| Rnk | Perf | Mark | Wind | Name | Nat | Born | Pos | Meet | Venue | Date | Ht/Wt | Record | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1:43.84 | Olaf Beyer | GDR | 18Jun1957 | 1 | EC | Praha | 31Aug1978 | 186/69 | PB | 800 | |
| 2 | 2 | 1:43.97 | Sebastian Coe | GBR | 29Sep1956 | 1 | Coke | London (CP) | 15Sep1978 | 177/54 | 800 | ||
| 3 | 3 | 1:44.09 | Steve Ovett | GBR | 9Oct1955 | 2 | EC | Praha | 31Aug1978 | 183/70 | PB | 800 | |
| 4 | 1:44.25 | Sebastian Coe | 1 | VD | Bruxelles | 18Aug1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 4 | 5 | 1:44.38 | Alberto Juantorena | CUB | 3Dec1950 | 1 | ASV | Köln | 22Jun1978 | 190/84 | 800 | ||
| 6 | 1:44.76 | Sebastian Coe | 3 | EC | Praha | 31Aug1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 5 | 7 | 1:44.94 | Michael Boit | KEN | 6Jan1949 | 1 | R-W | Koblenz | 7Sep1978 | 180/68 | 800 | ||
| 8 | 1:44.97 | Alberto Juantorena | 1 | PTS | Bratislava | 10Jun1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 6 | 9 | 1:45.12 | Willi Wülbeck | FRG | 18Dec1954 | 1 | Frankfurt | 5Sep1978 | 186/69 | 800 | |||
| 10 | 1:45.19 | Michael Boit | 1 | LieNC | Schaan | 17Sep1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 11 | 1:45.28 | Michael Boit | 2 | Frankfurt | 5Sep1978 | 800 | |||||||
| 12 | 1:45.38 | Steve Ovett | 1 | Nurmi G | Turku | 27Jul1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 7 | 13 | 1:45.45 | Andreas Busse | GDR | 6May1959 | 1 | GS | Ostrava | 7Jun1978 | 182/70 | 800 | ||
| 8 | 14 | 1:45.47 | James Robinson | USA | 27Aug1954 | 1 | AAU | Westwood CA | 10Jun1978 | 180/67 | 800 | ||
| 15 | 1:45.6m | Sebastian Coe | 1 | Cleckheaton | 14May1978 | 800 | |||||||
| 9 | 16 | 1:45.68 | Peter Lemashon | KEN | 14Jul1956 | 1 | NCAA | Eugene OR | 3Jun1978 | 178/66 | 800 | ||
| 10 | 17 | 1:45.7a | Abderrahmane Morceli | ALG | 1Jan1957 | 2 | GS | Ostrava | 7Jun1978 | 174/67 | PB | 800 | |
| 18 | 1:45.7m | Sebastian Coe | 1 | Viareggio | 9Aug1978 | 800 | |||||||
| 11 | 19 | 1:45.78 | José Marajo | FRA | 10Aug1954 | 3 | Frankfurt | 5Sep1978 | 177/64 | 800 | |||
| 12 | 20 | 1:45.79 | Anatoliy Reshetnyak | URS | 14Apr1955 | 4 | EC | Praha | 31Aug1978 | 187/75 | PB | 800 | |
| 13 | 21 | 1:45.79 | Milovan Savic | YUG | 16Jun1953 | 2 | R-W | Koblenz | 7Sep1978 | 192/72 | 800 | ||
| 22 | 1:45.8m | Olaf Beyer | 1 | Erfurt | 27May1978 | 800 | |||||||
| 14 | 23 | 1:45.84 | Detlef Wagenknecht | GDR | 3Jan1959 | 1 | NC | Leipzig | 2Jul1978 | 193/74 | 800 | ||
| 15 | 24 | 1:45.84 | Garry Cook | GBR | 10Jan1958 | 4 | Frankfurt | 5Sep1978 | 185/72 | 800 | |||
| 16 | 25 | 1:45.86 | Randy Wilson | USA | 7Sep1955 | 1 | Drake R | Des Moines IA | 28Apr1978 | 188/73 | 800 | ||
| 26 | 1:45.88 | Milovan Savic | 5 | Frankfurt | 5Sep1978 | 800 | |||||||
| 17 | 27 | 1:45.89 | Jozef Plachý | CZE | 28Feb1949 | 1 | WG | Helsinki | 29Jun1978 | 182/73 | 800 | ||
| 28 | 1:45.92 | James Robinson | 1 | WK | Zürich | 16Aug1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 18 | 29 | 1:45.92 | Tom McLean | USA | 12Jun1954 | 3 | R-W | Koblenz | 7Sep1978 | 180/71 | 800 | ||
| 30 | 1:45.95 | Tom McLean | 1 | Athletissima | Lausanne | 13Jul1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 31 | 1:45.99 | Alberto Juantorena | 1 | Bar | Santiago de Cuba | 21May1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 19 | 32 | 1:45.99 | John Higham | AUS | 25Oct1951 | 2 | PTS | Bratislava | 10Jun1978 | 187/65 | 800 | ||
| 33 | 1:46.0a | Michael Boit | 2 | AAU | Westwood CA | 10Jun1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 34 | 1:46.03 | Michael Boit | 2 | WK | Zürich | 16Aug1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 20 | 35 | 1:46.09 | Jürgen Straub | GDR | 3Nov1953 | 2 | NC | Leipzig | 2Jul1978 | 180/63 | 800 | ||
| 36 | 1:46.1a | Jozef Plachý | 3 | GS | Ostrava | 7Jun1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 37 | 1:46.1m | Willi Wülbeck | 2 | ASV | Köln | 22Jun1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 38 | 1:46.1m | José Marajo | 3 | ASV | Köln | 22Jun1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 39 | 1:46.18 | José Marajo | 2 | WG | Helsinki | 29Jun1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 40 | 1:46.2m | Michael Boit | 2 | Drake R | Des Moines IA | 28Apr1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 41 | 1:46.2a | Randy Wilson | 2 | NCAA | Eugene OR | 3Jun1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 21 | 42 | 1:46.2m | Vladimir Podolyakov | URS | 1Jan1956 | 1 | Znam | Vilnius | 20Jul1978 | 188/77 | PB | 800 | |
| 43 | 1:46.2m | Michael Boit | 1 | ISTAF | West Berlin | 18Aug1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 44 | 1:46.2a | Tom McLean | 2 | VD | Bruxelles | 18Aug1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 22 | 45 | 1:46.21 | Mark Belger | USA | 6Sep1956 | 3 | AAU | Westwood CA | 10Jun1978 | 183/66 | 800 | ||
| 46 | 1:46.24 | Vladimir Podolyakov | 5 | EC | Praha | 31Aug1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 23 | 47 | 1:46.25 | James Maina Boi | KEN | 4Apr1954 | 2 | Coke | London (CP) | 15Sep1978 | 170/64 | 800 | ||
| 48 | 1:46.3a | Olaf Beyer | 3 | NC | Leipzig | 2Jul1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 49 | 1:46.3m | James Robinson | 2 | ISTAF | West Berlin | 18Aug1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 24 | 50 | 1:46.3a | Nikolay Kirov | URS | 22Nov1957 | 1 | NC | Tbilisi | 17Sep1978 | 176/63 | 800 | ||
| 51 | 1:46.32 | Olaf Beyer | 1 | vsGBR | London (CP) | 11Jun1978 | 800 | ||||||
| 25 | 1:46.4m | Evans White | USA | 18Jun1957 | 1 | Baton Rouge LA | 13May1978 | 190/72 | 800 | ||||
| 26 | 1:46.42 | Anthony Tufariello | USA | 13Jan1959 | 3 | NCAA | Eugene OR | 3Jun1978 | 175/67 | PB | 800 | ||
| 27 | 1:46.47 | Rayfield Beaton | GUY | 3Sep1951 | 1 | Westwood CA | 29Apr1978 | 174/68 | PB | 800 | |||
| 28 | 1:46.48 | Sam Summerville | USA | 26Feb1958 | 4 | NCAA | Eugene OR | 3Jun1978 | 178/70 | PB | 800 | ||
| 29 | 1:46.5m | Vladimir Malozyemlin | URS | 26Jan1956 | 3 | Znam | Vilnius | 20Jul1978 | 182/64 | PB | 800 | ||
| 30 | 1:46.6a | Samuel Kipkurgat | KEN | 4Dec1949 | 5 | NCAA | Eugene OR | 3Jun1978 | 175/60 | 800 | |||
| 31 | 1:46.6m | Arno Körmeling | NED | 25Aug1956 | 1 | Oslo | 7Jun1978 | 183/67 | PB | 800 | |||
| 32 | 1:46.63 | Peter Hoffmann | GBR | 1Jul1956 | 2 | vsGDR | London (CP) | 11Jun1978 | 178/68 | PB | 800 | ||
| 33 | 1:46.7m | Chum Darvall | AUS | 27Dec1957 | 2 | NC | Brisbane | 18Mar1978 | 193/77 | PB | 800 | ||
| 34 | 1:46.84 | Conrad Suhr | USA | 21Feb1957 | 5 | AAU | Westwood CA | 10Jun1978 | 188/73 | PB | 800 | ||
| 35 | 1:46.9a | David Korir | KEN | 22Dec1955 | 6 | NCAA | Eugene OR | 3Jun1978 | 175/70 | 800 | |||
| 36 | 1:46.9a | Nikolay Shirokov | URS | 1955 | 2 | NC | Tbilisi | 17Sep1978 | 800 | ||||
| 37 | 1:46.93 | Harald Schmid | FRG | 29Sep1957 | 3 | PTS | Bratislava | 9Jun1978 | 187/82 | 800 | |||
| 38 | 1:46.94 | Dragan Zivotic | YUG | 3Mar1955 | 3sf2 | EC | Praha | 30Aug1978 | 187/79 | 800 | |||
| 39 | 1:46.95 | Uwe Becker | FRG | 10Dec1955 | 2 | NC | Köln | 13Aug1978 | 188/70 | 800 | |||
| 40 | 1:46.97 | Markku Taskinen | FIN | 25Feb1952 | 3 | Nurmi G | Turku | 27Jul1978 | 185/68 | 800 | |||
| 41 | 1:47.04 | Hans-Peter Ferner | FRG | 6Jun1956 | 3 | NC | Köln | 13Aug1978 | 176/72 | 800 | |||
| 42 | 1:47.07 | Roger Milhau | FRA | 29Mar1955 | 2h4 | EC | Praha | 29Aug1978 | 176/68 | 800 | |||
| 43 | 1:47.1m | Dennis Norris | NZL | 27Nov1951 | 1 | Auckland | 18Mar1978 | 180/70 | PB | 800 | |||
| 44 | 1:47.1a | Scott Clark | USA | 28Apr1958 | 7 | AAU | Westwood CA | 10Jun1978 | 193/82 | 800 | |||
| 45 | 1:47.13 | Ahmar Brahmia | ALG | 2Sep1954 | 2 | Bar | Santiago de Cuba | 21May1978 | 178/65 | 800 | |||
| 46 | 1:47.18 | Rick Brown | USA | 9Feb1952 | 4 | Pepsi | Westwood CA | 7May1978 | 178/63 | 800 | |||
| 47 | 1:47.2m | John Walker | NZL | 12Jan1952 | 2 | Melbourne | 12Jan1978 | 183/74 | 800 | ||||
| 48 | 1:47.2m | Egidius Petrikas | URS | 23Apr1955 | 4 | Znam | Vilnius | 20Jul1978 | 183/66 | PB | 800 | ||
| 49 | 1:47.23 | Sermet Timurlenk | TUR | 12Aug1956 | 6h4 | EC | Praha | 29Aug1978 | 174/59 | NR | 800 | ||
| 50 | 1:47.24 | Marian Gesicki | POL | 19May1953 | 5 | WG | Helsinki | 29Jun1978 | 178/73 | 800 | |||
| 51 | 1:47.24 | Herbert Wursthorn | FRG | 22Jun1957 | 4 | NC | Köln | 13Aug1978 | 179/69 | 800 | |||
| 52 | 1:47.28 | Thomas Wessinghage | FRG | 22Feb1952 | 7 | WK | Zürich | 16Aug1978 | 182/75 | 800 | |||
| 53 | 1:47.3m | Daniel Omwanza | KEN | 5May1948 | 5 | Pepsi | Westwood CA | 7May1978 | 170/60 | 800 | |||
| 54 | 1:47.30 | Mark Enyeart | USA | 9Oct1953 | 4 | Athletissima | Lausanne | 13Jul1978 | 183/73 | 800 | |||
| 55 | 1:47.30 | Panayiótis Pallikaris | GRE | 12Jun1956 | 2 | Balkan C | Thessaloníki | 11Aug1978 | PB | 800 | |||
| 56 | 1:47.31 | Rolf Gysin | SUI | 29Jan1952 | 3 | LieNC | Schaan | 17Sep1978 | 180/63 | 800 | |||
| 57 | 1:47.4m | Gideon Terer | KEN | 17Mar1955 | 4 | IC4A | Philadelphia PA | 21May1978 | 185/73 | 800 | |||
| 58 | 1:47.4a | András Paróczai | HUN | 11Jun1956 | 4 | GS | Ostrava | 7Jun1978 | 176/72 | 800 | |||
| 59 | 1:47.43 | Steve Jones | USA | 9Aug1955 | 2 | Macomb IL | 27May1978 | PB | 800 | ||||
| 60 | 1:47.46A | Gerald Pawirodikromo | SUR | 20Jan1958 | 2 | CAC G | Medellín | 18Jul1978 | PB | 800 | |||
| 61 | 1:47.46 | Vladimir Ponomaryev | URS | 10Aug1952 | 1 | Bydgoszcz | 9Sep1978 | 188/72 | 800 | ||||
| 62 | 1:47.5m | Mark Lech | USA | 10Apr1956 | 5 | IC4A | Philadelphia PA | 21May1978 | 183/68 | 800 | |||
| 63 | 1:47.50 | Kenneth Dotson | USA | 3 | Macomb IL | 27May1978 | PB | 800 | |||||
| 64 | 1:47.5m | János Hrenek | HUN | 9Sep1954 | 1 | Budapest | 22Aug1978 | 190/75 | PB | 800 | |||
| 65 | 1:47.53 | Dan Futrell | USA | 21Aug1956 | 4 | Macomb IL | 27May1978 | 178/74 | 800 | ||||
| 66 | 1:47.53 | Mikhail Starovoytov | URS | 4Jan1958 | 1h | Prav | Tbilisi | 16Jun1978 | 181/72 | PB | 800 | ||
| 67 | 1:47.55 | Donald Paige | USA | 13Oct1956 | 3 | Gateshead | 9Jul1978 | 186/70 | 800 | ||||
| 68 | 1:47.6m | Steve Scott | USA | 5May1956 | 1 | Irvine CA | 25Feb1978 | 186/73 | 800 | ||||
| 69 | 1:47.6m | Viktor Anokhin | URS | 18Jul1951 | 2 | Prav | Tbilisi | 17Jun1978 | 188/81 | 800 | |||
| 70 | 1:47.6m | Pavel Litovchenko | URS | 18Jul1952 | 3 | Prav | Tbilisi | 17Jun1978 | 183/75 | 800 | |||
| 71 | 1:47.6m | Feliks Wawrzón | POL | 14Jan1955 | 1 | Warszawa | 12Aug1978 | 175/60 | 800 | ||||
| 72 | 1:47.6m | Ioánnis Samaras | GRE | 19Oct1952 | Athína (Pireás) | 18Aug1978 | 184/67 | 800 | |||||
| 73 | 1:47.6m | Danie Malan | RSA | 26Jun1950 | 1 | Stellenbosch | 4Dec1978 | 183/72 | 800 | ||||
| 74 | 1:47.66A | Leandro Civil | CUB | 31Jan1951 | 3 | CAC G | Medellín | 18Jul1978 | 173/60 | 800 | |||
| 75 | 1:47.67 | Hans-Ulrich Ludwig | GDR | 15Aug1953 | 5 | NC | Leipzig | 2Jul1978 | 182/78 | PB | 800 | ||
| 76 | 1:47.68 | Bernd Wulf | GDR | 21Jan1959 | 6 | NC | Leipzig | 2Jul1978 | 181/72 | 800 | |||
| 77 | 1:47.7m | Koen Gijsbers | NED | 22Aug1958 | 1 | Sittard | 28May1978 | 189/77 | 800 | ||||
| 78 | 1:47.7m | Agberto Conceição Guimarães | BRA | 18Aug1957 | 1 | São Paulo | 5Aug1978 | 175/57 | 800 | ||||
| 79 | 1:47.7m | Valeriy Toropov | URS | 13May1956 | Podolsk | 19Aug1978 | 177/64 | PB | 800 | ||||
| 80 | 1:47.71 | Dane Joseph | GBR | 20Feb1959 | 3 | Coke | London (CP) | 15Sep1978 | 183/66 | PB | 800 | ||
| 81 | 1:47.74 | Hans Reibold | FRG | 22Aug1953 | 7 | Frankfurt | 5Sep1978 | 182/73 | 800 | ||||
| 82 | 1:47.75 | Günther Ruth | GDR | 21Dec1952 | 5 | OD | Est Berlin | 14Jun1978 | 183/69 | 800 | |||
| 83 | 1:47.78 | Jorma Härkönen | FIN | 17May1956 | 2 | vsSWE | Helsinki | 13Aug1978 | 180/65 | 800 | |||
| 84 | 1:47.8m | Carlo Grippo | ITA | 18Jan1955 | 1 | Christchurch | 21Jan1978 | 180/65 | 800 | ||||
| 85 | 1:47.8mA | Alwyn Prinsloo | RSA | 14Nov1955 | 1 | Johannesburg | 27Feb1978 | 180/73 | 800 | ||||
| 86 | 1:47.8m | Vladimir Sheronov | URS | 14Jun1955 | Podolsk | 19Aug1978 | 178/65 | 800 | |||||
| 87 | 1:47.8m | Christián Molina | CHI | 16Oct1959 | 1 | Santiago de Chile | 27Aug1978 | 187/75 | 800 | ||||
| 88 | 1:47.8m | Francis Gonzalez | FRA | 6Feb1952 | 1 | Talence | 13Sep1978 | 170/60 | 800 | ||||
| 89 | 1:47.9m | Alan Gibson | AUS | 24Jul1950 | 3 | Melbourne | 12Jan1978 | 800 | |||||
| 90 | 1:47.9m | Sergey Chirkov | URS | 4Sep1954 | 4 | Prav | Tbilisi | 17Jun1978 | 179/64 | 800 | |||
| 91 | 1:47.9m | Malcolm Cleary | USA | 5Mar1955 | 4 | Bislett | Oslo | 27Jun1978 | 184/73 | 800 | |||
| 92 | 1:47.96A | Daniel Goosen | RSA | 21Dec1950 | 1 | Welkom | 28Apr1978 | 171/70 | 800 | ||||
| 93 | 1:47.97 | Omer Khalifa | SUD | 18Dec1956 | 2sf1 | AfG | Al Jazair | 22Jul1978 | 177/63 | 800 | |||
| 94 | 1:48.0m | Rich Bartlett | USA | 26May1953 | 1 | Cheney WA | 28Apr1978 | 183/75 | 800 | ||||
| 95 | 1:48.0m | Tommy Hughes | USA | 14Apr1958 | 1h3 | Evanston IL | 19May1978 | 800 | |||||
| 96 | 1:48.0m | Valeriy Liman | URS | 27Feb1958 | 4 | Sochi | 27May1978 | 180/69 | 800 | ||||
| 97 | 1:48.0m | Piotr Mankowski | POL | 4Jan1953 | 1r1 | Poznan | 29Jun1978 | 180/72 | 800 | ||||
| 98 | 1:48.0m | Andy Clifford | USA | 27Mar1956 | 4 | Skok | Celje | 20Jul1978 | 175/70 | 800 | |||
| 99 | 1:48.0m | Åke Svenson | SWE | 29Mar1953 | 1 | Kil | 20Aug1978 | 185/72 | 800 | ||||
| 100 | 1:48.0m | Viktor Byelokoskov | URS | 1955 | 4 | NC | Tbilisi | 17Sep1978 | 180/71 | 800 | |||
| 101 | 1:48.04 | Paul Forbes | GBR | 20Nov1956 | 2 | Athína (Pireás) | 14May1978 | 175/61 | 800 | ||||
| 102 | 1:48.04 | Antonio Páez | ESP | 5Sep1956 | 2 | Rieti | 10Sep1978 | 182/74 | 800 | ||||
| 103 | 1:48.05 | David Warren | GBR | 11Feb1956 | 2 | London (CP) | 23Aug1978 | 185/73 | 800 |