List of male middle-distance runners

As of May 2005, this is a list of notable male middle distance runners (800 m – 3000 m) since the first Olympic Games in 1896.

This list includes any athlete who has been a medalist in the Olympic Games or World championships (indoor and outdoor). Also included are medalists in the IAAF World Cup and WAF events. Finally, it includes any athlete ranked (by time) in the top three of a middle-distance event for any given year since 1980.

A José Manuel Abascal, ESP Saïd Aouita, MAR Yevgeniy Arzhanov, URS (UKR) Jeff Atkinson, USA

B

Mehdi Baala, FRA Philip Baker, GBR José Luíz Barbosa, BRA Arturo Barrios, MEX Josy Barthel, LUX Rachid El Basir, MAR Dieter Baumann, FRG Filbert Bayi, TAN Luigi Beccali, ITA Kenenisa Bekele, ETH Charles Bennett, GBR Andrea Benvenuti, ITA Olaf Beyer, GDR Abdi Bile, SOM Jonah Birir, KEN Paul Bitok, KEN Arthur Blake, USA Mike Boit, KEN Yuriy Borzakovskiy, RUS Johan Botha, RSA Brahim Boutayeb, MAR Hammou Boutayeb, MAR Audun Boysen, NOR Hanns Braun, GER John Bray, USA Emil Breitkreutz, USA André Bucher, SUI Wilfred Bungei, KEN Andreas Busse, GDR Erik Byléhn, SWE

C Fermín Cacho, ESP Mateo Cañellas, ESP Abraham Chebii, KEN Joseph Chesire, KEN William Chirchir, KEN Sebastian Coe, GBR Eamonn Coghlan, IRL Jerry Cornes, GBR Tom Courtney, USA Steve Cram, GBR John Cregan, USA Bill Crothers, CAN Joaquim Cruz, BRA Glenn Cunningham, USA Paweł Czapiewski, POL

D Nándor Dáni, HUN Ira Davenport, USA John Davies, NZL Tomás de Teresa, ESP Ron Delany, IRL Pierre Délèze, SUI Henri Deloge, FRA Rob Denmark, GBR Gennaro Di Napoli, ITA Andrés Manuel Díaz, ESP Rod Dixon, NZL Osmar dos Santos, BRA Ralph Doubell, AUS Simon Doyle, AUS Rob Druppers, NED Eric Dubus, FRA Giuseppe D'Urso, ITA

E Earl Eby, USA Phil Edwards, CAN Hicham El Guerrouj, MAR Herb Elliott, AUS Peter Elliott, GBR Schuyler Enck, USA Hermann Engelhard, GER Paul Ereng, KEN Henry Eriksson, SWE Reyes Estévez, ESP Mark Everett, USA

F Joe Falcon, USA Tom Farrell, USA Edwin Flack, AUS Ray Flynn, IRL Hauke Fuhlbrügge, GDR

G José David Galván, MEX Alberto García, ESP Haile Gebrselassie, ETH Markos Geneti, ETH Dimitrios Golemis, GRE Benjamín González, ESP José Luis González, ESP Johnny Gray, USA Agberto Guimarães, BRA

H Abdelkader Hachlaf, MAR Mahjoub Haïda, MAR David Hall, USA Norman Hallows, GBR Wyndham Halswelle, GBR Tommy Hampson, GBR Marcel Hansenne, FRA Arthémon Hatungimana, BDI Lacey Hearn, USA Kristian Hellström, SWE Jens-Peter Herold, GDR Ivan Heshko, UKR Shazia Hidayat PAK Albert Hill, GBR Michael Hillardt, AUS Simon Hoogewerf, CAN Harald Hudak, FRG

J Brahim Jabbour, MAR Arnold Jackson, GBR Michel Jazy, FRA Anacleto Jiménez, ESP Derek Johnson, GBR Earl Jones, USA Alberto Juantorena, CUB

K Yusuf Saad Kamel, BRN William Kemei, KEN Kip Keino, KEN Rich Kenah, USA George Kerr, JAM Omer Khalifa, SUD David Kibet, KEN John Kibowen, KEN Japheth Kimutai, KEN Alex Kipchirchir, KEN Eliud Kipchoge, KEN Wilson Kipketer, DEN Paul Kipkoech, KEN Stephen Kipkorir, KEN Luke Kipkosgei, KEN Nixon Kiprotich, KEN Wilson Kiprugut, KEN Moses Kiptanui, KEN Timothy Kiptanui, KEN Wilfred Kirochi, KEN Nikolay Kirov, URS (BLR) Abel Kiviat, USA Benson Koech, KEN Daniel Komen, KEN Billy Konchellah, KEN Patrick Konchellah, KEN Paul Korir, KEN Sammy Koskei, KEN David Krummenacker, USA Han Kulker, NED James Kwalia, KEN

L Jules Ladoumègue, FRA Bernard Lagat, KEN Faouzi Lahbi, MAR John Landy, AUS Mario Lanzi, ITA Harri Larva, FIN Cyrille Laventure, FRA Serhiy Lebid, UKR António Leitão, POR Albin Lermusiaux, FRA James Lightbody, USA Benjamin Limo, KEN Jack Lovelock, NZL Douglas Lowe, GBR Werner Lueg, GER (FRG) Emilio Lunghi, ITA

M Driss Maazouzi, FRA James Maina, KEN Sydney Maree, USA Paul Martin, SUI John Mayock, GBR John McGough, GBR(IRL) Tom McKean, GBR Bob McMillen, USA Hailu Mekonnen, ETH Ted Meredith, USA Assefa Mezgebu, ETH Roger Moens, BEL Enrique Molina, ESP David Moorcroft, GBR Noureddine Morceli, ALG Nico Motchebon, GER Craig Mottram, AUS Mohammed Mourhit, BEL Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, RSA Joseph Mutua, KEN

N Patrick Ndururi, KEN Jean-Patrick Nduwimana, BDI Erik Nedeau, USA Noah Ngeny, KEN Vénuste Niyongabo, BDI Charles Nkazamyampi, BDI Paavo Nurmi, FIN Tom Nyariki, KEN

O Josef Odložil, CZE Frank O'Mara, IRL Yobes Ondieki, KEN Fred Onyancha, KEN Marcus O'Sullivan, IRL Steve Ovett, GBR

P Doug Padilla, USA Don Paige, USA Francesco Panetta, ITA Paul Pilgrim, USA Eino Purje, FIN

R Rashid Ramzi, BRN Gary Reed, CAN Antonio Manuel Reina, ESP Klaus Richtzenhain, GER (GDR) James Robinson, USA Vebjørn Rodal, NOR Henry Rono, KEN Peter Rono, KEN Laban Rotich, KEN István Rózsavölgyi, HUN Bevil Rudd, SAF Paul Ruto, KEN Jim Ryun, USA

S Djabir Saïd-Guerni, ALG Wes Santee, USA Willy Schärer, SUI Nils Schumann, GER Steve Scott, USA Hezekiél Sepeng, RSA Ismaïl Sghyr, MAR/FRA David Sharpe, GBR Mel Sheppard, USA Larry Shields, USA Ali Saïdi Sief, ALG Mário Silva, POR Rui Silva, POR Khalid Skah, MAR Willem Slijkhuis, NED Peter Snell, NZL Bram Som, NED Boniface Songok, KEN Jim Spivey, USA H. B. Stallard, GBR Martin Steele, GBR Rüdiger Stenzel, GER Lennart Strand, SWE David Strang, GBR Jürgen Straub, GDR Mohammed Sulaiman, QAT

T Norman Taber, USA William Tanui, KEN Norberto Téllez, CUB Clive Terrelonge, JAM Colomán Trabado, ESP Bodo Tümmler, FRG Alfred Tysoe, GBR

U Heinz Ulzheimer, GER (FRG)

V Howard Valentine, USA Ivo Van Damme, BEL Pekka Vasala, FIN Frank Verner, USA Tonino Viali, ITA Isaac Viciosa, ESP

W Detlef Wagenknecht, GDR John Walker, NZL Alan Webb, USA Paul-Heinz Wellmann, FRG Mulugeta Wendimu, ETH Thomas Wessinghage, FRG Anthony Whiteman, GBR Mal Whitfield, USA Alex Wilson, CAN Harold Wilson, GBR Craig Winrow, GBR Arthur Wint, JAM Rick Wohlhuter, USA Million Wolde, ETH John Woodruff, USA Dave Wottle, USA Willi Wülbeck, FRG William Wuycke, VEN

Y William Yiampoy, KEN

Z Branko Zorko, CRO

MIA

Athletes who medalled in a middle-distance event at both the European and Commonwealth Championships but did not meet the criteria to be listed above:

Roger Bannister, GBR Brendan Foster, GBR Brian Hewson, GBR John Parlett, GBR Mike Rawson, GBR Sydney Wooderson, GBR

Other athletes who were ranked in the top three of 'Track and Field News' (TFN) end of year rankings for 800 m or 1500 m but have not already been listed above, are listed below. Rankings have been done every year since 1947.

André De Hertoghe BEL – Andy Carter GB – Arnie Sowell USA – Ben Jipcho KEN – Dan Waern SWE – Danie Malan SA – David Mack US – Derek Ibbotson GBR – Dieter Fromm EG – Don Gehrmann USA – Doug Harris NZ – Dyrol Burleson USA – Francesco Arese ITA – Franz-Josef Kemper WG – Gaston Reiff BEL – Gösta Bergkvist SWE – Gunnar Nielsen DEN – Henry Szordykowski POL – Jean-Pierre Dufresne FRA – Jerry Siebert USA – Jim Baily AUS – Jim Beatty USA – Jim Dupree FRA – John Fulton USA – Jozef Plachy CZE – Jürgen May EG – Ken Swenson USA – Lajos Szentgáli HUN – László Tábori HUN – Manfred Matuschewski EG – Marcello Fiasconaro ITA – Marty Liquori USA – Merv Lincoln AUS – Murray Halberg NZ – Niels Hoslt-Sörensen DEN – Olle Åberg SWE – Patrick El Mabrouk FRA – Luciano Susanj YUG – Urban Cleve WG – Sándor Iharos HUN – Siegried Valentin EG – Stanislav Jungwirth CZE – Stefan Lewandowski POL – Wade Bell USA – Wes Santee USA – Wilfred Kirochi KEN

Other Commonwealth Games medalists not already listed above:

Gerald Backhouse AUS – Frank Handley ENG – Alan Simpson ENG – Albie Thomas AUS – Ben Jipcho KEN – Benedict Cayenne TRI – Bill Dale CAN – Bill Parnell CAN – Brian Hewson ENG – Chris McGeorge ENG – Dave Campbell CAN – Dick Quax NZL – Willie Botha SAF – Ian Boyd ENG – Ian Studd NZL – Jack Hutchins CAN – James "Hamish" Stothard SCO – Jim Alford WAL – John Gladwin ENG – John Kipkurgat KEN – John Robson SCO – Kevin Sullivan CAN – Kris McCarthy AUS – Len Eyre ENG – Matthew Yates ENG – Maurice Marshall NZL – Merv Lincoln AUS – Michael East ENG – Noel Clough AUS – Peter Bourke AUS – Peter Lemashon KEN – Peter O'Donoghue NZL/AUS – Reg Thomas WAL – Reuben Chesang KEN – Rich Ferguson CAN – Robert Ouko KEN – Sammy Tirop KEN – Savieri Ngidhi ZIM – Seymour Newman JAM – Terry Sullivan FRN – Tony Blue AUS – Vernon "Pat" Boot NZL – William Smart CAN – William Whyte AUS – Youcef Abdi AUS

Other European Athletics Championships medalists not already listed above:

Bill Nankeville GBR – Erik Jørgensen DEN – Frank Murphy IRL – Hans-Peter Ferner FRG – Harald Norpoth FRG – Jacques Lévèque FRA – John Whetton GBR – Jorma Härkönen FIN – Joseph Mostert BEL – Klaus-Peter Justus GDR – Lucien De Muynck BEL – Lukas Vydra CZE – Markku Taskinen FIN – Miklós Szabó HUN – Paul Schmidt FRG – Piotr Piekarski POL – Roger Normand FRA – Rudolf Harbig GER – Rune Gustafsson SWE – Tom Birger Hansen DEN – Tomá Salinger TCH – Valeriy Bulyshev URS – Witold Baran POL – Marcin Lewandowski POL – Michael Rimmer GBR – Adam Kszczot POL

See also