Hicham El Guerrouj facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hicham El Guerrouj

El Guerrouj in 2010
Personal information
Born	(1974-09-14) 14 September 1974 (age 51) Berkane, Morocco
Height	176 cm
Weight	58 kg
Sport
Country	Morocco
Sport	Track
Event(s)	1500 metres, mile, 2000 metres, 5000 metres
Retired	2004
Achievements and titles
World finals	1995 Göteborg 1500 m 2 Silver 1997 Athens 1500 m 1 Gold 1999 Seville 1500 m 1 Gold 2001 Edmonton 1500 m 1 Gold 2003 Paris 1500 m 1 Gold 5000 m 2 Silver
Olympic finals	1996 Atlanta 1500 m, 12th 2000 Sydney 1500 m 2 Silver 2004 Athens 1500 m 1 Gold 5000 m 1 Gold

Hicham El Guerrouj (born September 14, 1974) is a famous retired Moroccan middle-distance runner. He is known for his incredible speed and endurance. Hicham holds the current world record for the 1500 metres race. He also previously held world records for the 2000 metres and the mile race.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Hicham achieved something amazing. He became the first man in 80 years to win gold medals in both the 1500 m and 5000 metres in the same Olympic Games. This was a truly historic achievement in sports.

Many people consider El Guerrouj to be one of the greatest middle-distance runners ever. He has run six of the ten fastest 1500 m races in history. He also holds four of the ten fastest mile performances. Only he and Jakob Ingebrigtsen have run faster than 3 minutes 27 seconds for the 1500 m. They are also the only ones to run faster than 3 minutes 44 seconds for the mile. Hicham is also the only runner to break 3:27 in the 1500 m five times.

Hicham El Guerrouj won four World Athletics Championships in a row in the 1500 m. He earned gold medals in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003. He was also named World Athlete of the Year three times. In November 2014, he joined the IAAF Hall of Fame, a special place for legendary athletes.

Hicham El Guerrouj's Early Life and Athletic Journey

Hicham El Guerrouj was born in Berkane, Morocco. He grew up in a family of farmers. When he was younger, Hicham enjoyed playing soccer and basketball. However, his true passion for running began at age 13. A local coach noticed his natural talent and encouraged him to try athletics.

Hicham often watched running competitions because he lived near a sports stadium. This helped him develop a strong love for the sport. His first big international success came when he was 18. He won a bronze medal in the 5000 metres at the Junior World Championships in Seoul. He finished behind famous runners Haile Gebrselassie and Ismael Kirui.

The next year, he was a key member of the Moroccan team. They competed in the World Junior Cross Country Championships. In 1994, Hicham helped his Moroccan team win the 1994 IAAF World Road Relay Championships. They even set a new world record time in that race.

In the mid-1990s, Hicham became very well-known. He started running incredibly fast times in the 1500 metres and mile races. At just 20 years old, he won a silver medal in the 1500 metres. This was at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics in Gothenburg. He finished second to the world record holder, Noureddine Morceli. By 1996, Hicham had set a new personal best in the 1500 metres. His time was 3:29.59 in Stockholm. This made him a top contender for an Olympic gold medal.

Olympic Dreams and World Records (1996-1999)

Hicham competed in his first Olympic Games in 1996 in Atlanta. During the 1500 metres final, he was trying to get into a good position. Sadly, he fell with 400 meters left in the race. He finished in 12th place. Many people expected him to win gold. He was supposed to challenge the world record holder, Noureddine Morceli.

Just one month later, Hicham showed his amazing comeback spirit. At a big race in Milan, he became the first runner to beat Morceli in the 1500 m in four years. In the years that followed, Hicham became a true champion. He won four world titles in the 1500 m in a row. These victories were in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003.

At the start of 1997, Hicham set two new indoor world records. He ran the 1500 m in 3:31.18 at the Sparkassen Cup. This record stood for 22 years until 2019. A few weeks later, he set an indoor mile world record of 3:48.45. This record was also unbroken until 2019.

In 1998, in Rome, Hicham broke Morceli's 1500 m world record. He ran an incredible 3:26.00. This record still stands today. It was the first time anyone ran the 1500 m with an average lap pace under 55 seconds.

In 1999, again in Rome, Hicham broke the mile world record. He ran it in 3:43.13. The previous record was set by Morceli in 1993. Noah Ngeny of Kenya, who finished second, also ran faster than the old world record. His time was 3:43.40. This was the second fastest mile time until 2026. It was the first time in over 40 years that two runners broke the mile world record in the same race. Both records stood until 2026, when Josh Kerr broke Hicham's mile record.

Later in 1999, Hicham set a new world record for the 2000 m in Berlin. His time was 4:44.79. This was more than three seconds faster than Morceli's old record. This record was later broken by Jakob Ingebrigtsen in 2023. In 1999, Hicham also ran the second fastest 3000 m ever in Brussels. His time was 7:23.09.

Sydney Olympics and Continued Success (2000-2003)

At the Sydney Olympics, Hicham was expected to win the gold medal. However, he finished second in the 1500 metres race. The gold went to Noah Ngeny, a very skilled Kenyan runner. Ngeny had even helped Hicham as a pacemaker during his 1500m world record race in 1998.

Hicham continued his winning streak in the 1500 m. He successfully defended his title at the 2001 and 2003 World Championships. In 2001, he almost broke his own 1500 m record in Brussels. His time was an amazing 3:26.12.

He also won the IAAF Golden League three times in a row. These wins were in 2001, 2002, and 2003. This made him the only middle-distance athlete to win the special jackpot prize three times. The prize was either a large amount of gold or one million US dollars.

In 2003, Hicham achieved a personal best in the 5000 metres race. His time was 12:50.24, which is the 26th fastest ever. Later that year, at the World Track & Field Championships, he won a silver medal in the 5000 metres. He finished closely behind Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge. This silver medal was in addition to the gold he had already won in the 1500 metres.

Double Gold at Athens Olympics and Retirement (2004)

El Guerrouj and Carlos García at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens

Hicham had a slow start to the 2004 season. He had some slower times and finished 8th in a 1500-metre race in Rome. Despite this, he decided to compete in both the 1500 metres and 5000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Just 20 days before the Olympic final, Bernard Lagat ran the fastest 1500 m of 2004. He narrowly beat Hicham at a race in Zurich. On August 24, in the Olympic 1500m final, Hicham showed his incredible fighting spirit. He beat Lagat by just 0.12 seconds to win the gold medal. Hicham led, then Lagat overtook him, but Hicham surged back to win right at the finish line.

Four days later, Hicham won his second gold medal. He won the 5000 m final with a time of 13:14.39. This prevented Kenenisa Bekele from winning both the 5000 m and 10000 m races. The last person to achieve this double win was Miruts Yifter in 1980.

Hicham El Guerrouj became the first man in 80 years to win both the 1500m and 5000m titles at the same Olympics. The legendary "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi was the only other athlete to do this, back in 1924.

On May 16, 2005, Hicham was nominated for a special award. It was the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year.

After achieving his biggest dreams in sports, Hicham faced injuries from years of intense training. He never competed internationally again after the 2004 Olympics. He officially announced his retirement on May 22, 2006.

Recognitions and Special Achievements

Hicham El Guerrouj's amazing career led to many awards. In 1996, he received an award for his humanitarian efforts from the IAAF. He is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, helping children around the world.

He was named IAAF World Athlete of the Year in 2001, 2002, and 2003. He was unbeaten in over 20 races during this time. This made him the first man to win this award three years in a row. The athletics magazine Track and Field News also named him best athlete of the year in 2002. In 2003, he was chosen to be a member of the IAAF Athletes Committee.

On September 7, 2004, King Mohammed VI of Morocco honored Hicham. He was given the "Cordon de Commandeur" award. In the same year, he received the prestigious Prince of Asturias Awards.

Hicham was also a member of the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission. He served from 2004 to 2012.

Today, Hicham El Guerrouj is an Ambassador for Peace and Sport. This is an international organization based in Monaco. He is also part of their "Champions for Peace" club. This group includes 54 famous athletes who work to promote peace through sport.

Hicham El Guerrouj's Personal Life

During the 1996 Summer Olympics, Hicham experienced a tough fall in the 1500 metres final. After this, he received a special call from King Hassan II, who was then the King of Morocco. The King told him, "Do not cry. You are a champion in the eyes of the Moroccan people."

Hicham later said that this call changed his life. He felt like a new person after hearing those words of encouragement from his King.

On September 27, 2003, Hicham El Guerrouj married Najoua Lahbil. They have a daughter named Hiba.

Hicham greatly admires Roger Bannister, the first person to run a mile in under four minutes. He considers Bannister his "spiritual father." Hicham met Bannister in 2000. He also attended a 70-year anniversary event for Bannister's historic mile run in May 2024. In 2019, he attended the World Athletics Heritage Mile Night in Monaco.

In 2024, Hicham shared his thoughts on the 1500 metres and mile races.

"My favourite is 1500m. It's part of my heart. I competed in it a lot and I know every metre of this race. The mile is completely different. If you are not strong physically and mentally, you cannot run it well."

Hicham El Guerrouj attended the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics. He was also a torchbearer for the event. He also attended the 2024 Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 13. There, he greeted Jakob Ingebrigtsen at the finish line of the 1500 m race.

Major International Competitions

Here is a list of Hicham El Guerrouj's main international competition results:

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result
Representing  Morocco
1992	World Junior Championships	Seoul, South Korea	3rd	5000 m	13:46.79
1995	World Indoor Championships	Barcelona, Spain	1st	1500 m	3:44.54
	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	2nd	1500 m	3:35.28
1996	Olympic Games	Atlanta, United States	12th	1500 m	3:40.75
1997	World Indoor Championships	Paris, France	1st	1500 m	3:35.31
	World Championships	Athens, Greece	1st	1500 m	3:35.83
1999	World Championships	Seville, Spain	1st	1500 m	3:27.65 CR
2000	Olympic Games	Sydney, Australia	2nd	1500 m	3:32.32
2001	World Indoor Championships	Lisbon, Portugal	1st	3000 m	7:37.74
	World Championships	Edmonton, Canada	1st	1500 m	3:30.68
2003	World Championships	Paris, France	1st	1500 m	3:31.77
			2nd	5000 m	12:52.83
2004	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	1st	1500 m	3:34.18
			1st	5000 m	13:14.39

Hicham El Guerrouj's Best Times

This table shows Hicham El Guerrouj's fastest times in various races, as officially recorded:

Key Awards and Honors

• World Athlete of the Year: 2001, 2002, 2003
• Track & Field News Athlete of the Year: 1999, 2001, 2002
• L'Équipe Champion of Champions: 2005
• IAAF Hall of Fame: 2014

See also

In Spanish: Hicham El Guerrouj para niños

• 1500 metres world record progression
• Mile run world record progression