World Records — 1500 m Men

The 1500 m Men world record stands at 3:26.00, set by Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) in 1998. Explore its full progression through athletics history.

Record progression

Mark over the years. The higher the curve, the better the record.

3:404:004:201900195020004:21 · Meiers3:26.00 · El Guerrouj

Record History

1998Hicham El GuerroujCurrentMAR—Jul 14, 1998Rome, ItalyOngoing3:26.00-1.37s
1995Noureddine MorceliALG—Jul 12, 1995Nice, France3 years3:27.37-1.49s
1992Noureddine MorceliALG—Sep 6, 1992Rieti, Italy2.8 years3:28.86-0.60s
1985Saïd AouitaMAR—Aug 23, 1985Berlin, Germany7 years3:29.46-0.21s
1985Steve CramGBR—Jul 16, 1985Nice, France38 d3:29.67-1.10s
1983Steve OvettGBR—Sep 4, 1983Rieti, Italy22 months3:30.77-0.47s
1983Sydney MareeUSA—Aug 28, 1983Cologne, West Germany7 d3:31.24-0.16s
1980Steve OvettGBR—Aug 27, 1980Koblenz, West Germany3 years3:31.4-0.70s
1980Steve OvettGBR—Jul 15, 1980Oslo, Norway43 d3:32.1—
1979Sebastian CoeGBR—Aug 15, 1979Zürich, Switzerland11 months3:32.1-0.10s
1974Filbert BayiTAN—Feb 2, 1974Christchurch, New Zealand5.5 years3:32.2-0.90s
1967Jim RyunUSA—Jul 8, 1967Los Angeles, United States6.6 years3:33.1-2.50s
1960Herb ElliottAUS—Sep 6, 1960Rome, Italy6.8 years3:35.6-0.40s
1958Herb ElliottAUS—Aug 28, 1958Gothenburg, Sweden2 years3:36.0-2.10s
1957Stanislav JungwirthTCH—Jul 12, 1957Stará Boleslav, Czechoslovakia14 months3:38.1-2.10s
1957Olavi SalsolaFIN—Jul 11, 1957Turku, Finland1 d3:40.2—
1957Olavi SalonenFIN—Jul 11, 1957Turku, FinlandEqualled3:40.2-0.40s
1956István RózsavölgyiHUN—Aug 3, 1956Tata, Hungary11 months3:40.6-0.20s
1955László TáboriHUN—Sep 6, 1955Oslo, Norway11 months3:40.8—
1955Gunnar NIELSENDEN—Sep 6, 1955Oslo, NorwayEqualled3:40.8—
1955Sándor IharosHUN—Jul 28, 1955Helsinki, Finland40 d3:40.8-2.20s
1952Werner LuegFRG—Jun 29, 1952Berlin, Germany3.1 years3:43.0—
1947Lennart StrandSWE—Jul 15, 1947Malmö, Sweden5 years3:43.0—
1944Gunder HäggSWE—Jul 7, 1944Gothenburg, Sweden3 years3:43.0-2.00s
1943Arne AnderssonSWE—Aug 17, 1943Gothenburg, Sweden11 months3:45.0-0.80s
1942Gunder HäggSWE—Jul 17, 1942Stockholm, Sweden13 months3:45.8-1.80s
1941Gunder HäggSWE—Aug 10, 1941Stockholm, Sweden11 months3:47.6-0.20s
1936Jack LovelockNZL—Aug 6, 1936Berlin, Germany5 years3:47.8-1.00s
1934Bill BonthronUSA—Jun 30, 1934Milwaukee, United States2.1 years3:48.8-0.20s
1933Luigi BeccaliITA—Sep 17, 1933Milan, Italy9 months3:49.0-0.20s
1933Luigi BeccaliITA—Sep 9, 1933Turin, Italy8 d3:49.2—
1930Jules LadoumegueFRA—Oct 5, 1930Paris, France2.9 years3:49.2-1.80s
1926Otto PeltzerGER—Sep 11, 1926Berlin, Germany4.1 years3:51.0-1.60s
1924Paavo NurmiFIN—Jun 19, 1924Helsinki, Finland2.2 years3:52.6-2.10s
1917John ZanderSWE—Aug 5, 1917Stockholm, Sweden6.9 years3:54.7-1.10s
1912Abel KiviatUSA—Jun 8, 1912Cambridge, United States5.2 years3:55.8-1.00s
1912Abel KiviatUSA—Jun 1, 1912New York City7 d3:56.8-2.40s
1912Abel KiviatUSA—May 26, 1912New York City6 d3:59.2-0.60s
1908Harold WilsonGBR—May 30, 1908London4 years3:59.8-5.60s
1904Jim LightbodyUSA—Sep 3, 1904St. Louis3.7 years4:05.4-0.80s
1900Charles BennettGBR—Jul 15, 1900Paris4.1 years4:06.2-2.80s
1900John BrayUSA—May 30, 1900Bayonne, France46 d4:09-1.40s
1896Albin LermusiauxFRA—Jun 26, 1896Paris3.9 years4:10.4-5.20s
1895Thomas ConneffUSA—Aug 26, 1895New York City10 months4:15.6-1.20s
1895Michel SoalhatFRA—May 26, 1895Paris3 months4:16.8-1.60s
1895Albin LermusiauxFRA—May 12, 1895Paris14 d4:18.4-1.40s
1894Felix BourdierFRA—Jul 22, 1894Paris10 months4:19.8-1.20s
1893Fernand MeiersFRA—May 28, 1893Paris, France14 months4:21—
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco) holds the 1500 m Men world record with 3:26.00, set on July 14, 1998 in Rome, Italy.

Noureddine Morceli (Algeria) held it with 3:27.37, from July 12, 1995 until July 14, 1998 (3 years).

Elite Trackr's progression lists 47 improvements since 1893, when Fernand Meiers set 4:21.