Everything You Want to Know about the 800-Meter

The 800-meter is the shortest outdoor middle-distance race in track and field that’s contested at major championships. It entails running two laps around a standard 400-meter running track.

The 800-meter is often considered one of the most difficult races in track and field because it requires a blend of speed, endurance, and tactics. Top male runners can finish the race in a little over 1:40 while top females complete it in around 1:55. Some world-class runners focus more on speed and may also run the 400-meter, which is considered a sprinting event. Some other 800-meter runners race up in the 1,500-meter.

The female world record of 1:53.28 is one of the oldest in track and field, set by the Czech runner Jarmila Kratochvílová. There have been few serious contenders for the record in recent years, although we’re now starting to see a handful of women getting close. Until recently, the record has largely been considered “untouchable.” 

In contrast, the men’s record is only 12 years old, and five of the seven fastest times ever run occurred in 2024, suggesting we might see the record broken again in the near future.

History of the 800m Run | 800m Track History

The 800-meter event has been included in every Olympic Games since the first modern games in 1896. The mile was a popular race in England through the 18^th and 19^th centuries. It’s about equivalent to four laps around a running track or 1,600 meters in the metric system.

The 800-meter distance likely gained popularity because it’s roughly half a mile and two laps around the track.

Men’s 800m Record Progression

The first world record in the 800-meter run recognized by World Athletics (formerly IAAF) is Ted Meredith’s time of 1:51.9 set at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. The mark lasted 14 years before the German Otto Peltzer dropped it by another 0.3 seconds to 1:51.6.

The record changed hands seven times over the next 13 years, eventually settling with Rudolph Harbig’s record of 1:46.6 set in Milan in 1939. This mark lasted for six more years, through the war period, until the Belgian runner Roger Moëns dropped it to 1:45.7.

Up until this point, the record had exclusively been held by Europeans or Americans, but in 1962, Peter Snell brought the record to New Zealand, running 1:44.3 in Christchurch. He held the title of the world record holder for six years before Australia’s Ralph Doubell tied him. A third runner, the American David Wottle, also tied him 10 years later.

The men’s 800-meter world record was only passed down to five more people after this. In 1973, the Italian Marcello Fiasconaro ran 1:43.7, the second time the record was broken in Milan. The Cuban Alberto Juantorena ran under this mark in 1976 and then broke his own record again the next year with 1:43.4.

Up until this point, records had been hand-timed, but Sebastian Coe (the current World Athletics President) set the first electronically timed record in 1979. Unlike the short sprints, electronic timing didn’t significantly change the record books for the middle and long-distance races.

Coe broke his own record two years later, dropping the record to 1:41.73. The Danish runner Wilson Kipketer tied him 18 years later and then ran under this mark two more times in 1997, lowering the record to 1:41.11.

The last man to break the world record in the 800-meter was Kenya’s David Rudisha. He first broke the record in 2010 with a time of 1:41.09 and then dropped it again to 1:41.01 later that year. In 2012, he set the current world record of 1:40.91 in London.

Future improvements on the record will likely be marginal, but we might not need to wait much longer to see another name at the top of the list since many active runners have come close to the record in the past year.

Women’s 800m Record Progression

Unlike the men’s 800-meter world record, the women’s record has remained stable for over 40 years.

The first recognized record in the women’s 800-meter was 2:30.4 set by the French runner Georgette Lenoir in 1922. It would take less than a year before Mary Lines ran 2:26.6 and took the record to Britain.

The record changed hands several times over the next six years before Lina Radke ran 2:16.8 seconds, a mark that lasted until the Second World War.

Anna Larsson became the dominant force in the event in the mid-1940s, breaking the world record three times, including a best of 2:13.8.

The 1950s were dominated by the USSR, with five Soviet runners holding the record between 1950 and 1960.

The same year Snell broke the men’s record and brought it to Oceania, the Australian Dixie Willis did the same for the women’s record, breaking Lyudmila Shevtsova’s mark by over three seconds to run 2:01.2.

The first woman to break the two-minute barrier in the event was Hildegard Falck when she ran 1:58.5 in 1971. The Bulgarian runner Svetla Zlateva improved this mark two years later to 1:57.5 before the Soviets went back to dominating.

Tatyana Kazankina seized the record with 1:54.9 before her compatriot Nadezhda Olizarenko tied and then broke her record in 1980 with 1:53.43.

The last woman to break the record was the Czech runner Jarmila Kratochvílová when she ran 1:53.28 in 1983. It’s widely speculated that doping may have played a role in the record for several reasons, such as breaking the record when she was 32 and with a very muscular physique.

She has claimed to never have knowingly taken performance-enhancing drugs, and there’s no proof that she did. In 2006, officials found documents providing evidence of a state-sponsored doping program in 1980s Czechoslovakia, but the documents didn’t link Kratochvílová to the program

Men’s 800 Meters | Fastest 800m Men All-Time

Here’s a look at the 10 fastest times in the history of the men’s 800-meter.

Men’s 800-meter Season Bests since the Year 2000

Here’s a look at the fastest men’s 800-meter times each year since 2000.

Women’s 800 meters | Fastest women’s 800m

Here are the 10 fastest times in the history of the women’s 800-meter. 

800 Meters Women Yearly Top Lists since 2000 | Women’s 800m

Here’s a look at the fastest time in the world each year by a woman since 2000.

2024 Olympic Finals | 800 meters Olympics 2024

These are the most recent results of the 800-meter finals at the 2024 Olympic Games.

800 Meters 2024 Olympics Men Results | 800 Meter Olympic Final 2024

Women’s 800m Final Olympics 2024 | 800 Meters Olympics Women

800m FAQs | 800 Meter Questions

What is a good 800m time for my age?

The definition of a “good time” is subjective, but here’s the unofficial world record by age for reference. Running within about 15-20 seconds would likely be considered good by most people. 

What Type of Spikes are Good for 800m? 800m spikes

You can find track spikes specifically marketed for the middle distance events that make a good choice for the 800-meter. Compared to sprint spikes, middle-distance spikes tend to be more flexible. 

How far is 800 meters?

Eight hundred meters is two laps around a standard running track or roughly half a mile.