This site has been updated (March 21, 2000), check it out! Also: I'm always interested in any information on Morceli, if you have info or stories, please email in.
Who is Morceli? Simply the greatest middle distance runner ever. He has won three World Championships in the 1500m and the 1996 Olympics 1500m. At one point, he held all records from 1500m to 3000m, as well as the indoor 1000 and 15000. This site is devoted to chronicling the Algerian's impressive career.
21 Mar - Morceli is among one of 44 athletes up for election to eight spots on the International Olympic Committee. Go to: IAAF web site for more information. Other top contenders include Gabriella Szabo, Sergei Bubka and Stefka Kostadinova.
7 Feb 2000 - Denmark's 800m star, Wilson Kipketer snapped Morceli's remaining world record, the indoor 1000m, by one one hundredth of a second: 2:15.25. Kipketer's performance in Stuttgart eclipsed Morceli's 1992 mark of 2:15.26.
21 Sep - CLICK HERE FOR MY ACCOUNT OF MORCELI AT SEVILLE
8 Sep - El Guerrouj snatched Morceli's remaining outdoor world record last night in Berlin. Running cool temperatures, the Moroccan's 4:44.79 pummeled Morceli's 4:47.88 2000m set in Paris July 3, 1995. Remarks from Seville are coming soon.
16 Aug - I'm going to Seville to watch the world championships and Morceli, so this site won't be updated until I get back, September 2. Go to the IAAF web site for results. In the meantime, visit the Statistics section for a lot of the results, splits, have been updated. There are also a ton of 1991 season reports and pictures for your perusing pleasure. The finals of the 1500m go off the night of August 24.
11 Aug - Morceli finished a disappointing seventh in 3:32.19 as Hicham El Guerrouj outdueled Noah Ngeny 3:28.57 to 3:30.28. Morceli wasn't even the first Algerian across the line as 21 year old Ali Saidi-Sief ran 3:30.91 for fifth...(results)
picture couresty of Weltklasse Zurich8 Aug - Morceli decided not to race at Cologne. The race was won by France's Driss Maazouzi in 3:38.20. Look for Morceli at the Zurich Weltklasse meet on the 11th.
6 Aug - three days after his 3rd place in Monaco, Morceli will be running the 1500m again in Cologne. Notable competition will come from Benjamin Kipkirui. After the Sunday race, Morceli will travel to Zurich to race against Komen, El Guerrouj, and Ngeny, among others, on the 11th. This Saturday, El Guerrouj is returning to London to lower his mile world record.
4 Aug - Morceli turned in another sub 3:31 time to take third at the Herculis Zepter meeting in Monaco tonight. Noah Ngeny won in 3:29.79 with Kenyan US-collegiate Bernard Lagat nipping Morceli in the final meters with a 3:30.61.
28 Jul - 3:32.65 was Morceli's winning time at the Venizeleia International Meeting on the island of Crete tonight. Benson Koech of Kenya was 0.55 behind.
26 Jul - Morceli to run the 1500m in the Venizeleia International Meeting in Chania, Greece on the 28th. The field consists of rabbits Baghdad Racham and Abdelakrim Benzai (both Algerian) and Benson Koech (KEN), Jonah Birir (KEN), Andrea Abelli (ITA), among others...
23 Jul - this just in: a very good article on Noah Ngeny and Noureddine Morceli from the International Herald Tribune. The report details Morceli's car accident and his bid to return to form.
21 Jul - Morceli is back! - more or less. The Mile King ran 3:30.91 to take second behind Noah Ngeny's 3:28.84 tonight in Paris (report1 report2). Morceli hung gamely to Ngeny as the rabbits passed through the 400 in 53.77 and 800 in 1:52.12 and 1200 in 2:48.9. Ngeny pulled away with 200 to go with a 26.7. Morceli's reaction to his 3:30.91:
from runnersworld.com"I can't help but to be pleased tonight after seven months of forced inactivity," said Morceli. "I wanted to test my level against that of Ngeny. Now, I have to work on finding the rhythm I had before. I know that there is still a lot to do."
20 Jul - Noah Ngeny is going after ELG's 1500m record of 3:26.00 tomorrow night in Paris. Morceli is also supposed to be in the field: (report)
18 Jul - Morceli was slated to run the 1000m at Nikaia against 3:43 miler Noah Ngeny, but was a no-show at the line. Noah Ngeny went on to record the second fastest 1000m ever (report)...
11 Jul - Morceli opens up the season with a 2:18.10 victory over 1000m at Ingolstadt, Germany. Morceli spent some of the spring training at his altitude camp near Mexico City. Click here for report. (thanks to Stephane Franke and Marco Velediaz for the above information).
10 Jul - rival Venuste Niyongabo (1996 Oly 5000m champ and 3:29 1500m runner) returned from injury today to run a 8:01.8 3000m for second behind Reda Benzine of Algeria (7:51.2)...
7 Jul - El Guerrouj broke Morceli's 6 year old Mile WR by running 3:43.13 in Rome tonight. He was not alone as Kenyan's Noah Ngeny also went under the old standard of 3:44.39 with his 3:43.40. Golden Gala Results.
From la Gazzetto dello Sporto
17 Jun - new season reports section that has all press releases, interviews, articles, on Morceli in one place in this site.
16 Jun - Morceli seems to be keeping a low profile this season. He hasn't raced yet even though it is one month into the European track season. The latest he has ever opened up a season was June 21 back in 1991....El Guerrouj has already run 3:31 and 3:32 and young Kenyan Noah Ngeny has two 3:31's and the WL to his credit so far.
10 May - Morceli announced in mid-January that he will be making an all-out bid to recapture World Championship glory. See the press release made to the Algerian News Agency...
2 May - Morceli to contest road mile in Singapore in October. Maroc's Hicham El Guerrouj and Daniel Komen are also on the list of competitors. The winner of the Singapore International Mile will receive $1 million if he goes under Morceli's WR of 3:44.39. More...
18 April - in Cherchell, Algeria, Morceli suffered minor injuries after a car accident on Sunday. The 29 year old track star spun out of control on a bend and was taken to the hospital but according to a medical source was subsequently allowed to return home. (Agence France-Press)
26 March - two days before the World Cross Championships, Morceli pulls out. Reason unknown...
19 March 99 - according to the IAAF Morceli will be competing in the short course World Cross Country Championships this weekend in Belfast. The last time he was at the World Cross Champs was ten years ago where he finished 26th. He finished 9th the previous year (both were the junior race). The IAAF has a detailed report here: here.
1 Sep 98 - Morceli ended the 1998 season with 10 victories, most notable were his Goodwill Games win over Komen and Tanui and his recent Lausanne win over the best of the Kenyans. It should be noted that most of these wins were in smal ler meets and this was his weakest season time-wise since his emergence on the world scene in 1990 as a twenty year old (see progressions). This site will continue to have updates in terms of articles and pictures. Please check out Sean Hartnett's Morceli Olympic Story, the best review of Morceli's 1996 win in Atlanta...
Last year's headlines and quips have been moved to: mor1998.html.