Question 1

True or false: El Guerrouj’s world record in the mile has never been broken since he set it in 1999.

Accepted Answer

False. His mile record of 3:43.13 still stands, but it was set in 1999—and remains unbroken as of 2025.

Question 2

True or false: He was nicknamed 'The Flying Camel' during his career.

Accepted Answer

False. His nickname was 'The King of the Mile' or 'The Master of the 1500m,' not 'The Flying Camel.'

Question 3

True or false: Hicham El Guerrouj is the only man to win Olympic gold in both the 1500m and 5000m at the same Games.

Accepted Answer

True. He achieved this historic double at the 2004 Athens Olympics, becoming the first since Paavo Nurmi in 1924.

Question 4

True or false: El Guerrouj never lost a race at the World Championships.

Accepted Answer

False. He lost the 1500m final at the 2003 World Championships to Hicham El Guerrouj? No—he actually won gold in 1997, 1999, and 2001, but was beaten in 2003 by his rival.

Question 5

True or false: He won his first Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Accepted Answer

False. At Atlanta 1996, he fell during the final and finished last; his first gold came in 2004.

Question 6

True or false: He held world records simultaneously in the 1500m, mile, and 2000m at one point.

Accepted Answer

True. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, El Guerrouj owned all three records—an unmatched middle-distance trifecta.

Question 7

True or false: El Guerrouj’s first major international medal was a silver at the 1995 World Championships.

Accepted Answer

False. His first global medal was actually a silver in the 1500m at the 1995 World Indoor Championships, not outdoors.

Question 8

True or false: El Guerrouj once ran a 1500m in under 3 minutes and 26 seconds.

Accepted Answer

True. His world record of 3:26.00 in the 1500m, set in 1998, still stands—an astonishing time.

Hicham El Guerrouj Trivia Questions