The British 1,500 metres athletics champions covers four competitions; the current British Athletics Championships which was founded in 2007, the preceding AAA Championships (1880-2006), the Amateur Athletic Club Championships (1866-1879) and finally the UK Athletics Championships which existed from 1977 until 1997 and ran concurrently with the AAA Championships.
The AAA Championships were open to international athletes but were not considered the National Champion in this list if they won the relevant Championship.
Sydney Wooderson, John Mayock and Rita Ridley are the most successful athletes in th event, with six victories each.
Past winners AAC Championships 1 mile, men's event only Year Men's champion1866Charles Lawes-Wittewronge1867Samuel Scott1868Walter Chinnery1869Walter Chinnery 1870 Robert Benson1871Walter Chinnery (3)1872Charles Mason1873 Walter Slade1874Walter Slade 1875Walter Slade 1876Walter Slade 1877 Walter Slade (5)1878Arnold Hills1879 Walter George AAA Championships 1 mile, men's event only Year Men's champion1880 Walter George 1881 Walter George 1882 Walter George 1883 William Snook1884 Walter George (5)1885 William Snook (2)1886 Thomas Nalder1887 Francis Cross1888 William Pollock-Hill1889 James Kibblewhite1890 James Kibblewhite 1891 James Kibblewhite (3)1892 Harold Wade1893 Fred Bacon1894 Fred Bacon 1895 Fred Bacon (3)1896 Benson Lawford1897 Alfred Tysoe1898 Hugh Welsh1899 Hugh Welsh (2)1900 Charles Bennett1901 Francis Cockshott1902 Joseph Binks1903 Alfred Shrubb1904 Alfred Shrubb (2)1905 George Butterfield1906 George Butterfield 1907 George Butterfield (3)1908 Harold A. Wilson1909 Eddie Owen1910 Emil Voigt1911 Douglas McNicol1912 Eddie Owen (2)1913 Gerald Gorringe1914 George Hutson1919 Albert Hill1920 Duncan McPhee1921 Albert Hill (2)1922 Duncan McPhee (2)1923Henry Stallard1924William Seagrove1925Bertram Macdonald1926Thomas Riddell1927Cyril Ellis1928Cyril Ellis 1929Cyril Ellis (3)1930Reg Thomas1931 Reg Thomas 1932 Jerry Cornes1933Reg Thomas (3)1934 Sydney Wooderson1935 Sydney Wooderson
AAA Championships & WAAA Championships Year Men's champion Year Women's champion1 mile1936Sydney Wooderson 1936Gladys Lunn1937Sydney Wooderson 1937Gladys Lunn (2)1938Sydney Wooderson 1938Doris Harris Roden1939Sydney Wooderson (6)1939Evelyne Forster1945nc1945Pat Sandall1946 Doug Wilson1946Brenda Harris1947 Bill Nankeville1947Nellie Batson1948 Bill Nankeville 1948Nellie Batson (2)1949Bill Nankeville 1949Eileen Garritt1950 Bill Nankeville 1950Joyce Heath1951 Roger Bannister1951Hazel Needham1952 Bill Nankeville (5)1952Anne Oliver1953Roger Bannister 1953Enid Harding1954 Roger Bannister (3)1954Phyllis Green1955Brian Hewson1955Phyllis Perkins (2)1956 Ken Wood1956Diane Leather1957Brian Hewson (2)1957Diane Leather (2)1958 Ken Wood 1958Maureen Smith1959 Ken Wood 1959Joan Briggs1960Mike Wiggs1960 Roma Ashby1961Ken Wood (4)1961Roma Ashby (2)1962Stan Taylor1962Madeleine Ibbotson1963 Alan Simpson1963Pamela Davies1964Alan Simpson1964Alison Leggett1965Alan Simpson (3)1965Joyce Smith1966 Walter Wilkinson1966Rita Lincoln1967Andy Green1967Rita Lincoln 1968John Whetton1968Rita Lincoln 1,500 metres - metrification1969John Whetton (2)1969Rita Ridley (née Lincoln)1970Walter Wilkinson (2)1970Rita Ridley 1971Peter Stewart1971Rita Ridley (6)1972Peter Stewart (2)1972Joyce Smith (2)1973Frank Clement1973Joan Allison1974Ray Smedley1974Christine Tranter1975Frank Clement1975Mary Stewart1976David Moorcroft1976Penny Yule AAA Championships/WAAA Championships & UK Athletics Championships dual championships era 1977-1987 Year AAA Men Year WAAA Women Year UK Men UK Women1977Glen Grant1977Penny Yule (2)1977Steve OvettLesley Kiernan1978David Moorcroft (2)1978Cherry Hanson1978John RobsonHilary Hollick1979Steve Ovett1979Mary Stewart (2)1979Alan MottersheadGillian Dainty1980 Steve Ovett (2)1980Gillian Dainty1980David MoorcroftJo White+1981Steve Cram1981Gillian Dainty1981Steve Ovett (2)Gillian Dainty (2)1982Steve Cram 1982Christina Boxer1982Alan Mottershead (2)Carole Bradford1983Steve Cram (3)1983Gillian Green (née Dainty) (3)1983John GladwinKathy Carter1984Peter Elliott1984Christine Benning (2)1984Alan SalterZola Budd1985Alistair Currie1985Julie-Ann Laughton1985Mark RowlandBridget Smyth1986John Gladwin1986Zola Budd1986Rob HarrisonChristina Boxer1987 Steve Crabb1987Bev Nicholson1987Neil HorsfieldChristine Benning AAA Championships & UK Athletics Championships dual championships era 1988-1997 Year Men AAA Women AAA Year Men UK Women UK1988Peter Elliott (2)Christina Cahill 1988Richard McDonnellBev Nicholson1989Sebastian CoeBev Nicholson (2)1989Richard McDonnell (2)Bev Nicholson 1990Neil HorsfieldChristina Cahill (3)1990Neil Horsfield (2)Alison Wyeth1991Matthew YatesAnn Williams1991Simon FairbrotherAlison Wyeth (2)1992Kevin McKayYvonne Murray1992Steve CrabbBev Nicholson (3)1993Matthew Yates (2)Alison Wyeth1993Curtis RobbJayne Spark1994Kevin McKay (2)Kelly Holmesn/a1995John MayockYvonne Murray (2)n/a1996John Mayock Kelly Holmes n/a1997 Richard Ashe Dianne Henigan1997John MayockJo Pavey
AAA Championships second era 1998-2006 Year Men's champion Women's champion1998John Mayock Lynn Gibson1999John Mayock Hayley Tullett2000John Mayock Hayley Tullett 2001John Mayock (6)Helen Pattinson2002Tony WhitemanKelly Holmes (3)2003Michael EastHayley Tullett 2004Chris MulvaneyHayley Tullett (4)2005Nick McCormickHelen Clitheroe 2006Andrew BaddeleyHelen Clitheroe (3) British Athletics Championships 2007 to present Year Men's champion Women's champion2008Tom LancashireLisa Dobriskey2009Jermaine MaysCharlene Thomas2010Andrew Baddeley Hannah England2011James ShaneHannah England 2012Andrew Baddeley (3)Laura Weightman2013Chris O'HareHannah England (3)2014Charlie GriceLaura Weightman 2015Charlie Grice Laura Muir2016Charlie Grice (3)Laura Muir2017Chris O'Hare Laura Weightman 2018Chris O'Hare (3)Laura Weightman 2019Neil GourleySarah McDonald2020 George Mills Laura Weightman (5)2021Josh KerrRevée Walcott-Nolan2022Jake WightmanLaura Muir (3)2023Neil Gourley Katie Snowden2024Neil Gourley Georgia Bell2025Neil Gourley (4)Sarah Calvert2026Arlo LudewickSarah Calvert (2)
nc = not contested
Most titles ('AAA continuity' only; athletes in bold still active) +1500 metres - most titlesTitlesMenWomen6Sydney Wooderson (1934-39)John Mayock (1995-96, 1998-2001)Rita Ridley (1965-1971)5Walter Slade (1873-77)Walter George (1879-82, 1884)Bill Nankeville (1947-50, 1952)Laura Weightman (2012, 2014, 2017-18, 2020)4Ken Wood (1956, 1958-59, 1961)Neil Gourley (2019, 2023-25)Hayley Tullett (1999-2000, 2003-2004)312 athletes6 athletes (1 active Laura Muir)
References