István Rózsavölgyi

After starting out as a footballer, István Rózsavölgyi, who ran for the Honvéd Club, was a Hungarian middle-distance runner who had his greatest year in 1955. That year he set European records in the 1,500 with 3:42.2 and then 3:41.2. On 21 September 1955 he tied the world 1,000 metre record, running 2:19.0, and on 23 October he shattered the world 2,000 metre record, running 5:02.2 to break the previous record by almost five seconds. In 1956 Rózsavölgyi broke the 1,500 world record with 3:40.5 in Tata. A month previous to that he had battled Gordon Pirie in a 3K race in which both bettered the world record, but Pirie edged out Rózsa with 7:52.8 to 7:53.4. Although never again as dominant, Rózsavölgyi did rank #1 in the world in the 1,500 metres in 1959. His only medal at a major international was his bronze in the 1960 Olympic 1,500, just missing that with a fourth at the 1958 Europeans. He ran on four world record setting relay teams in the 4×1500 or 4×mile. He ran in 36 internationals for Hungary and won six national titles, winning the 800 in 1955 and the 1,500 in 1956-60.

Personal Bests: 800 – 1:48.4 (1959); 1500 – 3:38.8 (1960); Mile – 3:59.0 (1959).