Bernardo Segura Bernardo Segura Rivera is a Mexican race walker.He is a former holder of the 20,000m World Record for Race Walking with a time of 1:17:25.6.... |
|
| 1993 | 10000 m | 26:58.38 | Yobes Ondieki Yobes Ondieki Yobes Ondieki is a former Kenyan 5000 m runner, who won the World Championships' gold medal in Tokyo 1991. In the same year he set a temporary Kenyan 5000 m record of 13:01.82 in Zurich... |
|
| 1986 | 10000 m | 30:13.74 | Ingrid Kristiansen Ingrid Kristiansen Ingrid Kristiansen née Christensen , was one of the best female long distance runners in the second half of the 1980s. She finished in fourth place in the first women's Olympic marathon race, at the 1984 Summer Olympics.-Career:Kristiansen started her career quite unremarkably, running 2:30 - 2:40... |
|
| 1985 | 5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event... |
13:00.40 | Saïd Aouita Said Aouita Saïd Aouita is a former Moroccan athlete, winner of 5000 meters at the 1984 Summer Olympics, 5000 meters at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics, 3000 meters at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships, and former world record holder at 1500m , 2000m , 3000m , and twice at 5000m [ and ]... |
|
| 1984 | 5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event... |
14:58.89 | Ingrid Kristiansen Ingrid Kristiansen Ingrid Kristiansen née Christensen , was one of the best female long distance runners in the second half of the 1980s. She finished in fourth place in the first women's Olympic marathon race, at the 1984 Summer Olympics.-Career:Kristiansen started her career quite unremarkably, running 2:30 - 2:40... |
|
| 1984 | 10000 m | 30:59.42 | Ingrid Kristiansen Ingrid Kristiansen Ingrid Kristiansen née Christensen , was one of the best female long distance runners in the second half of the 1980s. She finished in fourth place in the first women's Olympic marathon race, at the 1984 Summer Olympics.-Career:Kristiansen started her career quite unremarkably, running 2:30 - 2:40... |
|
| 1982 | 5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event... |
13:00.41 | David Moorcroft David Moorcroft David Robert Moorcroft is a former middle-distance and long-distance runner from England, and former world record holder for 5,000 metres. His athletic career spanned the late-1970s and 1980s. He subsequently served as the Chief Executive of UK Athletics from 1997 to 2007. He was awarded an MBE in... |
|
| 1981 | 1000 m 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... |
2:12.81 | Sebastian Coe | |
| 1979 | 800 m 800 metres The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps... |
1:42.33 | Sebastian Coe | |
| 1975 | 3000 m 3000 metres The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and... |
8:46.6 | Grete Waitz Grete Waitz Grete Waitz was a Norwegian marathon runner and former world record holder. Waitz won nine New York City Marathons between 1978 and 1988, more than any other runner in history... |
|
| 1975 | 3000 m steeplechase Steeplechase (athletics) The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each... |
8:10.4 | Anders Gärderud Anders Gärderud Sven Anders Gärderud is a Swedish former athlete, winner of 3000 m steeplechase at the 1976 Summer Olympics.... |
|
| 1974 | 1000 m 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... |
2:13.9 | Rick Wohlhuter Rick Wohlhuter Rick Wohlhuter is an American athlete who competed mainly in the 800 meters.He graduated from Notre Dame and qualified for the 1972 Olympic Games, held in Munich, Germany. He also competed for the United States in the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Canada in the 800 and 1500 meters... |
|
| 1965 | 10000 m | 27:39.4 | Ron Clarke Ron Clarke Ronald William "Ron" Clarke, MBE is a former Australian athlete, writer, and current Mayor of the Gold Coast. He is one of the best known middle and long distance runners in the 1960s, notable for setting seventeen world records.- Early life and family :He attended Melbourne High School... |
Period Of Differently Named Meetings
| Year | Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Javelin throw Javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon... |
87.12 m & 91.72 m | Terje Pedersen Terje Pedersen Terje Pedersen is a former Norwegian javelin thrower. He represented SK Vidar.At the 1960 Summer Olympics he progressed from the qualifying round, but did not start in the final. At the 1964 Summer Olympics he did not qualify for the final. He became Norwegian champion in the years 1960 and... |
|
| 1955 | 1500 m 1500 metres The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.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... |
3:40.8 | László Tábori László Tábori László Tábori is a Hungarian-American former middle- and long-distance runner, best known for equalling the 1500 metres world record and placing 4th in that event at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He is still active in the sport of running as a coach.-Early career and rise to fame:Tábori was born in... Gunnar Nielsen Gunnar Nielsen (athlete) Niels Gunnar Nielsen was a Danish middle distance runner who equalled the world record over both 880 yards and 1500 metres. He represented the Østerbro-based club Københavns Idræts Forening throughout his career.... |
|
| 1955 | 3000 m steeplechase Steeplechase (athletics) The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each... |
8:45.4 | Pentti Karvonen | |
| 1953 | Hammer throw Hammer throw The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown... |
62.36 m | Sverre Strandli Sverre Strandli Sverre Strandli was a Norwegian hammer thrower, who won the gold medal at the European Championships in 1950 and the silver medal in 1954.... |
|
| 1952 | Hammer throw Hammer throw The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown... |
61.25 m | Sverre Strandli Sverre Strandli Sverre Strandli was a Norwegian hammer thrower, who won the gold medal at the European Championships in 1950 and the silver medal in 1954.... |
|
The American Meetings
| Year | Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | 110 m hurdles | 13.7 | Forrest Towns Forrest Towns Forrest Grady "Spec" Towns was an American track and field athlete. He was the 1936 Olympic champion in the 110 m hurdles, and broke the World Record in that event three times.... |
|
| 1935 | 110 m hurdles | 14.2 | Alvin Moreau | |
| 1934 | Shot put Shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action.... |
17.40 m | Jack Torrance Jack Torrance Jack Torrance is a fictional character, the antagonist in the 1977 novel The Shining by Stephen King. He was portrayed by Jack Nicholson in the 1980 movie adaptation of the novel, and by Steven Weber in the 1997 miniseries. The American Film Institute rated the character the 25th greatest film... |
|
| 1934 | Discus throw Discus throw The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus... |
52.42 m | Harald Andersson | |
| 1925 | Pole vault Pole vault Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts... |
4.23 m | Charles Hoff Charles Hoff Charles Hoff was a Norwegian athlete, coach, sports journalist and sports administrator.As an active athlete he competed in pole vault, long jump, triple jump, sprints and middle distance events... |
|
| 1924 | 110 m hurdles | 14.2 | Percy Beard Percy Beard Percy Morris Beard was an American college and international track and field athlete who specialized in the high hurdles event, and won an Olympic silver medal. Beard later became a nationally prominent college track and field coach at the University of Florida.- Athletic career :Percy Beard was... |
Men
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896... |
9.88 (+2.0 m/s) | Ato Boldon Ato Boldon Ato Jabari Boldon is a former athlete from Trinidad and Tobago and four-time Olympic medal winner. Only 2 other men in history, Frankie Fredericks and Carl Lewis, have won as many Olympic individual event sprint medals. He is the current national record holder in the 50, 60 and 200 metres events... |
13 July 2001 | ||
| 200 m 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first... |
19.82 (+1.1 m/s) | Frank Fredericks | 5 July 1996 | ||
| 400 m 400 metres The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and... |
43.86 | Michael Johnson Michael Johnson (athlete) Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world... |
21 July 1995 | ||
| 800 m 800 metres The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps... |
1:42.04 | David Rudisha David Rudisha David Lekuta Rudisha is a Kenyan middle distance runner and world record holder in the 800 metres with a time of 1:41.01. Rudisha holds four of the ten fastest times for this event.-Early life:... |
4 June 2010 | ||
| 1000 m 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... |
2:12.18 | Sebastian Coe | 11 July 1981 | ||
| 1500 m 1500 metres The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.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... |
3:29.12 | Hicham El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj "King of the Mile" is a Moroccan former middle distance runner... |
9 July 1998 | ||
| Mile 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... |
3:44.90 | Hicham El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj "King of the Mile" is a Moroccan former middle distance runner... |
4 July 1997 | ||
| 2000 m 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... |
4:51.52 | John Walker | 30 June 1976 | ||
| 3000 m 3000 metres The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and... |
7:27.42 | Haile Gebrselassie Haile Gebrselassie Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon... |
9 July 1998 | ||
| Two miles Two miles The 2 mile is a historic running distance. Like the mile run, it is still contested at some invitational meets, perhaps because it provides an easier record to break for meet promoters , as well as its historical chronology. It is largely superseded by the 3000 m and 5000 m, and by the 3200m in... |
8:15.2 | Rod Dixon Rod Dixon Rodney Phillip "Rod" Dixon is a former New Zealand middle distance runner. He won the bronze medal over 1500 metres at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, and in 1983 won the prestigious New York City Marathon.-Biography:... |
17 July 1979 | ||
| 5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event... |
12:52.26 | Kenenisa Bekele Kenenisa Bekele Kenenisa Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who holds the world record and Olympic record in both the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres events... |
27 June 2003 | ||
| 6 Miles Long-distance track event Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else... |
26:47.0 | Ron Clarke Ron Clarke Ronald William "Ron" Clarke, MBE is a former Australian athlete, writer, and current Mayor of the Gold Coast. He is one of the best known middle and long distance runners in the 1960s, notable for setting seventeen world records.- Early life and family :He attended Melbourne High School... |
14 July 1965 | ||
| 10000 m | 26:31.32 | Haile Gebrselassie Haile Gebrselassie Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon... |
4 July 1997 | ||
| 110 m hurdles 110 metres hurdles The 110 metres hurdles is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is incuded in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metre hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurdles of 1.067 metres in height are evenly spaced along a straight... |
13.00 (−0.1 m/s) | Ladji Doucoure Ladji Doucouré Ladji Doucouré is a French athlete of Malian and Senegalese descent. He was a football player and decathlete before specializing in hurdling.-Career:... |
29 July 2005 | ||
| 400 m hurdles 400 metres hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is an Olympic athletics event in track and field. On a standard outdoor track 400 metres is the length of the inside lane once around the stadium. Runners stay in their lane the entire way after starting out of the blocks and must clear ten hurdles that are evenly... |
47.67 | Edwin Moses Edwin Moses Edwin Corley Moses is an American track and field athlete who won gold medals in the 400 metre hurdles at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics. Between 1977 and 1987, Moses won 107 consecutive finals and set the world record in his event four times... |
17 July 1979 | ||
| 2000 m steeplechase Steeplechase (athletics) The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each... |
5:20.00 | Krzysztof Wesołowski | 28 June 1984 | ||
| 3000 m steeplechase Steeplechase (athletics) The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each... |
8:01.83 | Paul Kipsiele Koech Paul Kipsiele Koech Paul Kipsiele Koech is a Kenyan runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He won the 2004 Olympic bronze medal in this event.... |
9 June 2011 | ||
| High jump High jump The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years.... |
2.37 m | Javier Sotomayor Javier Sotomayor Javier Sotomayor Sanabria is a Cuban former track and field athlete who specialized in the high jump and is the current world record holder. The 1992 Olympic champion, he was the dominant high jumper of the 1990s; he is the only person ever to have cleared 8 feet . He is widely regarded as the... |
1 July 1989 | ||
| Pole vault Pole vault Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts... |
6.00 m | Tim Lobinger Tim Lobinger Tim Lobinger is a German pole vaulter.His discipline is pole vault and he has been an elite competitor since the 1990s. His best results came in 1997 and 1999 when he jumped over 6.00 meters... |
30 June 1999 | ||
| Long jump Long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point... |
8.53 m (+0.9 m/s) | Irving Saladino Irving Saladino Irving Jahir Saladino Aranda is a Panamanian long jumper. He is the current Olympic champion, and Panama's first and only Olympic gold medallist.Saladino was born in Colón, Panama.... |
2 June 2006 | ||
| Triple jump Triple jump The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a... |
18.01 m (+0.4 m/s) | Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Edwards (athlete) Jonathan David Edwards, CBE, is a former British triple jumper. He is a former Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World champion, and has held the world record in the event since 1995.... |
9 July 1998 | ||
| Shot put Shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action.... |
22.02 m | Werner Günthör Werner Günthör Werner Günthör is a former Swiss track and field athlete, who was the best shot putter in the history of Swiss track and field.... |
6 July 1991 | ||
| Discus throw Discus throw The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus... |
70.51 m | Virgilijus Alekna Virgilijus Alekna Virgilijus Alekna is a Lithuanian athlete who specialises in the discus throw. He won medals at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics, including two golds.-Career:... |
15 June 2007 | ||
| Hammer throw Hammer throw The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown... |
81.14 m | Juri Tamm Jüri Tamm Jüri Tamm is a former Estonian hammer thrower. Representing USSR, he won a bronze medal in the 1980 and 1988 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics.-Athletic career:... |
16 July 1985 | ||
| Javelin throw Javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon... |
94.22 m (Old design) 92.60 m (Current design) |
Michael Wessing Michael Wessing Michael Thomas Maria Wessing is a retired West German javelin thrower.He finished fourteenth at the 1974 European Championships, won the gold medal at the 1978 European Championships and finished ninth at the 1976 Summer Olympics... Raymond Hecht Raymond Hecht Raymond Hecht is a retired German javelin thrower. He represented SC Magdeburg in former East Germany.... |
3 August 1978 21 July 1995 |
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| 5000 m walk | 20:27.0+ | Erling Andersen Erling Andersen Erling Andersen is a retired male race walker from Norway.-Achievements:-External links:*... |
3 August 1979 | ||
| 10000 m walk | 40:50.0 | Erling Andersen Erling Andersen Erling Andersen is a retired male race walker from Norway.-Achievements:-External links:*... |
3 August 1979 | ||
| 20000 m walk | 1:27:56.8 | Erling Andersen Erling Andersen Erling Andersen is a retired male race walker from Norway.-Achievements:-External links:*... |
23 August 1981 | ||
| 30000 m walk | 2:35:45.6 | Tore Brustad | 20 July 1970 | ||
| 50000 m walk | 4:42:10.0 | Per Ola Sverre | 9 August 1974 |
Women
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896... |
10.82 (−0.5 m/s) | Marion Jones Marion Jones Marion Lois Jones , also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a former world champion track and field athlete, and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA... |
9 July 1998 | ||
| 200 m 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first... |
21.94 | Gwen Torrence Gwen Torrence Gwen Torrence is a retired American sprinter and Olympic gold medalist. She was born in Decatur, GA. She attended Columbia High School and the University of Georgia.... |
22 July 1994 | ||
| 400 m 400 metres The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and... |
49.23 | Taťána Kocembová Tatána Kocembová Taťána Kocembová is a retired 400 metres runner who represented Czechoslovakia. Her greatest achievement was the 1983 World Championship silver medal in a personal best time of 48.59s. That time still ranks as the number 10 time and number 5 individual ever... |
23 August 1983 | ||
| 800 m 800 metres The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps... |
1:55.04 | Jarmila Kratochvílová Jarmila Kratochvílová Jarmila Kratochvílová is a Czech former sprinter and middle distance runner. In 1983, she set world record times for both the 400 metres and 800 metres, and won gold medals in both distances at the World Championships.... |
23 August 1983 | ||
| 1500 m 1500 metres The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.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... |
3:57.40 | Suzy Favor-Hamilton Suzy Favor-Hamilton Suzy Favor-Hamilton is a former American professional middle distance runner.-Biography:Suzy Favor-Hamilton was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin to Conrad and Rachel Favor. She began running at age nine, and then attended and competed at Stevens Point Area Senior High, graduating in 1986... |
28 July 2000 | ||
| Mile 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... |
4:17.25 | Sonia O'Sullivan Sonia O'Sullivan Sonia O'Sullivan in Cobh, County Cork. She began her running career in Ballymore Running Club which is located in the eastern side of Cobh Town. She was one of the world's leading female 5000 m runners for most of the 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century... |
22 July 1994 | ||
| 3000 m 3000 metres The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and... |
8:27.21 | Gabriela Szabo Gabriela Szabo Gabriela Szabo is a Romanian track and field athlete, winner of the gold medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics in 5000 m and winner of bronze and silver medals in 1996 Summer Olympics and 2000 Summer Olympics in 1500 m, respectively.... |
30 June 1999 | ||
| 5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event... |
14:11.15 | Tirunesh Dibaba Tirunesh Dibaba Tirunesh Dibaba also known as Tirunesh Dibaba Kenene is an Ethiopian long distance track athlete and the outdoor 5000 metres world record holder. She is the current Olympic 5000 metres and 10,000 metres champion... |
6 June 2008 | ||
| 10000 m | 30:13.74 | Ingrid Kristiansen Ingrid Kristiansen Ingrid Kristiansen née Christensen , was one of the best female long distance runners in the second half of the 1980s. She finished in fourth place in the first women's Olympic marathon race, at the 1984 Summer Olympics.-Career:Kristiansen started her career quite unremarkably, running 2:30 - 2:40... |
5 July 1986 | ||
| 100 m hurdles 100 metres hurdles The 100 m hurdles are an Olympic track and field athletics discipline run by women . For the race ten hurdles of a height of 83.8 cm are placed evenly spaced along a straight course of 100 meters. They are positioned so that they will fall over if bumped into by the runner... |
12.53 (−1.2 m/s) | Gail Devers Gail Devers Yolanda Gail Devers is a retired three-time Olympic champion in track and field for the US Olympic Team. Devers was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up near National City, California and graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1984... |
28 June 2002 | ||
| 400 m hurdles 400 metres hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is an Olympic athletics event in track and field. On a standard outdoor track 400 metres is the length of the inside lane once around the stadium. Runners stay in their lane the entire way after starting out of the blocks and must clear ten hurdles that are evenly... |
53.18 | Deon Hemmings Deon Hemmings Deon Hemmings is a former female 400 metres hurdler.Hemmings was the first ever Jamaican woman to win an Olympic Gold when she won the 400m Hurdles at the 1996 Olympics breaking the Olympic record which stood to 2004... |
4 July 1997 | ||
| 3000 m steeplechase Steeplechase (athletics) The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each... |
9:12.66 | Milcah Chemos Cheiywa | 4 June 2010 | ||
| High jump High jump The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years.... |
2.05 m | Stefka Kostadinova Stefka Kostadinova Stefka Kostadinova is a Bulgarian retired athlete and the current women's world record holder in the high jump. She is the current president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee.-Career:... |
4 July 1987 | ||
| Pole vault Pole vault Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts... |
4.85 m | Yelena Isinbayeva Yelena Isinbayeva Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva is a Russian pole vaulter. She is twice an Olympic gold medalist , five-times a World Champion, and the current world record holder in the event... |
15 June 2007 | ||
| Long jump Long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point... |
7.29 m (+0.9 m/s) | Heike Drechsler Heike Drechsler Heike Gabriela Drechsler née Daute is a German track and field athlete. She is one of the most successful female long jumpers of all time and also had several successes in sprint disciplines.She is the only woman who has won two Olympic gold medals in the long jump... |
22 July 1994 | ||
| Triple jump Triple jump The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a... |
15.11 m (+0.1 m/s) | Yamilé Aldama Yamilé Aldama Yamilé Aldama Pozo is a Cuban-born triple jumper currently competing for Great Britain after formerly representing Cuba and Sudan.Aldama was born in Havana, Cuba, and initially represented her country of birth... |
27 June 2003 | ||
| Shot put Shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action.... |
20.26 m | Valerie Adams | 9 June 2011 | ||
| Discus throw Discus throw The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus... |
71.00 m | Galina Savinkova Galina Savinkova Galina Savinkova is a retired female track and field athlete from the Soviet Union, who set the world record in the women's discus throw on May 23, 1983 with a distance of 73.26 metres. A year later, on September 8, 1984 in Donetsk, she reached 73.28 metres. That mark still is the Russian national... |
16 July 1985 | ||
| Javelin throw Javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon... |
76.34 m (Old design) 69.48 m (Current design) |
Fatima Whitbread Fatima Whitbread Fatima Whitbread MBE is a British former javelin thrower and multiple medal-winner.-Early life:... Trine Hattestad Trine Hattestad Trine Hattestad is a former Norwegian javelin thrower. She was born on 18 April 1966 in Lørenskog, Norway.... |
4 July 1987 28 July 2000 |
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| 3000 m walk | 13:45.7 | Frøydis Hilsen | 23 August 1981 | ||
| 5000 m walk | 22:59.6 | Anita Blomberg | 17 June 1988 |
+ = en route to a longer distance