Middle Distance

800 meters

• The 800 meters is a common track running event.

• The 800 meters is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-

metre) track and has been an Olympic event since the first
modern games in 1896.

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 Middle Distance of 800 meter
• Middle distance races that are either 800 meter or longer, the runners have no starting block.

• Middle distance runners will begin the race in a upright position, and their hands are not allowed
to touch the ground.

• The command to start for the races is “On your marks!” and once the runners are at the mark
and the gun is fire, they may officially begin the race.

• 8 runners are composed for the 800 meters race, and each of them has their own lane for the
staggered start.

• All runners must stay in their assigned lanes throughout the first run and make break their
position after.

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 World Record
David Lekuta Rudisha

• He is the 2012 and 2016 Olympic
 champion, two-time World
Champion (2011 and 2015).
•  world record holder in the 800
metres.

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 World Record
Jarmila Kratochvílová

• born 26 January 1951

• former track and field athlete.
• She won the 400 metres and 800
metres at the 
1983 World Championships, setting a 
world record in the 400 m.

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 Olympic Record
Nadezhda Fyodorovna
Olizarenko • 1980 Olympics she won the 800 m event, setting a
world record at 1:53.43, and finished third in the
Czechoslovakia 1500 m. Her 800 m world record was improved in
1983, but still remains the second-best time over
that distance.

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 World Championship Record
Donavan Brazier
He holds the American junior record and 
American record in men's 800 metres and won the 
gold medal at the 2019 World Championships.

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 Middle Distance
1,500 meters
• Since 1896, the 1,500 meters has been a component of the Olympic program, reflecting the
modern Olympic movement's French roots and its founder, Pierre de Coubertin. It's also
the distance utilized at the world and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
championships.

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The first winner, in 1896, was Edwin Flack of Australia, who also won the
first gold medal in the 800-metre race.

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The women's 1,500-metre race was first added to the Summer
Olympics in 1972, and the winner of the first gold medal was Lyudmila
Bragina of the Soviet Union.

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The 1,500m is the second shortest middle distance race held at the international level.

The Mile
•The mile at exactly 1609.344m, is the longest middle distance race in track and field.
•Requires much more aerobic andurance than either 800m or the 1,500m.
 
The 1,500m and the mile start lines

• The 1500m and the mile run use a waterfall start line, which places all the competitors at
the same continuous curved start line.
• However, when there is an overflow of runners (typically more than 12) , the 1500m and
the mile run will use a barrel start or a dual alley start.

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 The Break Line
•The break line is the continuous curved line
located at the first bend of the track ( reference to
the 800m staggered start line).
The 1500 and the mile
•Unlike the 800m, the 1500m and the mile races are
run entirely without lanes.
• Once the competitors across the start line, they
are free to run in whichever lane they prefe, as
many times as they wish.

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 The Finish Line
•All foot racing events in the track and field use the
same finish line
Backstretch
• Refers to the either the portion of an oval race track
on the far side of the grandstand.
• It is parallel to the homestretch.
 Homestretch
• The part of a racecourse between the last turn and
the winning post.

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 Middle Distance of 1,500 meters
• All runners must stay in their assigned lanes throughout the
first run and may break their position after.

For the 1500 meters, a group start is used since they have up
to 12 runners.

Runners do not have any lane assignments for the 1500 meter
race.

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 Olympic Record

Jakob Ingebrigtsen (born 19 September • Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon (born 10

2000) is a Norwegian  January 1994)[2] is a Kenyan 
middle-distance runner. He won the middle-distance runner specializing in
gold medal at the  the 1500 metres. A 2016 Rio Olympics
2020 Summer Olympics in the 1500  and 2020 Tokyo Olympics champion
metres event, setting the new Olympic with the Olympic record at the latter.

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 World Record

Hicham El Guerrouj • WORLD RECORD

born 14 September 1974) is a • Genzebe Dibaba Keneni born 8 February
retired Moroccan middle-distance 1991) is an Ethiopian middle- and long-
runner. distance runner.
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