Primo Brega

Primo Brega was an Italian distance runner whose best years were at the time of World War I. His first important result was obtained on 7 September 1913, in Roma, when he recorded 15:20.0 for 5,000 metres, putting him in seventh place on the European all-time list, aided by the fact that many athletes, notably British, snubbed this event in favor of the 3-mile.

Domestically Brega was twice Italian champion at 5,000 m (1914 / 1919, both in Milano) and once at 10,000 metres in 1922. Brega was already the best Italian distance runner before the war but he competed rarely against the best foreign athletes, with few sorties outside Roma. His international career was unfortunate, as he was not chosen for the Antwerpen Games and was an alternate four years later, never wearing the Italian national team jersey.