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Ingrid Kristiansen facts for kids

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Ingrid Kristiansen
Ingrid Kristiansen with family 1987.jpg
Kristiansen with family following an October 1987 competition in Zaandam
Personal information
Born 21 March 1956 (1956-03-21) (age 69)
Trondheim, Norway
Height 1.69 m
Weight 50 kg
Sport
Sport Athletics
Event(s) Long-distance runner
Club IL i BUL
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Norway
World Championships
Gold 1987 Rome 10,000 m
Bronze 1980 Sittard 3000 m
World Cross Country Championships
Gold 1988 Auckland women's race
Bronze 1985 Lisbon women's race
Bronze 1987 Warsaw women's race
World Road Race Championships
Gold 1987 Monte Carlo 15 km
Gold 1988 Adelaide 15 km
European Championships
Gold 1986 Stuttgart 10,000 m
Bronze 1982 Athens Marathon

Ingrid Kristiansen (born Ingrid Christensen on March 21, 1956) is a famous former athlete from Norway. She was one of the very best female long-distance runners in the 1980s.

Ingrid once held the 5000 metres, 10,000 metres, and marathon world records all at the same time! She was also the first athlete ever to win World Championship titles on three different running surfaces: the track, roads, and cross-country. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she finished fourth in the first-ever women's Olympic marathon. She also competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Before becoming a runner, she was also a top cross-country skier.

Her 1986 world record in the 10,000 meters lasted for five years. Her marathon record of 2:21:06 from the 1985 London Marathon was not broken for 13 years.

Ingrid's Running Journey

Ingrid Kristiansen's running career started with marathon times around 2 hours and 30-40 minutes. She won a bronze medal in the 3000 metres at the 1980 World Championships in Athletics. In 1983, she won the Houston Marathon while she was two months pregnant. She didn't even know she was pregnant at the time!

Becoming a Top Runner

After her first son, Gaute, was born, Ingrid's running times got much better. She won the Houston Marathon again in 1984. Then she won the London Marathon that same year. She also placed fourth in the first Olympic women's marathon in Los Angeles.

Ingrid set two new world records on the track in 1984 and 1985. She ran the 5,000 meters in 14:58.9 on June 28, 1984. She then ran the 10,000 meters in 30:59.42 on July 27, 1985, at the Bislett Games in Oslo.

Breaking Marathon Records

In 1985, Ingrid won the London Marathon again. She set a new world record with a time of 2:21:06. This beat the old record by more than a minute. Later in 1985, she came in second at the Chicago Marathon.

The year 1986 was one of Ingrid's best for track running. After winning the Boston Marathon, she set another new world record in the 10,000 meters. She ran it in 30:13.3, which was 46 seconds faster than her own previous record! She then broke the 5,000 meters world record, running 14:37.89.

In 1987, she won the Chicago Marathon again. She also won the 10,000 meters at the European Championships. She ran the second-fastest time ever for that race.

Later Career and Retirement

In 1987, Ingrid won the first World Championships Women's 10,000 meters in Rome. She did this even though she had a leg injury. In 1988, she won the London Marathon for the fourth time. At the Olympic Games in Seoul, she had to stop during the 10,000 meters final. She had a fractured bone in her foot.

She came back to racing in 1989. She won the Boston Marathon despite the heat. Her last marathon was the New York City Marathon in 1989, which she won easily. She slowly raced less and less. Ingrid Kristiansen retired from running in 1993. She lives in Oslo, Norway, with her husband and two children.

She won 14 out of the 26 marathons she entered.

Amazing Achievements

Ingrid Kristiansen achieved many great things in her career.

World Records Set

  • 5000 meters:
    • 14:58.89 in Oslo, June 28, 1984. She was the first woman to run under 15 minutes!
    • 14:37.33 in Stockholm, August 5, 1986. This record lasted for almost 9 years.
  • 10,000 meters:
    • 30:59.42 in Oslo, July 27, 1985. She was the first woman to run under 31 minutes!
    • 30:13.74 in Oslo, July 5, 1986.
  • Marathon:
    • 2:21:06 in London, April 21, 1985. This record stood for 13 years.

Other Awards and Titles

  • She won 24 individual Norwegian championships.
  • In 1992, she received the Egebergs Ærespris, a special Norwegian award for athletes who excel in more than one sport.

Personal Best Times

Ingrid Kristiansen set impressive personal bests in various distances:

  • 3,000 meters: 8:34.10 (August 13, 1986, Zürich)
  • 5,000 meters: 14:37.33 (August 5, 1986, Stockholm)
  • 10,000 meters: 30:13.74 (July 5, 1986, Oslo)
  • 10 km (road): 30:59 (April 9, 1989, Boston)
  • 15 km (road): 47:17 (November 21, 1987, Monaco)
  • Half Marathon: 1:06:40 (March 19, 1987, Sandnes) - Note: This course had a measurement error, so it wasn't an official record.
  • Marathon: 2:21:06 (April 21, 1985, London)

Cross-country Skiing

Before becoming a world-class runner, Ingrid Kristiansen was also a talented cross-country skier. She won several Norwegian titles in skiing. She also won a European junior championship in cross-country skiing.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ingrid Kristiansen para niños

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