Viktor Baikov
Viktor Baikov (Виктор Васильевич Байков; born 9 February 1935 in Ryazan) is a Soviet long-distance runner, a marathon specialist who won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 1962 European Championships in Belgrade and held the world record for the 30,000 meters from 1963.1 • 2 • 3 World Athletics lists him as Viktor BAYKOV, athlete code 14355647.1
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 February 1935, Ryazan, then in the Moscow Oblast of the RSFSR1 |
| Signature result | Bronze, men's marathon, 1962 European Championships, Belgrade, 2:24:202 |
| Marathon personal best | 2:19:17 (1962)9 |
| 30,000 m | 1:34:32.2, Moskva, 22 June 1963, a world record at the time and still the Russian national record3 • 4 |
| National titles | Four consecutive Soviet marathon championships, 1961 through 19649 |
| Olympics | 1964 Tokyo marathon, did not finish after passing 30 km5 |
Early life and start in athletics
His first notable marathon came in November 1958 in Tbilisi, where he ran 2:22:03. In 1959 he took the marathon silver at the Soviet championship held within the second Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR in Moscow, and in 1960 he finished second at the Kiev marathon in 2:22:14.9
1962 season and the European bronze
1962 was his strongest year. He won the Soviet championship in Moscow with a personal best of 2:19:17, then ran the European Championships marathon in Belgrade on 16 September, finishing third in 2:24:20 behind Brian Kilby of Great Britain (2:23:19) and Aurèle Vandendriessche of Belgium (2:24:02).2 The race was run in hot conditions; Kilby broke away around the 30 km mark and won by 44 seconds, with Vandendriessche holding off Baikov for second.6 The reigning European champion Sergey Popov of the USSR finished fifth.6
The 30,000 meters world record
In June 1963 Baikov won the Moscow Oblast championship over 30,000 meters in 1:34:32.2 at a record attempt in Moskva, where he was timed at 1:34:32.0, 1:34:32.2, and 1:34:32.6 on three watches, with A. Fedosseyev second in 1:50:20.4 • 7 The mark stood as a world record until Jim Alder of Great Britain ran 1:34:01.8 in October 1964, and it remains the Russian national record for the distance.7 • 4 World Athletics lists his personal best at 1:34:32.0h.1
Soviet titles and the Tokyo Olympics
Baikov won the Soviet marathon championship four years in a row, in 1961 in Tbilisi, 1962 in Moscow, 1963 in Moscow, and 1964 in Kiev, the last on the road course.
The 1964 run earned him selection for the Tokyo Olympics, where he did not finish the marathon after passing the 30 km point.5 His teammates Nikolay Tikhomirov (22nd) and Nikolay Abramov (26th) completed the race.8
Later career
Baikov continued competing into the late 1960s.
Coaching and later life
A career military officer, he retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. After his competitive career he coached the CSKA athletics team, where his athletes included Vladimir Lisovsky, Nikolay Penzin, and Alexey Fedotov, and he also worked as an athletics judge.
References
- Viktor BAYKOV, Profile, World Athletics
- Beograd 1962 European Championships, Men's Marathon, World Athletics
- All-time men's best 30,000 m runs, alltime-athletics.com
- Байков, Виктор Васильевич, Мегавики
- Olympedia, Viktor Baykov
- 1962 European Championships, racingpast.ca
- Progression of World Athletics Records (IAAF ebook)
- Olympedia, Soviet Union at the 1964 Summer Olympics, Athletics
- Runner: Viktor Baykov, Association of Road Racing Statisticians
Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Athletics, gymnastics, and strength sports › Athletes of track and field and road running › Road, marathon, and ultramarathon runners › Men marathon runners
Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026
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