Athletics 800 metres | |
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![]() Men's 800 metres final in Daegu 2011. | |
World records | |
Men | ![]() |
Women | ![]() |
Olympic records | |
Men | ![]() |
Women | ![]() |
World Championship records | |
Men | ![]() |
Women | ![]() |
The 800 metres, or meters (US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since the first modern games in 1896. During the winter track season the event is usually run by completing four laps of an indoor 200-metre track.
The event was derived from the imperial measurement of a half mile (880 yards), a traditional English racing distance. 800 m is 4.67 m less than a half mile.
The event combines aerobic endurance with anaerobic conditioning and sprint speed, so the 800m athlete has to combine training for both.
Runners in this event are occasionally fast enough to also compete in the 400 metres but more commonly have enough endurance to 'double up' in the 1500m. Only Alberto Juantorena and Jarmila Kratochvílová have won major international titles at 400m and 800m.
The 800m is also known for its tactical racing. Because it is the shortest middle-distance event that has all the runners converge into one lane (after the first bend), positioning on the cut-in and the position of the pack is critical to the outcome of the race. Gaining a front position early in the race is often advantageous as there are occasionally trips when running in a pack. Olympic champions Dave Wottle, Kelly Holmes and others have defied that logic by running a more evenly paced race, lagging behind the pack and accelerating past the slowing early leaders. Often the winner of elite 800m races is not the fastest runner, but the athlete best positioned near the end of the race: an athlete directly behind another runner, has to switch to an outer lane to overtake, so has to run further—and might be blocked by a third runner alongside.[1]
800 metre participants usually run a positive split, where the first lap is faster, but a negative split is occasionally run as a tactic. The current world record (by David Rudisha) was run with a positive split in the 2012 Olympics. Rudisha ran the first lap in 49.28 seconds and the second in 51.63 seconds. Theoretically, an even split is the most efficient running mode,[citation needed] but it is difficult to pace correctly.
Area | Men | Women | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Time | Athlete | Nation | Time | Athlete | Nation | |
Africa (records) | 1:40.91 WR | David Rudisha | ![]() |
1:54.01 | Pamela Jelimo | ![]() |
Asia (records) | 1:42.79 | Yusuf Saad Kamel | ![]() |
1:55.54 | Dong Liu | ![]() |
Europe (records) | 1:41.11 | Wilson Kipketer | ![]() |
1:53.28 WR | Jarmila Kratochvílová | ![]() |
North, Central America and Caribbean (records) |
1:42.34 | Donavan Brazier | ![]() |
1:54.44 | Ana Fidelia Quirot | ![]() |
Oceania (records) | 1:43.99 | Joseph Deng | ![]() |
1:57.78 | Catriona Bisset | ![]() |
South America (records) | 1:41.77 | Joaquim Cruz | ![]() |
1:56.58 | Letitia Vriesde | ![]() |
See also: 800 metres world record progression |
Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 1:40.91 | David Rudisha | ![]() |
9 August 2012 | London | [5] |
2 | 1:41.01 | Rudisha #2 | 29 August 2010 | Rieti | |||
3 | 1:41.09 | Rudisha #3 | 22 August 2010 | Berlin | |||
2 | 4 | 1:41.11 | Wilson Kipketer | ![]() |
24 August 1997 | Cologne | |
5 | 1:41.24 | Kipketer #2 | 13 August 1997 | Zürich | |||
6 | 1:41.33 | Rudisha #4 | 10 September 2011 | Rieti | |||
7 | 1:41.51 | Rudisha #5 | 10 July 2010 | Heusden-Zolder | |||
8 | 1:41.54 | Rudisha #6 | 6 July 2012 | London | |||
3 | 9 | 1:41.73 | Sebastian Coe | ![]() |
10 June 1981 | Florence | |
9 | 1:41.73 | Kipketer #3 | 7 July 1997 | Stockholm | |||
3 | 9 | 1:41.73 | Nijel Amos | ![]() |
9 August 2012 | London | |
12 | 1:41.74 | Rudisha #7 | 9 June 2012 | New York City | |||
5 | 13 | 1:41.77 | Joaquim Cruz | ![]() |
26 August 1984 | Cologne | |
14 | 1:41.83 | Kipketer #4 | 1 September 1996 | Rieti | |||
15 | 1:41.89 | Amos #2 | 12 July 2019 | Monaco | |||
16 | 1:42.01 | Rudisha #8 | 6 September 2009 | Rieti | |||
17 | 1:42.04 | Rudisha #9 | 4 June 2010 | Oslo | |||
6 | 18 | 1:42.05 | Emmanuel Korir | ![]() |
22 July 2018 | London | [6] |
19 | 1:42.12 | Rudisha #10 | 23 June 2012 | Nairobi | |||
20 | 1:42.14 | Amos #3 | 20 July 2018 | Monaco | |||
21 | 1:42.15 | Rudisha #11 | 15 August 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | |||
22 | 1:42.17 | Kipketer #5 | 16 September 1996 | Tokyo | |||
23 | 1:42.20 | Kipketer #6 | 22 August 1997 | Brussels | |||
7 | 24 | 1:42.23 | Abubaker Kaki | ![]() |
4 June 2010 | Oslo | [7] |
25 | 1:42.27 | Kipketer #7 | 8 September 2002 | Rieti | |||
8 | 1:42.28 | Sammy Koskei | ![]() |
26 August 1984 | Cologne | ||
9 | 1:42.34 | Wilfred Bungei | ![]() |
8 September 2002 | Rieti | ||
Donavan Brazier | ![]() |
1 October 2019 | Doha | [8] | |||
11 | 1:42.37 | Mohammed Aman | ![]() |
6 September 2013 | Brussels | [9] | |
12 | 1:42.47 | Yuriy Borzakovskiy | ![]() |
24 August 2001 | Brussels | ||
13 | 1:42.51 | Amel Tuka | ![]() |
17 July 2015 | Monaco | [10] | |
14 | 1:42.53 | Timothy Kitum | ![]() |
9 August 2012 | London | ||
Pierre-Ambroise Bosse | ![]() |
18 July 2014 | Monaco | ||||
16 | 1:42.54 | Ferguson Rotich | ![]() |
12 July 2019 | Monaco | [11] | |
17 | 1:42.55 | André Bucher | ![]() |
17 August 2001 | Zürich | ||
18 | 1:42.58 | Vebjørn Rodal | ![]() |
31 July 1996 | Atlanta | ||
19 | 1:42.60 | Johnny Gray | ![]() |
28 August 1985 | Koblenz | ||
20 | 1:42.61 | Taoufik Makhloufi | ![]() |
15 August 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | [12] | |
21 | 1:42.62 | Patrick Ndururi | ![]() |
13 August 1997 | Zürich | ||
22 | 1:42.67 | Alfred Kirwa Yego | ![]() |
6 September 2009 | Rieti | ||
23 | 1:42.69 | Hezekiél Sepeng | ![]() |
3 September 1999 | Brussels | ||
Japheth Kimutai | ![]() |
3 September 1999 | Brussels | ||||
25 | 1:42.79 | Frederick Onyancha | ![]() |
31 July 1996 | Atlanta | ||
Yusuf Saad Kamel | ![]() |
29 July 2008 | Monaco |
Ath.# | Perf.# | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 1:53.28 | Jarmila Kratochvílová | ![]() |
26 July 1983 | Munich | |
2 | 2 | 1:53.43 | Nadezhda Olizarenko | ![]() |
27 July 1980 | Moscow | |
3 | 3 | 1:54.01 | Pamela Jelimo | ![]() |
29 August 2008 | Zürich | |
4 | 4 | 1:54.25 | Caster Semenya | ![]() |
30 June 2018 | Paris | [14] |
5 | 5 | 1:54.44 | Ana Fidelia Quirot | ![]() |
9 September 1989 | Barcelona | |
6 | 1:54.60 | Semenya #2 | 20 July 2018 | Monaco | |||
7 | 1:54.68 | Kratochvílová #2 | 9 August 1983 | Helsinki | |||
8 | 1:54.77 | Semenya #3 | 9 September 2018 | Ostrava | |||
6 | 9 | 1:54.81 | Olga Mineyeva | ![]() |
27 July 1980 | Moscow | |
10 | 1:54.82 | Quirot #2 | 24 August 1997 | Cologne | |||
11 | 1:54.85 | Olizarenko #2 | 12 June 1980 | Moscow | |||
12 | 1:54.87 | Jelimo #2 | 18 August 2008 | Beijing | |||
7 | 13 | 1:54.91 | Tatyana Kazankina | ![]() |
26 July 1976 | Montreal | |
14 | 1:54.97 | Jelimo #3 | 18 July 2008 | Saint-Denis | |||
15 | 1:54.98 | Semenya #4 | 3 May 2019 | Doha | |||
16 | 1:54.99 | Jelimo #4 | 1 June 2008 | Berlin | |||
17 | 1:55.04 | Kratochvílová #3 | 23 August 1983 | Oslo | |||
8 | 17 | 1:55.04 | Athing Mu | ![]() |
21 August 2021 | Eugene | [15] |
9 | 19 | 1:55.05 | Doina Melinte | ![]() |
1 August 1982 | Bucharest | |
20 | 1:55.16 | Jelimo #5 | 5 September 2008 | Brussels | |||
Semenya #5 | 13 August 2017 | London | |||||
10 | 22 | 1:55.19 | Maria Mutola | ![]() |
17 August 1994 | Zürich | |
Jolanda Čeplak | ![]() |
20 July 2002 | Heusden-Zolder | ||||
24 | 1:55.21 | Mu #2 | 3 August 2021 | Tokyo | |||
12 | 25 | 1:55.26 | Sigrun Wodars | ![]() |
31 August 1987 | Rome | |
13 | 1:55.32 | Christine Wachtel | ![]() |
31 August 1987 | Rome | ||
14 | 1:55.42 | Nikolina Shtereva | ![]() |
26 July 1976 | Rome | ||
15 | 1:55.46 | Tatyana Providokhina | ![]() |
27 July 1980 | Moscow | ||
16 | 1:55.47 | Francine Niyonsaba | ![]() |
21 July 2017 | Monaco | [16] | |
17 | 1:55.54 | Ellen van Langen | ![]() |
3 August 1992 | Barcelona | ||
Dong Liu | ![]() |
9 August 1993 | Beijing | ||||
19 | 1:55.56 | Lyubov Gurina | ![]() |
31 August 1987 | Rome | ||
20 | 1:55.60 | Elfi Zinn | ![]() |
26 July 1976 | Montreal | ||
21 | 1:55.61 | Ajeé Wilson | ![]() |
21 July 2017 | Monaco | [16] | |
22 | 1:55.68 | Ella Kovacs | ![]() |
2 June 1985 | Bucharest | ||
23 | 1:55.69 | Irina Podyalovskaya | ![]() |
22 June 1984 | Kyiv | ||
24 | 1:55.74 | Anita Weiss | ![]() |
26 July 1976 | Montreal | ||
25 | 1:55.77 | Keely Hodgkinson | ![]() |
9 June 2023 | Paris | [17] |
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 1:44.82:
Rank | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1:55.82 | Jolanda Čeplak | ![]() |
3 March 2002 | Vienna | |
2 | 1:55.85 | Stephanie Graf | ![]() |
3 March 2002 | Vienna | |
3 | 1:56.40 | Christine Wachtel | ![]() |
13 February 1988 | Vienna | |
4 | 1:56.90 | Ludmila Formanová | ![]() |
7 March 1999 | Maebashi | |
5 | 1:57.06 | Maria Mutola | ![]() |
21 February 1999 | Liévin | |
6 | 1:57.18 | Keely Hodgkinson | ![]() |
25 February 2023 | Birmingham | [22] |
7 | 1:57.23 | Inna Yevseyeva | ![]() |
1 February 1992 | Moscow | |
8 | 1:57.47 | Natalya Tsyganova | ![]() |
7 March 1999 | Maebashi | |
9 | 1:57.51 | Olga Kotlyarova | ![]() |
18 February 2006 | Moscow | |
10 | 1:57.52 | Gudaf Tsegay | ![]() |
14 February 2021 | Val-de-Reuil | |
11 | 1:57.53 | Larisa Chzhao | ![]() |
23 January 2005 | Moscow | |
12 | 1:57.67 | Sigrun Wodars | ![]() |
13 February 1988 | Vienna | |
13 | 1:57.91 | Jemma Reekie | ![]() |
1 February 2020 | Glasgow | |
14 | 1:58.10 | Mariya Savinova | ![]() |
8 March 2009 | Torino | |
15 | 1:58.14 | Yuliya Stepanova | ![]() |
17 February 2011 | Moscow | |
16 | 1:58.19 | Habitam Alemu | ![]() |
17 February 2021 | Toruń | |
17 | 1:58.29 | Ajeé Wilson | ![]() |
8 February 2020 | New York City | |
18 | 1:58.31 | Francine Niyonsaba | ![]() |
4 March 2018 | Birmingham | |
19 | 1:58.34 | Svetlana Cherkasova | ![]() |
4 February 2006 | Moscow | |
20 | 1:58.37 | Helena Fuchsova | ![]() |
25 February 2001 | Liévin | |
21 | 1:58.40 | Athing Mu | ![]() |
27 February 2021 | Fayetteville | |
22 | 1:58.43 | Jennifer Meadows | ![]() |
14 March 2010 | Doha | |
23 | 1:58.44 | Laura Muir | ![]() |
1 February 2020 | Glasgow | |
24 | 1:58.46 | Natoya Goule | ![]() |
17 February 2022 | Liévin | [23] |
25 | 1:58.48 | Irina Vashentseva | ![]() |
23 January 2005 | Moscow | |
Noelie Yarigo | ![]() |
8 February 2023 | Toruń | [24] |
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 1:58.19:
World junior records (19 and under) are held by Nijel Amos (1:41.73, London, 9 August 2012) and Pamela Jelimo (1:54.01, Zürich, 29 August 2008). Both marks coincidentally rank them as the third fastest ever.