Steve Scott (born May 5, 1956) is a retired American middle-distance runner and coach, recognized as one of the most prolific milers in the history of track and field. During his competitive career, which spanned the late 1970s through the early 1990s, he established himself as a dominant figure in the 1500 meters and the mile run.
Scott held the American record for the mile for twenty-six years. His time of 3:47.69, set in Oslo, Norway, on July 7, 1982, remained the national benchmark until it was surpassed by Alan Webb in 2007. Additionally, Scott is noted for his durability and consistency, having recorded 136 sub-four-minute mile performances during his career, which was a world record at the time of his retirement.
In international competition, Scott earned the silver medal in the 1500 meters at the inaugural 1983 World Championships in Athletics held in Helsinki. He was a member of three United States Olympic teams (1980, 1984, and 1988), although he did not participate in the 1980 Moscow Games due to the United States-led boycott. Domestically, he won six outdoor national championships in the 1500 meters.
Scott competed collegiately for the University of California, Irvine, where he won the NCAA outdoor 1500-meter title in 1978. Following his professional athletic career, he transitioned into coaching. He served as the head cross country and track and field coach at California State University San Marcos from the program's inception in 1999 until his retirement in 2018. Scott was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2002.