How many men have broken long distance world records at OG

[spammer]

How many men have broken long distance (longer than 800m) world records at the Olympic Games? I'm probably missing some, but the last one I could find was Herb Elliot in the 1500m in Rome 1960. Thanks for your time.

[kuha]

Viren,1972, 10,000.

[gh]

after falling (right in front of me, actually).... one of the great things I've ever seen.

[bambam]

class event phase mark1 mark2 record place athlete(s) noc year location notes
Men 1,500 metres Final Round 4:06.2 \N WR 1 Charles Bennett GBR 1900 Paris Track 500 metres in circumference.
Men 1,500 metres Final Round 4:05.4 \N WR 1 Jim Lightbody USA 1904 St. Louis Track 536.45 metres (⅓ mile) in circumference.
Men 1,500 metres Final Round 3:47.8 \N WR 1 Jack Lovelock NZL 1936 Berlin \N
Men 1,500 metres Final Round 3:35.6 \N WR 1 Herb Elliott AUS 1960 Rome \N
Men 5,000 metres Team Race 15:20.0 \N WR 1 Charles Bennett GBR 1900 Paris Winning time in team race. Track 500 metres in circumference.
Men 5,000 metres Final Round 14:36.6 \N WR 1 Hannes Kolehmainen FIN 1912 Stockholm \N
Men 10,000 metres Final Round 31:20.8 \N WR 1 Hannes Kolehmainen FIN 1912 Stockholm \N
Men 10,000 metres Final Round 30:23.2 \N WR 1 Ville Ritola FIN 1924 Paris Track 500 metres in circumference.
Men 10,000 metres Final Round 27:38.4 27:38.34 WR 1 Lasse Virén FIN 1972 Munich \N
Men Marathon (42,195 m) Final Round 2-55:18.4 \N WB 1 Johnny Hayes USA 1908 London Dorando Pietri (ITA) originally finished first in 2-54:46.4 but was disqualified for having been assisted near the finish line.
Men Marathon (42,195 m) Final Round 2-32:35.8 \N WB 1 Hannes Kolehmainen FIN 1920 Antwerp Distance 42.75 km.
Men Marathon (42,195 m) Final Round 2-15:16.2 \N WB 1 Abebe Bikila ETH 1960 Rome \N
Men Marathon (42,195 m) Final Round 2-12:11.2 \N WB 1 Abebe Bikila ETH 1964 Tokyo \N
Men 3,000 metre steeple Final Round 9:21.8 \N WR 1 Toivo Loukola FIN 1928 Amsterdam \N
Men 3,000 metre steeple Final Round 9:03.8 \N WR 1 Volmari Iso-Hollo FIN 1936 Berlin \N
Men 3,000 metre steeple Final Round 8:45.4 8:45.68 WR 1 Horace Ashenfelter USA 1952 Helsinki \N
Men 3,000 metre steeple Final Round 8:08.0 8:08.02 WR 1 Anders Gärderud SWE 1976 Montreal \N

[LopenUupunut]

Men 10,000 metres Final Round 31:20.8 \N WR 1 Hannes Kolehmainen FIN 1912 Stockholm

That wasn't much of a WR, since Bouin had already run 30:58.8... and Shrubb had a 31:02.4 split in his 18.742 one hour run!

Sure, IAAF still ratified it

Incidentally, Kolehmainen's 8:36.9 from the '12 3K team event is missing from the above list. (Of course that, too, was clearly inferior to Shrubb's 2 mile mark.)

[Conor Dary]

Viren,1972, 10,000.

It was something. I remember it well. Bedford's crazy start that got rid of no one. 59 on the first lap! And then a blazing finish. Add on the fact it was Clarke's historic 27:39 from 1965 that was broken, by the guy who fell down, made it all seem rather unreal at the time.

[Bruce Kritzler]

Surprised Zatopek didn't get one?

[Master Po]

Surprised Zatopek didn't get one?

I would have guessed Zatopek, too, so your question prompted me to look this up...(OG stats from Sportsreference.com -- thanks always to bambam, et al.; WR progressions from ARRS). While none of Zatopek's golds was a WR performance, I think each was an OR.

When Zatopek earned 10km gold at the 1948 OG in 29:59.6, the WR was 29:35.4 by Viljo Heino (FIN), from 1944.

In 1952, Zatopek's winning times were...
5km 14:06.6
10km 29:17.0
marathon 2:23:02

and the WRs were...
5km 13:58.2 Gunter Hagg 1942
10km 29:02.6 Zatopek 1950
marathon 2:20:42 Jim Peters June 14 1952

Even though I know this history, it always impresses and surprises, and mystifies a bit, to be reminded that Peters set the WR (lowering it by nearly six minutes) just six weeks before the OG marathon, which was run on July 27 1952. He could not possibly have been 100% when he ran the OG marathon. (Of course, Zatopek had a few races on his legs by the time the marathon was run, too!)

I don't care how much faster everyone is now -- Zatopek and Peters were awesome.

[Per Andersen]

Surprised Zatopek didn't get one?

Zatopek just made it too hard on himself when he ran that phenomenal 29.02.6 in 1950 bettering his own WR by almost 20 seconds. He could not improve on that until 1953. In the 5000 there was Hagg's incredible 13.58.2. Ironically when Zatopek managed that record in 1954 he was about to be dethroned by Kuts and Chataway (5000).

[lovetorun]

Surprised Zatopek didn't get one?

Zatopek just made it too hard on himself when he ran that phenomenal 29.02.6 in 1950 bettering his own WR by almost 20 seconds. He could not improve on that until 1953. In the 5000 there was Hagg's incredible 13.58.2. Ironically when Zatopek managed that record in 1954 he was about to be dethroned by Kuts and Chataway (5000).

And Gordon Pirie, 13:36.8 in 1956...

[Per Andersen]

Surprised Zatopek didn't get one?

Zatopek just made it too hard on himself when he ran that phenomenal 29.02.6 in 1950 bettering his own WR by almost 20 seconds. He could not improve on that until 1953. In the 5000 there was Hagg's incredible 13.58.2. Ironically when Zatopek managed that record in 1954 he was about to be dethroned by Kuts and Chataway (5000).

And Gordon Pirie, 13:36.8 in 1956...

Yes, but by then Zatopek was no longer a factor in the 5000. He was barely in the top 10 after 1956.
But thanks for bringing up Pirie. One of my all time favorites. I saw that race. Was run in my hometown of Bergen, Norway on a track just 5 mins from my home

[bambam]

Surprised Zatopek didn't get one?

Zatopek just made it too hard on himself when he ran that phenomenal 29.02.6 in 1950 bettering his own WR by almost 20 seconds. He could not improve on that until 1953. In the 5000 there was Hagg's incredible 13.58.2. Ironically when Zatopek managed that record in 1954 he was about to be dethroned by Kuts and Chataway (5000).

And Gordon Pirie, 13:36.8 in 1956...

Yes, but by then Zatopek was no longer a factor in the 5000. He was barely in the top 10 after 1956.
But thanks for bringing up Pirie. One of my all time favorites. I saw that race. Was run in my hometown of Bergen, Norway on a track just 5 mins from my home

Per - you're from Bergen? The home of the most angelic voice in all of music - Sissel.

[Per Andersen]

Per - you're from Bergen? The home of the most angelic voice in all of music - Sissel.

That's right. Me, Sissel and Edvard Grieg

Almost forgot. The 4th runner in history under 3.40 in the 1500m was from Bergen.

[catson52]

Per - you're from Bergen? The home of the most angelic voice in all of music - Sissel.

That's right. Me, Sissel and Edvard Grieg

Almost forgot. The 4th runner in history under 3.40 in the 1500m was from Bergen.

Had to look up the details of the Oslo 1958 race, which I had forgotten about because of Goteborg 1958. Who was second (and in what time) to Jungwiith's WR of 3:38.1?

[Per Andersen]

Catson. That's way too hard although Pego might know. I think Jungwirth ran against some unknown countrymen who finished way behind.

Man, You should have asked who finished 2nd in the 3 Olavi WR race in Turku, Finland, just one day before Jungwirth's 3.38.1