Biography.guide
Home › People › Marathon runner › Ingrid Kristiansen
Portrait of Ingrid Kristiansen

Ingrid Kristiansen

b. 1956

Norwegian marathon runner

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Ingrid Kristiansen

Born 1956. Ingrid Kristiansen is a Norwegian marathon runner, cross-country skier, long-distance runner, athletics competitor and track and field coach.

Ingrid Kristiansen (née Christensen on 21 March 1956) is a Norwegian former athlete. She was one of the best female long-distance runners during the 1980s. She is a former world record holder in the 5000 metres, 10,000 metres and the marathon (at one point in time she held those records simultaneously). Kristiansen was a World Champion on the track, roads and cross-country, becoming the first athlete to win World titles on all three surfaces. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she finished fourth in the first women's Olympic marathon. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, she dropped out of the 10,000 metres final while leading. Early in her career, she was also an elite cross country skier, winning several Norwegian titles and a European junior championships.

Kristiansen's 1986 world record in the 10,000 m was not broken for 5 years. Her 1985 London Marathon 2:21:06 was the record marathon time for 13 years.

Career Ingrid Kristiansen started her career quite unremarkably, running 2:30 to 2:40 for her first few marathons. She won the bronze medal in the 3000 metres at the 1980 World Championships in Athletics and won the 1983 Houston Marathon in 2:33:27 while two months pregnant—a fact she didn't know until two months later. It was not until she gave birth to her first son, Gaute, that her times began to improve. After winning the Houston Marathon again and the London Marathon in 1984, she placed fourth in the first Olympic women's marathon in Los Angeles. She won the Chicago Marathon, once again in hot and humid conditions, running 2:27:08. She ended the year winning the 10,000 m event at European Championships,

Achievements Note: The 1987 World Road Race Championship was held in November while the 1988 edition was held in March.

World Records 5000 m world record with 14:58.89 in Oslo, 28 June 1984 – first woman to run under 15 minutes 5000 m world record with 14:37.33 in Stockholm, 5 August 1986. This time improved the world record by over 10 seconds and stood for nearly 9 years. 10,000 m world record with 30:59.42 in Oslo, 27 July 1985 – first woman to run under 31 minutes 10,000 m world record with 30:13.74 in Oslo, 5 July 1986 Marathon world record with 2:21:06 in London, 21 April 1985 – record stood for 13 years.

Other 24 individual Norwegian championships 1992 Egebergs Ærespris

Personal bests Distance Mark Date Location 3,000 m 8:34.10 13 August 1986 Zürich 5,000 m 14:37.33 5 August 1986 Stockholm 10,000 m 30:13.74 5 July 1986 Oslo 10 km (road) 30:59 9 April 1989 Boston 15 km (road) 47:17 21 November 1987 Monaco Half Marathon* 1:06:40 19 March 1987 Sandnes Marathon 2:21:06 21 April 1985 London Because of a measurement error this run doesn't qualify for record purposes.

Cross-country skiing results World Championships Year Age 5 km 10 km 20 km 4 × 5 km relay 1978 21 21 — — —

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Aftenposten Gold Medal; Bislett medal; Egebergs Ærespris; Olavstatuetten; Porsgrund's Porcelain Factory Honor Prize; Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year

People in Ingrid Kristiansen's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ingrid Kristiansen's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ingrid Kristiansen?

Norwegian marathon runner

When was Ingrid Kristiansen born?

Ingrid Kristiansen was born on 21 March 1956 in Trondheim.

What is Ingrid Kristiansen's occupation?

Ingrid Kristiansen is a marathon runner, cross-country skier, long-distance runner, athletics competitor and track and field coach.

What nationality is Ingrid Kristiansen?

Ingrid Kristiansen is Norwegian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ingrid Kristiansen

· Wikidata: Q256770

· DBpedia: Ingrid Kristiansen

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ingrid Kristiansen. https://biography.guide/ingrid-kristiansen/

MLA: "Ingrid Kristiansen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ingrid-kristiansen/.

Chicago: "Ingrid Kristiansen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ingrid-kristiansen/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:28 UTC