22 March, 2023

The women's turn to run the Bislett classic

Photo: Bildbyrån

It is 1,609 meters long and one of the most legendary events in the history of Bislett Games. Arne Haukvik, who was the first meeting director, launched it as the "Dream Mile". And the performers delivered. In turn, the Britons Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram each set their own world record over the distance - often in the iconic smell from Frydenlund brewery. This year it's the women's turn to have a go. For the first time since 2016.

Whether it has gone early or late - when Steve Cram set his world record in 1985 the start time was 23:26 to satisfy American television - it has attracted the world stars like flypaper, and it has survived all of Bislett's sponsors.

For the meeting’s partners, everyone wanted their name on the distance.

There have been the Dubai Golden Mile, the Len Hatton Mile, the Dulux Dream Mile, the BASF Dream Mile and the Exxon Mobil Dream Mile - to name a few of the designations before the Wanda Diamond League saw the light of day. But even without a separate sponsor name, it has survived. Yes, it lives well and will continue to do so in the future.
In 2021 at the latest, it was called the Svein Arne Hansen memorial Mile in memory of the former meeting director, who passed away in 2020.

As mentioned, the women have also previously run the distance during the Bislett Games.

In the 1980s and 1990s it happened now and then - but never as a Dream Mile.

But in more modern times it has only been on the schedule in 2016 when Kenyan Faith Kipyegon won in 4:18.60 and Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal in sixth place improved Grete Waitz's Norwegian record from 1978 - from 4:26.90 to 4:26.23. This year her Norwegian teammate Hedda Hynne has confirmed she will be among the participants in what the Norwegian audience can look forward to as a very exciting start.

- When Jakob Ingebrigtsen became the first Norwegian runner to win the distance last year, and this year signalled that he would try to occur the same in the 1500 metres, the decision to have a female Dream Male was even easier to take. However, it is likely that this year it would have been a Dream Mile for the women anyway.

Sustainability is also about equality, and for today's Oslo Bislett Games, sustainability is a pillar, says meeting director Steinar Hoen.

It was at the end of the 70s and the beginning of the next decade that Bislett really became synonymous with 1609 metres.

Sebastian Coe set the first world record with 3:48.95 in 1979. Rival Steve Ovett improved it to 3:48.8 the following year before Steve Cram in 1985 claimed the third with what is still the current European record of 3:46.32. 24 small hundredths better than Jakob's winning time last summer.

When Hicham El Guerrouj set his track record with 3:44.90 in the last year of the last millennium, it was the second-best race in the world at any time, and the race is still the fifth fastest ever - behind the Moroccan's 3:43.13 and 3:44.60 as well the personal bests of Noah Ngeny in 3:43:40 and Noureddine Morceli in 3:44.39.

The fastest woman is Irish Sonia O'Sullivan, who in 1994 ran 4:17.25.

Dutch Sifan Hassan holds the world record with 4:12.33 and as many as nine runners have run faster than the Irish record set nearly 29 years ago.

That may change this year.

- We are working to put together a strong field, says Hoen.

Dreaming of The Dream Mile.

Best marks in an English mile for men at Bislett:

3:44.90 Hicham El Guerrouj, MAR 1999

3:46.32 Steve Cram, GBR 1985

3:46.46 Jakob Ingebrigtsen, NOR 2022

3.47.48 Oliver Hoare, AUS 2022

3:47.65 Laban Rotich, KEN 1997

3:47.69 Steve Scott, USA 1982