Gunder Hägg

Swedish runner nicknamed 'Gunder the Wonder' who set 15 world records in the 1940s, including a mile mark that stood for nine years until Roger Bannister's sub-four-minute mile.

Born on 31 December 1918 in Albacken, Sweden, the son of a lumberjack, Gunder Hägg took up running in 1936 and progressed steadily through the Swedish ranks. He broke his first world record in August 1941, clocking 3:47.6 for the 1500 metres, and went on to enjoy one of the most remarkable record-breaking spans in athletics history. With most of Europe consumed by the Second World War, neutral Sweden's athletics scene thrived, driven largely by Hägg's intense rivalry with compatriot Arne Andersson. In July-September 1942 alone, Hägg set world records in the mile, two miles, three miles, 1500m, 2000m and 3000m, and on 20 September 1942 became the first person to run the 5000 metres in under 14 minutes, a mark that stood for over 11 years until Kenenisa Bekele's record in 2004. Hägg's most famous achievement came on 17 July 1945 in Malmö, where he ran the mile in 4:01.4, coming within four strides of the four-minute barrier. The record stood for nine years until Roger Bannister's historic sub-four-minute mile in 1954. Hägg toured the United States undefeated in eight races in 1943. In 1946, Hägg was banned from amateur competition for accepting payments from race promoters, ending his competitive career at its peak. He died in Malmö in November 2004, just short of his 86th birthday, having set 15 world records across his career.

Relentless, front-running middle-distance pace

One of the most dominant record-breakers in middle-distance running history