Hicham El Guerrouj celebrates after finishing first in the men’s 5,000 meter final on August 28, 2004 during the Athens Summer Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece. (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
15. Hicham El Guerrouj is a Moroccan and current holder of the 1500 meters, mile and outdoor 2000 meters world records. He is also a double Olympics Gold medalist known for his wizardry and diligence on the field. For almost a decade since 1994, he dominated the middle-distance run and was thus nicknamed “King of the Mile.” In 1998 in Rome, El Guerrouj broke Noureddine Morceli’s 1500 meters world record (3:27:37) with a time of (3:26:00). Some think he is the best middle distance runner of all time.
