 The 1500 m and mile run events have historically been some of the most prestigious track and field events . Swedish rivals Gunder Hägg and Arne Andersson broke each other 's 1500 m and mile world records on a number of occasions in the 1940s . The prominence of the distances were maintained by Roger Bannister , who ( in 1954 ) was the first to run the long @-@ elusive four @-@ minute mile , and Jim Ryun 's exploits served to popularise interval training . Races between British rivals Sebastian Coe , Steve Ovett and Steve Cram characterised middle @-@ distance running in the 1980s . From the 1990s onwards , North Africans such as Noureddine Morceli of Algeria and Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco came to dominate the 1500 and mile events . 
 The 1500 m and mile run events have historically been some of the most prestigious track and field events . Swedish rivals Gunder Hägg and Arne Andersson broke each other <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>1500 m and mile world records on a number of occasions in the 1940s . The prominence of the distances <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> maintained by Roger Bannister , <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>who</mark></a>( in 1954 ) was the first to run the long @-@ elusive four @-@ minute mile , and Jim Ryun <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>exploits served to popularise interval training . Races between British rivals Sebastian Coe , Steve Ovett and Steve Cram characterised middle @-@ distance running in the 1980s . From the 1990s onwards , North Africans such as Noureddine Morceli of Algeria and Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco came to dominate the 1500 and mile events . 
The 1500 m and mile run events have historically been some of da most prestigious track and field events . Swedish rivals Gunder Hägg and Arne Andersson broke each other  1500 m and mile world records on a number of occasions in the 1940s . Tdaprominence of thdaistances was maintained by Roger Bannister , ( in 1954 ) was the first to run thedang @-@ elusive four @-@ minute mile , and Jim Ryun  exploits served to popularise interval training . Races between British rivals Sebastian Coe , Steve Ovett and Steve Cram characterised middle @-@ distance running in the 1980s . From the da0s onwards , North Africans such as Noureddine Morceli of Algeria and Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco came to dominate the 1500 and mile events .