This is a better list than OP but Lagat?Top 2 all-time? I don'teven know if he makes top 10.
He doesn’t. One world championship and no Olympic golds? Lagat has a comparable resume to Josh Kerr, and no one thinks he deserves to be top ten. Top 20 maybe.
Ranking the greatest men's 1500m runners of all time is a subjective task, but it can be guided by factors like world records, Olympic and World Championship medals, consistency, and historical impact. Based on these criteria, here’s my list of the top 10: 1. **Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco)** - The undisputed king of the 1500m. He set the current world record (3:26.00) in 1998, a mark that’s stood for over 25 years. Won Olympic gold in 2004, two World Championship titles (1997, 2001), and dominated the event for nearly a decade. 2. **Bernard Lagat (Kenya/USA)** - A model of longevity and versatility. Olympic silver (2004) and bronze (2000) for Kenya, plus five World Championship medals (including golds in 2007 and 2009 after switching to the USA). His tactical brilliance and consistency rank him high. 3. **Steve Cram (Great Britain)** - Set the world record (3:29.67) in 1985 and won the 1983 World Championship title. Part of the iconic British middle-distance trio with Coe and Ovett, he was a dominant force in the 1980s. 4. **Sebastian Coe (Great Britain)** - Olympic gold in 1980 and 1984, and held the world record (3:32.03) from 1979 to 1985. His duels with Ovett are legendary, though he’s equally known for the 800m. 5. **Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway)** - The modern phenom. Olympic gold in 2020 (Tokyo) at age 20, multiple European titles, and a blistering 3:26.73 in 2024, just shy of El Guerrouj’s record. His trajectory suggests he could climb higher. 6. **Noureddine Morceli (Algeria)** - World record holder (3:27.37) from 1992 to 1998, three consecutive World Championship golds (1991, 1993, 1995), and a dominant figure in the early 1990s. Olympic gold eluded him (1996 bronze). 7. **Herb Elliott (Australia)** - Undefeated at 1500m/mile. Set the world record (3:35.6) in 1960 and won Olympic gold that year in commanding fashion. Retired at 22, leaving an unmatched legacy of potential. 8. **John Walker (New Zealand)** - Olympic gold in 1976 and the first man to break 3:50 for the mile (a benchmark at the time). Ran 135 sub-4:00 miles in his career, showcasing incredible consistency. 9. **Steve Ovett (Great Britain)** - Olympic bronze in 1980 and a fierce rival to Coe and Cram. Held the world record (3:31.36) from 1980 to 1983. His 1500m career is often overshadowed by his 800m Olympic gold. 10. **Kip Keino (Kenya)** - Olympic gold in 1968 and silver in 1972. A pioneer for African middle-distance running, his high-altitude dominance in Mexico City was groundbreaking, even if times were slower then. This list balances historical significance, peak performance, and longevity. El Guerrouj’s record and titles make him the clear #1, while Ingebrigtsen’s ongoing career could shake things up in the future. Thoughts on the ranking?
Cram seems too high in my opinion. I'd also potentially add Kerr as a fringe top 10 - 3 medals. Lagat should be top 5 all time - he's underappreciated due to the lack of gold.
AI is getting more impressive but I see two blatantly false statements: one, that Coe “held the world record (3:32.03) from 1979 to 1985,” and on Morceli “Olympic gold eluded him (1996 bronze).” The second one is particularly egregious; Morceli definitely won gold in 1996…
You can add
- El Guerrouj 2 x WC
- Ovett WR from 80 to 83 (also factually correct with 3:31.36)
#10 Kip Keino KIPCHOGE KEINO was a sensational runner - in the Games of 1968 & 1972 he was winner of FOUR Olympic medals across the 1500m [🥇🥈], 5000m [🥈] and the 3000m Steeplechase [🥇]!!!🌟 KEINO was and remains a true inspiration - he went on to become Chair of the Kenyan Olympic Committee and his Legend lives on…today we celebrate KIP KEINO as the Men’s 1500m no.10 GREATEST OF ALL-TIME…💫🐐
#9 Luigi Beccali BECCALI was the first Italian to win Olympic Gold in running when becoming the 1500m Champion at the 1932 LA Games - he backed that up with European Gold in 1934, Olympic Bronze in 1936 [Berlin] and European Bronze in 1938!🥇🥇🥉🥉 Today we celebrate LUIGI BECCALI as the Men’s 1500m No.9 GREATEST OF ALL-TIME…💫🐐
#8 Steve Ovett OVETT was a giant of the 1500m with dominance of the distance few can boast…best highlighted by the fact that between 1977-1980 he won 45 consecutive races over the Mile and 1500m alongside several World Records!!!🔥 European 1500m Gold in 1978 was followed by Olympic Bronze in 1980 [Moscow] and of course his most famous win, that 800m Olympic Gold!🥇🥇🥉 Awarded an OBE [Officer of the British Empire] in 2000, today we celebrate STEVE OVETT as the Men’s 1500m No.8 GREATEST OF ALL-TIME…💫🐐
#7 Paavo Nurmi The ‘Flying Finn’…NURMI is quite simply an Olympic Legend and one of the All-Time Greats of Distance running - emphasised by this incredible statistic: in total he won TWELVE Olympic Medals [9x GOLD!] in 3 Games [1920-1928] across the 1500m, 5000m, 10000m, 3000m Steeplechase, Cross Country & Distance Team Events!!!🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥈 Today we celebrate PAAVO NURMI as the Men’s 1500m No.7 GREATEST OF ALL-TIME…💫🐐
#6 Gunder Hagg An early proponent of Fartlek training, HÄGG broke a total of 15 WORLD RECORDS during his running career [10 of them within just 3-months in 1942]!!!🔥 HÄGG’s prime form during the years of World War II extinguished any Olympic opportunities, but his Legend lives on; in fact he was the first athlete to run 5000m in under 14 minutes [a record that lasted 12 years!] and it also took several years before his 1945 Mile World Record of 4 mins 1.4 secs was beaten [by a certain Roger Bannister in 1954, becoming the first man to go sub-4]…🌟
#5 Herb Elliot ELLIOTT was a sensation - he burst onto the elite running scene in 1957 and proceeded to dominate…Commonwealth Gold in both the Mile and 880 yards came first in 1958, swiftly followed by multiple World Records and 1500m Gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics!🔥 Thereafter, ELLIOTT enrolled at Cambridge University and ended his incredible athletics career aged just 22!!! A successful business career followed [especially with Puma, for whom he became their CEO of North America]…⭐
#4 Asbel Kiprop Given KIPROP’s doping ban for EPO in 2019, his high ranking will understandably rankle amongst many. For the record, we are very strongly anti-doping, however, our HBM Rankings are about absolute performance and achievement throughout History via official and ratified records to achieve a fair ranking for athletes across the generations - to that end, we specifically use IOC & World Athletics-approved marks that already strip the record books accordingly to inform our assessments. Against this backdrop, KIPROP’s achievements in the 1500m are to a level very few can match - his medal haul and elite longevity are bettered by only two athletes and he remains the third fastest man in History.
#3 Seb Coe Where to start… •TWO-TIME 1500m Olympic Champion [1980 & 1984]!🥇🥇 •The only man to have won 1500m Olympic Gold TWICE!🔥 •TWELVE Indoor & Outdoor WORLD RECORDS across the 800m, 1000m, 1500m & Mile!💨 •Chair of LOCOG in 2012 [London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games & Paralympic Games]!🏅 •Chair of the BOA [British Olympic Association] 2012-2016!👏 •President of World Athletics!🏃🏻 •Chancellor of Loughborough University!🎓 •BBC Sports Personality of the Year [1979]!🌟 •MP, Knight, Life Peer & Lord [UK]!🎩 Today we celebrate SEB COE as the Men’s 1500m No.3 GREATEST OF ALL-TIME…💫🐐
#2 Noureddine Morceli By the age of just 20, MORCELI was the 1500m World No.1…from there World Records and medals came a plenty…the climax of which was winning Olympic GOLD in 1996 [Atlanta]!!!🥇 His PB from 1995 still ranks fifth on the All-Time List 30 years later; for many he remains the greatest Miler ever…🔥 Today we celebrate NOUREDDINE MORCELI as the Men’s 1500m No.2 GREATEST OF ALL-TIME…💫🐐
#1 Hicham El Guerrouj
Nothing else needed to be said
Agree or disagree?
Nice list, but I am not sure Beccali should be in a top 10 list. And Kiprop should definitely be out. Maybe replace those two with Cram and Aouita at #9 and #10 as the first two men who broke the mythical 3:30 barrier, and who hold the last WRs before the EPO era.
Aouita is also just outside the top 10! I would say 18th overall for me! His range hurts him on a list like this but nevertheless, a great 1500m runner!
Why would range matter if the criteria is greatest 1500, specifically 1500?
Aouita is also just outside the top 10! I would say 18th overall for me! His range hurts him on a list like this but nevertheless, a great 1500m runner!
Why would range matter if the criteria is greatest 1500, specifically 1500?
Great point.
IMO Cram was better 1,500m than Coe even though Coe was the better athlete of the 2 overall.
I know Coe has the 2 Golds but Cram was the El G of his era.
Aouita is also just outside the top 10! I would say 18th overall for me! His range hurts him on a list like this but nevertheless, a great 1500m runner!
Why would range matter if the criteria is greatest 1500, specifically 1500?
I think they just mean that Aouita left some of his potential 1500 legacy on the table because he opted instead to compete in the 5k at the ‘84 OGs and ‘87 WCs (winning gold in both) and the 800 at the ‘88 OGs (winning bronze). There’s no doubt that Aouita only having one bronze in global 1500 championships (‘83 WCs) limits his ranking as a 1500 GOAT.
AI is getting more impressive but I see two blatantly false statements: one, that Coe “held the world record (3:32.03) from 1979 to 1985,” and on Morceli “Olympic gold eluded him (1996 bronze).” The second one is particularly egregious; Morceli definitely won gold in 1996…
And that mistake creates the absurdity of putting Lagat above Morceli. I don’t think I’d have Lagat in the top 5, and anyone who would is obsessing too much over times in my eyes.
I agree that it's absurd to rank Lagat above Morceli, but I don't think it would be so crazy to have him in the top 5. Lagat's difficult to rank because he had the misfortune of being born the same year as El Guerrouj. He often finished 2nd behind El G in big races, including the 2004 Olympics, 2001 world championships, and 2001 and 2002 Grand Prix finals. Because he was a contemporary of El G's, Lagat doesn't have as many gold medals and yearly #1 rankings as some others, but should repeatedly finishing #2 behind the GOAT be held against him?
1. Hocker (3:27 OR, Olympic gold, 50% win rate at Olympics) 2. Jakob (Greatest pacer of all time) 3. El G (Olympic gold, 33% win rate in 1500m at Olympics) 4. Lagat (ran fast + is American) 5. Morceli (Old and respected) 6. Cram, Coe, Ovett (rivalry puts them this high) 7. Centro (more medals and faster times than Ryun btw) 8. Cheruiyot (2019 3:29 solo win wire to wire) 9. Yared Nuguse (3:27/3:43/indoor mile WR) 10. Donavan Brazier (I will never forget that incredible 3:35 with a 51 last lap he ran in a random track meet in 2020)
Hocker at #1 is the worst take I have seen since your last post. He has 1 Oly gold and 3:27 however lacks the consistency needed to differentiate between the pinnacle of distance and the very elite. A couple more years at the top and more medals will definitely get him top 5 however he will need to be well under 3:27 to be the GOAT in my opinion.
Centro being on the list is a terrible take. No remarkable times and only 1 win which is in my book an outlier. Laros and Myers are faster than prime Centro and they are so young.
Brazier on this list is atrocious.
In conclusion you are far too young to make a list. This list is so uninformed. Do you even know who first broke 4?
I agree that it's absurd to rank Lagat above Morceli, but I don't think it would be so crazy to have him in the top 5. Lagat's difficult to rank because he had the misfortune of being born the same year as El Guerrouj. He often finished 2nd behind El G in big races, including the 2004 Olympics, 2001 world championships, and 2001 and 2002 Grand Prix finals. Because he was a contemporary of El G's, Lagat doesn't have as many gold medals and yearly #1 rankings as some others, but should repeatedly finishing #2 behind the GOAT be held against him?
That’s fair though Noah Ngeny did beat him in 2000. 2005 was also another chance for Lagat but that was a missed opportunity with his citizenship saga. 2003 same thing though with the EPO A sample. So to me it was just too many what could’ve been moments when it comes to championships. He fits more in the Cram/Kerr tier as a result in my eyes.
Why is Noah Ngeny not on everyone's list? He had a short but very successful career and should be on that list somewhere: 3:43.40 mile, 3:28.12 1500, 2:11.96 WR 1000, Olympic Gold Medalist... all done between 1999-2000. I guess he's left off the list because of his short pro running career?
1. Hicham El Guerrouj 2. Nourredine Morceli 3. Sebastian Coe 4. Jakob Ingebrigtsen 5. Steve Cram 6. John Walker 7. Kip Keino 8. Bernard Lagat 9. Steve Ovett 10. Herb Elliott 11. Peter Snell 12. Timothy Cheruiyot 13. Said Aouita 14. Jim Ryun 15. Noah Ngeny 16. Fermín Cacho 17. Taoufik Makhloufi 18. Filbert Bayi 19. Roger Bannister 20. Josh Kerr 21. Abdi Bile 22. Silas Kiplagat 23. Steve Scott 24. Nick Willis 25. Matt Centrowitz Jr. 26. Cole Hocker 27. Yared Nuguse 28. Abdelaati Iguider 29. Michel Jazy 30. Mehdi Baala
Honorable Mention: Venuste Niyongabo John Landy Jake Wightman
Perfect list I think! I think two problems with OP is that he is only considering the 1500m and excluding the mile which hurts some runners. He also does not consider era differences in how hard it is to set a record. Running 3:26 today requires supershoes and wavelights to break it by a threshold monster after an era where there was no testing for EPO. Luigi Beccali holding the WR a century ago does not hold the same weight when it's broken a year later unfortunately. Nevertheless, OPs list is good as an absolute achievement if it just how you did in your own era compared to other era's.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
And that mistake creates the absurdity of putting Lagat above Morceli. I don’t think I’d have Lagat in the top 5, and anyone who would is obsessing too much over times in my eyes.
I agree that it's absurd to rank Lagat above Morceli, but I don't think it would be so crazy to have him in the top 5. Lagat's difficult to rank because he had the misfortune of being born the same year as El Guerrouj. He often finished 2nd behind El G in big races, including the 2004 Olympics, 2001 world championships, and 2001 and 2002 Grand Prix finals. Because he was a contemporary of El G's, Lagat doesn't have as many gold medals and yearly #1 rankings as some others, but should repeatedly finishing #2 behind the GOAT be held against him?
This is true, and I think JWH's list accounted for this, placing Lagat at 8th. Still though, you can only really compete against who is in your era. Ovett and Cram had to compete against Coe, Ryun against Keino, Ngeny and Lagat against El G, Cacho against Morcelli, Josh Kerr against Jakob. It's always the same.
I agree that it's absurd to rank Lagat above Morceli, but I don't think it would be so crazy to have him in the top 5. Lagat's difficult to rank because he had the misfortune of being born the same year as El Guerrouj. He often finished 2nd behind El G in big races, including the 2004 Olympics, 2001 world championships, and 2001 and 2002 Grand Prix finals. Because he was a contemporary of El G's, Lagat doesn't have as many gold medals and yearly #1 rankings as some others, but should repeatedly finishing #2 behind the GOAT be held against him?
That’s fair though Noah Ngeny did beat him in 2000. 2005 was also another chance for Lagat but that was a missed opportunity with his citizenship saga. 2003 same thing though with the EPO A sample. So to me it was just too many what could’ve been moments when it comes to championships. He fits more in the Cram/Kerr tier as a result in my eyes.
He is close to Cram but way off Kerr in my opinion. Josh Kerr's results come from his championships, but he has never been ranked #1 in the world. Kerr is more like Makhloufi in this regard. Another thing Lagat has going for him is that he has been ranked top 10 in the world 11 years, that is some longevity.
This post was edited 36 seconds after it was posted.
I agree that it's absurd to rank Lagat above Morceli, but I don't think it would be so crazy to have him in the top 5. Lagat's difficult to rank because he had the misfortune of being born the same year as El Guerrouj. He often finished 2nd behind El G in big races, including the 2004 Olympics, 2001 world championships, and 2001 and 2002 Grand Prix finals. Because he was a contemporary of El G's, Lagat doesn't have as many gold medals and yearly #1 rankings as some others, but should repeatedly finishing #2 behind the GOAT be held against him?
This is true, and I think JWH's list accounted for this, placing Lagat at 8th. Still though, you can only really compete against who is in your era. Ovett and Cram had to compete against Coe, Ryun against Keino, Ngeny and Lagat against El G, Cacho against Morcelli, Josh Kerr against Jakob. It's always the same.
Yes, that's a good point. But looking at JWH's list, he has Jakob ahead of Lagat. I'd put Lagat ahead of Jakob (for now), considering that they both have a gold and two silvers in the event, but Lagat also has two bronzes and a faster PB.
Jakob needs 3 more golds (one of which must be at the Olympics) and the WR to take the top spot from El G. Finishing off the podium last year really hurt him.
Yes, that's a good point. But looking at JWH's list, he has Jakob ahead of Lagat. I'd put Lagat ahead of Jakob (for now), considering that they both have a gold and two silvers in the event, but Lagat also has two bronzes and a faster PB.
I think there’s an important element outside of PBs and medals, which is being the consensus preeminent 1500 runner in the world for multiple years. Morceli, El Guerrouj and Ingebrigtsen have had that distinction—Lagat never did. His only world #1 ranking was 2004, and that was after losing to El Guerrouj in the Olympics.
Ingebrigtsen has already won 16 Diamond League 1500s or miles, including 9 in the past two seasons. Granted the series wasn’t established until 2004, but Lagat won 4 total: 3 in 2004 and then zero until a 3:34.6 vs. a weak field in New York in 2012. Prior to ‘04 we all know he was owned by El G.
Jakob has won the last three World Athletics Finals at 1500/mile. Lagat’s career record in Grand Prix Final/World Athletics Final 1500s is:
’99 - 2nd
‘00 - 2nd
‘01 - 2nd
‘02 - 2nd
‘04 - 4th
‘05 - 2nd
‘06 - 2nd
‘08 - 6th
And finally, in terms of 1500 PBs, 3:26.34 in a losing effort where you get to draft off someone the entire race vs. 3:26.73 in a dominant win isn’t exactly a slam dunk advantage for Lagat. Lagat’s 2nd fastest time (and fastest win) is 3:27.40. In the mile, he never actually clocked faster than 3:47 (once again, in a loss).
Yes, you make a good point about preeminence, but that goes back to the point I made about not penalizing Lagat just because he happened to be born the same year as the GOAT. TFN ranked Christian Cantwell the world's #1 shot putter 4 years in a row, but I wouldn't rank him above Joe Kovacs, who's only been #1 once, because I recognize Kovacs has the misfortune of competing in the same era as the GOAT. I think we need to take competition into account when we look at medals and rankings, particularly in the case of athletes such as Lagat and Kovacs who were contemporaries of the GOAT in their event.
According to the World Athletics head-to-head feature, here is a list of races in which Lagat finished 2nd behind El G:
Paris Golden League meet, 2000
Paris Golden League meet, 2001
World Championships, 2001
Zurich Golden League meet, 2001
Brussels Golden League meet, 2001
Grand Prix Final, 2001
Paris Golden League meet, 2002
Monaco Golden League meet, 2002
Brussels Golden League meet, 2002
Berlin Golden League meet, 2002
Grand Prix Final, 2002
Zurich Golden League meet, 2003
Olympics, 2004
I'm not holding those losses against Lagat when comparing him to runners not named Hicham. If we agree that El G is the GOAT, then Lagat should have lost those races. Had it not been for El G, Lagat would have ranked #1 in the world in 2001 and 2002, and he'd have three global championship gold medals in the 1500 instead of one.
Re: PBs, you're right about Lagat being able to draft behind El G. But we also need to recognize the massive advantage Jakob has with Wavelight.
For me, it's hard to get over the visual of Lagat battling El G to the line at the 2004 Olympics. El G is the GOAT, and Lagat was right there running neck and neck with him. That's a top 5 guy to me.
1. Hicham El Guerrouj 2. Nourredine Morceli 3. Sebastian Coe 4. Jakob Ingebrigtsen 5. Steve Cram 6. John Walker 7. Kip Keino 8. Bernard Lagat 9. Steve Ovett 10. Herb Elliott 11. Peter Snell 12. Timothy Cheruiyot 13. Said Aouita 14. Jim Ryun 15. Noah Ngeny 16. Fermín Cacho 17. Taoufik Makhloufi 18. Filbert Bayi 19. Roger Bannister 20. Josh Kerr 21. Abdi Bile 22. Silas Kiplagat 23. Steve Scott 24. Nick Willis 25. Matt Centrowitz Jr. 26. Cole Hocker 27. Yared Nuguse 28. Abdelaati Iguider 29. Michel Jazy 30. Mehdi Baala
Honorable Mention: Venuste Niyongabo John Landy Jake Wightman
Despite his short career, Noah Ngeny should be above Lagat and Ryun, especially Lagat for his Olympic triumph in Sydney (beating both El g and, well, Lagat). Tbh, had he not been injured, I suspect El g might have never won an Olympic 1500m, his kick was even more lethal than Lagat and could handle a hot pace as well.
Yes, you make a good point about preeminence, but that goes back to the point I made about not penalizing Lagat just because he happened to be born the same year as the GOAT. TFN ranked Christian Cantwell the world's #1 shot putter 4 years in a row, but I wouldn't rank him above Joe Kovacs, who's only been #1 once, because I recognize Kovacs has the misfortune of competing in the same era as the GOAT. I think we need to take competition into account when we look at medals and rankings, particularly in the case of athletes such as Lagat and Kovacs who were contemporaries of the GOAT in their event.
According to the World Athletics head-to-head feature, here is a list of races in which Lagat finished 2nd behind El G:
Paris Golden League meet, 2000
Paris Golden League meet, 2001
World Championships, 2001
Zurich Golden League meet, 2001
Brussels Golden League meet, 2001
Grand Prix Final, 2001
Paris Golden League meet, 2002
Monaco Golden League meet, 2002
Brussels Golden League meet, 2002
Berlin Golden League meet, 2002
Grand Prix Final, 2002
Zurich Golden League meet, 2003
Olympics, 2004
I'm not holding those losses against Lagat when comparing him to runners not named Hicham. If we agree that El G is the GOAT, then Lagat should have lost those races. Had it not been for El G, Lagat would have ranked #1 in the world in 2001 and 2002, and he'd have three global championship gold medals in the 1500 instead of one.
Re: PBs, you're right about Lagat being able to draft behind El G. But we also need to recognize the massive advantage Jakob has with Wavelight.
For me, it's hard to get over the visual of Lagat battling El G to the line at the 2004 Olympics. El G is the GOAT, and Lagat was right there running neck and neck with him. That's a top 5 guy to me.
We should take into account Jakob’s competition then. He has to contend against 3 3:27 mid guys, 2 3:29 guys, and a lot of other 3:29 guys on good days. I won’t hold his 4th place at the Olympics against him (This is what you sound like).
We should take into account Jakob’s competition then. He has to contend against 3 3:27 mid guys, 2 3:29 guys, and a lot of other 3:29 guys on good days. I won’t hold his 4th place at the Olympics against him (This is what you sound like).
What’s worse: losing against 3:27-3:29 guys, or losing to a 3:26 guy and the guy who beat the 3:26 guy?