Olympic Games - Athletics Men's Distance Races
The men's distance races comprise the disciplines which take place on the track above 800 metres, plus the marathon and walks. The 800, 1,500m and Marathon have all been part of the Olympic Games since it began in 1896.The 5,000m and 10,000m both made their debuts in 1912, four years later saw the first Olympic Steeplechase. The 50km Walk was introduced in 1932 and has been staged at every Games apart from 1976. It was followed by the 20km version in 1956.
The venues for these events since 1972 have been as follows - the road events started and finished in the stadium listed unless otherwise stated:
1972: Olympic Stadium, Munich, West Germany
1976: Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Canada
1980: Lenin Stadium, Moscow, Soviet Union
1984: Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States
1988: Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea
1992: Montjuic Olympic Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
1996: Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, United States
2000: Olympic Stadium, Sydney, Australia
2004: Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece (Marathon raced from Marathonas to the Kallimarmaro Stadium, the Walks on a circuit in the city of Athens)
2008: National Stadium, Beijing, China (Marathon started in Tiananmen Square, Beijing)
Medallists: Since 1972
| 1972 | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 800m | DAVE WOTTLE (Usa) | Y'geni Arzhanov (Urs) | Mike Boit (Ken) |
| 1500m | PEKKA VASALA (Fin) | Kip Keino (Ken) | Rod Dixon (Nzl) |
| 3000m S | KIP KEINO (Ken) | Ben Jipcho (Ken) | Tapio Kantanen (Fin) |
| 5000m | LASSE VIREN (Fin) | M'd Gammoudi (Mor) | Ian Stewart (Gbr) |
| 10000m | LASSE VIREN (Fin) | Em'l Puttemans (Bel) | Miruts Yifter (Eth) |
| Marathon | FRANK SHORTER (Usa) | Karel Lismont (Bel) | Mamo Wolde (Eth) |
| 20km Wk | PETER FRENKEL (Gdr) | Vl'r Holubnychy (Urs) | Hans Reimann (Gdr) |
| 50km Wk | BERND KANNENBERG (Frg) | Veni Soldatenko (Urs) | Larry Young (Usa) |
| 1976 | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 800m | ALBERTO JUANTORENA (Cub) | Ivo Van Damme (Bel) | R Wohlhuter (Usa) |
| 1500m | JOHN WALKER (Nzl) | Ivo Van Damme (Bel) | P Wellmann (Frg) |
| 3000m S | ANDERS GARDERUD (Swe) | B'law Malinowski (Pol) | F Baumgartl (Gdr) |
| 5000m | LASSE VIREN (Fin) | Dick Quax (Nzl) | K Hildenbrand (Frg) |
| 10000m | LASSE VIREN (Fin) | Carlos Lopes (Prt) | B'dan Foster (Gbr) |
| Marathon | WALDEMAR CIERPINSKI (Gdr) | Frank Shorter (Usa) | Karel Lismont (Bel) |
| 20km Wk | DANIEL BAUTISTA (Mex) | Hans Reimann (Gdr) | Peter Frankel (Gdr) |
| 1980 | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 800m | STEVE OVETT (Gbr) | Sebastian Coe (Gbr) | Nikolay Kirov (Urs) |
| 1500m | SEBASTIAN COE (Gbr) | Jurgen Straub (Gdr) | Steve Ovett (Gbr) |
| 3000m S | BRONISLAW MALINOWSKI (Pol) | Filbert Bayi (Tza) | Eshetu Turu (Eth) |
| 5000m | MIRUTS YIFTER (Eth) | S'man Nyambui (Tza) | K'lo Maaninka (Fin) |
| 10000m | MIRUTS YIFTER (Eth) | Kaarlo Maaninka (Fin) | M'd Kedir (Eth) |
| Marathon | WALDEMAR CIERPINSKI (Gdr) | Gerard Nijboer (Nld) | S Dz'nazarov (Urs) |
| 20km Wk | MAURIZIO DAMILANO (Ita) | Piotr Pochinchuk (Urs) | Roland Wieser (Gdr) |
| 50km Wk | HARTWIG GAUDER (Gdr) | Jorge Llopart (Esp) | E'eni Ivchenko (Urs) |
| 1984 | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 800m | JOAQUIM CRUZ (Bra) | Sebastian Coe (Gbr) | Earl Jones (Usa) |
| 1500m | SEBASTIAN COE (Gbr) | Steve Cram (Gbr) | J-M Abascal (Esp) |
| 3000m S | JULIUS KORIR (Ken) | Jo Mahmoud (Fra) | Brian Diemer (Usa) |
| 5000m | SAID AOUITA (Mor) | Markus Ryffel (Swi) | Antonio Leitao (Prt) |
| 10000m | ALBERTO COVA (Ita) | Mike McLeod (Gbr) | Mike Musyoki (Ken) |
| Marathon | CARLOS LOPES (Prt) | John Treacy (Irl) | Ch. Spedding (Gbr) |
| 20km Wk | ERNESTO CANTO (Mex) | Raul Gonzalez (Mex) | M'zio Damilano (Ita) |
| 50km Wk | RAUL GONZALEZ (Mex) | Bo Gustafsson (Swe) | Sandro Bellucci (Ita) |
| 1988 | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 800m | PAUL ERENG (Ken) | Joaquim Cruz (Bra) | Said Aouita (Mor) |
| 1500m | PETER RONO (Ken) | Peter Elliott (Gbr) | Jens-P Herold (Gdr) |
| 3000m S | JULIUS KARIUKI (Ken) | Peter Koech (Ken) | Mark Rowland (Gbr) |
| 5000m | JOHN NGUGI (Ken) | Dieter Baumann (Frg) | Hans Kunze (Gdr) |
| 10,000m | BRAHIM BOUTAYEB (Mor) | Salvatore Abtibo (Ita) | Kip Kimeli (Ken) |
| Marathon | GELINDO BORDIN (Ita) | D'las Wakiihuru (Ken) | Ahmed Salah (Dji) |
| 20km Wk | JOZEF PRIBILINEC (Csv) | Ronald Weigel (Gdr) | M'zio Damilano (Ita) |
| 50km Wk | VYACHESLAV IVANENKO (Urs) | Ronald Weigel (Gdr) | H'wig Gauder (Gdr) |
| 1992 | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 800m | WILLIAM TANUI (Ken) | Nixon Kiprotich (Ken) | Johnny Gray (Usa) |
| 1500m | FERMIN CACHO (Esp) | Rachid El Basir (Mor) | M'd Suleiman (Qat) |
| 3000m S | MATTHEW BIRIR (Ken) | Patrick Sang (Ken) | W'iam Mutwol (Ken) |
| 5000m | DIETER BAUMANN (Ger) | Paul Bitok (Ken) | Fita Bayisa (Eth) |
| 10000m | KHALID SKAH (Mor) | Richard Chelimo (Ken) | Addis Abebe (Eth) |
| Marathon | HWANG YOUNG-CHO (Kor) | Koichi Morishita (Jap) | S'han Freigang (Ger) |
| 20km Wk | DANIEL PLAZA (Esp) | G'aume LeBlanc (Can) | G D Benedictis (Ita) |
| 50km Wk | ANDREY PERLOV (Unf) | C's Mercenario (Mex) | Ronald Weigel (Ger) |
| 1996 | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 800m | VEBJORN RODAL (Nor) | H'kiel Sepeng (Rsa) | F'd Onyancha (Ken) |
| 1500m | NOUREDDINE MORCELI (Alg) | Fermin Cacho (Esp) | St'hen Kipkorir (Ken) |
| 3000m S | JOSEPH KETER (Ken) | Moses Kiptanui (Ken) | A Lambruschini (Ita) |
| 5000m | VENUSTE NIYONGABO (Bdi) | Paul Bitok (Ken) | Khalid Boulami (Mor) |
| 10000m | HAILE GEBRSELASSIE (Eth) | Paul Tergat (Ken) | Salah Hissou (Mor) |
| Marathon | JOSIA THUGWANE (Rsa) | Lee Bong-Ju (Kor) | E'ck Wainaina (Ken) |
| 20km Wk | JEFFERSON PEREZ (Ecu) | Ilya Markov (Rus) | B'rdo Segura (Mex) |
| 50km Wk | ROBERT KORZENIOWSKI (Pol) | M S'chennikov (Rus) | Val Massana (Esp) |
| 2000 | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 800m | NILS SCHUMANN (Ger) | Wilson Kipketer (Den) | Djabir Guerni (Alg) |
| 1500m | NOAH NGENY (Ken) | H'm El Guerrouj (Mor) | Bernard Lagat (Ken) |
| 3000m S | REUBEN KOSGEI (Ken) | Wilson Kipketer (Ken) | Ali Ezzine (Mor) |
| 5000m | MILLION WOLDE (Eth) | Ali Saidi-Sief (Alg) | Brahim Lahlafi (Mor) |
| 10000m | HAILE GEBRSELASSIE (Eth) | Paul Tergat (Ken) | Ass Mezgebu (Eth) |
| Marathon | GEZAHGNE ABERA (Eth) | Erick Wainaina (Ken) | Tesfaye Tola (Eth) |
| 20km Wk | ROBERT KORZENIOWSKI (Pol) | Noe Hernandez (Mex) | Vl'ir Andreyev (Rus) |
| 50km Wk | ROBERT KORZENIOWSKI (Pol) | Aigars Fayejevs (Lat) | Joel Guerrero (Mex) |
| 2004 | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 800m | YURI BORZAKOVSKY (Rus) | Mbu Mulaudzi (Rsa) | W'n Kipketer (Den) |
| 1500m | HICHAM EL GUERROUJ (Mor) | Bernard Lagat (Ken) | Rui Silva (Por) |
| 3000m S | EZEKIEL KEMBOI (Ken) | Brimin Kipruto (Ken) | Paul Koech (Ken) |
| 5000m | HICHAM EL GUERROUJ (Mor) | Kenenisa Bekele (Eth) | E'd Kipchoge (Ken) |
| 10000m | KENENISA BEKELE (Eth) | Sileshi Sihine (Eth) | Zers Tadese (Eri) |
| Marathon | STEFANO BALDINI (Ita) | Meb Keflezighi (Usa) | Van de Lima (Bra) |
| 20km Wk | IVANO BRUGNETTI (Ita) | F'co Fernandez (Esp) | N'an Deakes (Aus) |
| 50km Wk | ROBERT KORZENIOWSKI (Pol) | D Nizhegorodov (Rus) | A Voyevodin (Rus) |
2008 | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 800m | WILFRED BUNGEI (Ken) | Ismail A Ismail (Sdn) | Alfred Yego (Ken) |
| 1500m | ASBEL KIPROP (Ken) | Nick Willis (Nzl) | Mehdi Baala (Fra) |
| 3000m S | BRIMIN KIPRUTO (Ken) | M'dine Mekhissi (Fra) | R'd Kipkemboi (Ken) |
| 5000m | KENENISA BEKELE (Eth) | Eliud Kipchoge (Ken) | Ed Cheruiyot (Ken) |
| 10000m | KENENISA BEKELE (Eth) | Sileshi Sihine (Eth) | Micah Kogo (Ken) |
| Marathon | SAMUEL WANJIRU (Ken) | Jaouad Gharib (Mor) | Tsegay Kebede (Eth) |
| 20km Wk | VALERY BORCHIN (Rus) | Jefferson Perez (Ecu) | Jared Tallent (Aus) |
| 50km Wk | ALEX SCHWAZER (Ita) | Jared Tallent (Aus) | D N'hegorodov (Rus) |
| S = Steeplechase Wk = Walk Links to other Olympics |