Gunder Hägg

For the Swedish prog-rock band, see Gunder Hägg (band).

Gunder Hägg (31 December 1918 – 27 November 2004)^[2][3] was a Swedish runner and multiple world record breaker of the 1940s. He set over a dozen middle distance world records at events ranging from 1500 to 5000 meters, including three at both the 1500 meters and the mile, one at 3000 meters and one at 5000 meters.^[4]

Gunder Hägg

Hägg (right) sets a new world record for the mile at 4.06.2 in Gothenburg on 1 July 1942. Behind him is Arne Andersson.
Personal information
Born	31 December 1918 Albacken, Sweden
Died	27 November 2004 (aged 85) Malmö, Sweden
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	800–5000 m, steeplechase
Club	Albackens IF Kälarne IK Gefle IF MAI[1]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	800 m – 1:52.8 (1942) 1500 m – 3:43.0 (1944) Mile – 4:01.4 (1945) 3000 m – 8:01.2 (1942) 5000 m – 13:58.2 (1942)[2]

Hägg and fellow Swede, Arne Andersson, lowered the record for the mile to just over four minutes (4:01.4) – accelerating the progression of the world record in the mile run. Both athletes set three world records for the mile. Hägg first set the record in July 1942 at 4:06.2, a time which was equalled by Andersson later the same month. This record was broken by Hägg (4:04.6) in September the same year. Andersson recaptured the world record in July 1943 (4:02.6), and improved it further in July 1944 (4:01.6). However, Hägg then managed a time of 4:01.4 in Malmö in July 1945. Hägg's record was not broken until Roger Bannister ran the first sub-4 mile in Oxford in May 1954.^[3]

Hägg was also the first man to run a sub-14 minute 5,000 metres, a feat he achieved in September 1942. This record stood for over eleven years. The next world record for the men's 5,000 metres to stand for this long was set in May 2004 by Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia. His record stood for over sixteen years.

In 1946, Gunder Hägg was branded a professional because he received payments for running. He was therefore barred from competition, together with Arne Andersson and Henry Jonsson.^[3][5] Four years earlier, he earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal.^[1]

References

1. Gunder Hägg 1918–2004. storagrabbar.se Retrieved 6 October 2022.
2. Gunder Hägg. trackfield.brinkster.net. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
3. Gunder Hägg passes away. IAAF (28 November 2004). Retrieved 6 October 2022.
4. Frank Litsky (2 December 2004). "Gunder Hagg, Last Holder of 4-Minute-Plus Mile Record, Dies at 85". The New York Times. p. C 10. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
5. Henry Jonsson. Swedish Olympic Committee Retrieved 6 October 2022.

External links

• Gunder Hägg at World Athletics

Records
Preceded by Jack Lovelock Arne Andersson	Men's 1500 m World Record Holder 10 August 1941 – 17 August 1943 7 July 1944 – 29 June 1952	Succeeded by Arne Andersson Werner Lueg
Preceded by Sydney Wooderson Arne Andersson Arne Andersson	Men's Mile World Record Holder 1 July 1942 – 10 July 1942 4 September 1942 – 1 July 1943 17 July 1945 – 6 May 1954	Succeeded by Arne Andersson Arne Andersson Roger Bannister
Preceded by Henry Kälarne	Men's 3000 m World Record Holder 28 August 1942 – 12 August 1949	Succeeded by Gaston Reiff
Preceded by Taisto Mäki	Men's Two Miles World Record Holder 3 June 1942 – 26 August 1952	Succeeded by Gaston Reiff
Preceded by Taisto Mäki	Men's 5000 m World Record Holder 20 September 1942 – 30 May 1954	Succeeded by Emil Zátopek
Preceded by Miklós Szabó Arne Andersson	European Record Holder Men's 1500 m 10 August 1941 – 16 August 1943 17 July 1944 – 14 July 1947	Succeeded by Arne Andersson Lennart Strand
Awards
Preceded by Alfred Dahlqvist	Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal 1942	Succeeded by Arne Andersson