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Mile run

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Athletics
Mile run
Matt Centrowitz and Nick Willis racing for first place in the 2015 Wanamaker Mile. Centrowitz ends up beating Willis by 0.11 seconds, in a time of 3:51.35.[1]
World records
Men Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 3:43.13 (1999)
Women Faith Kipyegon (KEN) 4:07.64 (2023)
Short track world records
Men Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) 3:47.01 (2019)
Women Genzebe Dibaba (ETH) 4:13.31 (2016)
World junior (U20) records
Men Reynold Cheruiyot (KEN) 3:48.06 (2023)
Women Birke Haylom (ETH) 4:17.13 (2023)

The mile run (1,760 yards,[2] 5,280 feet, or exactly 1,609.344 metres) is a middle-distance foot race.

The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races.[citation needed] It survived track and field's switch to metric distances in the 1900s and retained its popularity, with the chase for the four-minute mile in the 1950s a high point for the race.

In spite of the roughly equivalent 1500 metres race, which is used instead of the mile at the World Championships and Olympic Games and is sometimes referred as the foremost middle-distance track event in athletics, the mile run is present in all fields of athletics, and since 1976, it is the only imperial distance World Athletics has on its books for official world records.[a]

Although the mile is not featured at any major championships, the Wanamaker Mile, Dream Mile, Emsley Carr Mile and Bowerman Mile races are among the foremost annual middle-distance races.

Athletics
Road Mile
2018 Women's Fifth Avenue Mile.
World records
Men Elliot Giles (GBR) 3:51.3 (2024)
Women Diribe Welteji (ETH) 4:20.98 (2023)

The current mile world record holders are Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco with a time of 3:43.13 and Faith Kipyegon of Kenya with the Women's record of 4:07.64.

Despite being only 109.344 metres longer, the mile is distinctly different from its much more common 1500 metres counterpart. World record holder Hicham El Guerrouj considers the mile to be his more challenging event.[3]

“My favourite is 1500m. It’s part of my heart. I competed in it a lot and I know every metre of this race. The mile is completely different. If you are not strong physically and mentally, you cannot run it well.”

— Hicham El Guerrouj

Each lap during El Guerrouj's world record run averaged 55.46 seconds per 400 m.[4] Along with El Guerrouj, only three other men in history have broken the 3:44 barrier in the mile; Noah Ngeny (in the same race as El Guerrouj), Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and Yared Nuguse.[5]

History

[edit]

Although a statute mile today is equal to a length of 5,280 feet, the distance of the English mile gained its current definition of 1,760 yards through a statute of the Parliament of England in 1593.[6] Thus, the history of the mile run began in England and it initially found usage within the wagered running contests of the 18th and 19th century. Such contests would attract large numbers of spectators and gamblers – so many that the activity became a professional one for its more-established participants.[7]

Gunder Hägg (right) defeats Arne Andersson with a world record time of 4:06.2 in Gothenburg, 1942.

The mile run was at the heart of the divide between professional and amateur sports in the late 19th century, as running was beginning to gain popularity in the sports world. Separate world record categories were kept for amateurs and professionals, with professional runners providing the faster times. High-profile contests between Britons William Cummings and Walter George brought much publicity to the sport, as did George's races against the American Lon Myers. The mile run was also one of the foremost events at the amateur AAA Championships.[7] Although the spotlight was shining on the running scene, the categories remained distinct but the respective rise in amateurism and decline of the professional sector saw the division become irrelevant in the 20th century.[8]

A statue commemorating Roger Bannister and John Landy's Miracle Mile in 1954.

The mile run continued to be a popular distance in spite of the metrication of track and field and athletics in general, replacing the imperial distance for the metric mile (1500 meters). It was the 1500 metres – sometimes referred to as the metric mile – which was featured on the Olympic athletics programme. The International Amateur Athletics Federation formed in 1912 and confirmed the first officially recognised world record in the mile the following year (4:14.4 minutes run by John Paul Jones).[9]

The fact that the mile run was the only imperial distance to retain its official world record status after 1976 reflects its continued popularity in the international (and principally metric) era.[10] Decades later, the distance remains widespread, and is often used as a benchmark for distance running performance.

The top men's middle-distance runners continued to compete in the mile run in the first half of the 1900s – Paavo Nurmi, Jack Lovelock and Sydney Wooderson were all world record holders over the distance.[9] In the 1940s, Swedish runners Gunder Hägg and Arne Andersson pushed times into a new territory, as they set three world records each during their rivalry over the decade.[11]

The goal of completing a sub-four-minute mile sparked further interest in the distance in the 1950s and to this day, many competitive runners are still chasing the ambitious barrier. Englishman Roger Bannister became the first person to achieve the feat in May 1954 and his effort, conducted with the help of Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway, was a key moment in the rise of the use of pacemakers at the top level of the sport – an aspect which is now commonplace at non-championship middle and long-distance races.[12][13] In fact, pacemakers, if performing effectively, can earn generous sums of money for their performances and accurate pacing duties.[citation needed]

Runners competing in the Women's Mile at the Adidas Boost Boston Games in 2019.

The 1960s saw American Jim Ryun set world records near the 3:50-minute mark and his achievements popularised interval workout techniques which are still heavily used today, especially for collegiate distance runners.[11] Jim Ryun was the first person to run a sub-four minute mile in high school.[14] From this period onwards, African runners began to emerge, breaking the largely white, Western dominance of the distance; Kenya's Kip Keino won the mile at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (which was among the last mile races to be held at a major multi-sport event as of 2021).[15]

Filbert Bayi of Tanzania became Africa's first world record holder over the distance in 1975, although New Zealander John Walker further broke Bayi's record a few months later to become the first man under 3:50 minutes for the event. The 1980s were highlighted by the rivalry between British runners Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, who improved the record five times between them, including two records at the Oslo Dream Mile race. Noureddine Morceli brought the mile record back into African hands in 1993 and Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj set the current record of 3:43.13, which has stood since 1999.[9]

Mile run contests remain a key feature of many annual track and field meetings, including recreational, high school, and collegiate meets.

In the United States, particularly in many high school (NFHS) competitions, the 1600 metres is a substitute for the mile run.

On the professional level, races such as the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games, the Dream Mile at the Bislett Games, the British Emsley Carr Mile, and the Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic are among the most prominent. Aside from track races, mile races are also occasionally contested in cross country running, and mile runs on the road include the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City. However, in high school and collegiate cross country running, races are often measured in kilometers, with 5K and 8K being the most common.

In 2019, World Athletics President and former athlete Sebastian Coe organized the World Athletics Heritage Mile Night in Monaco, which brought together eleven mile world record holders, either indoors or outdoors: Ron Delany, Michel Jazy, Jim Ryun, Filbert Bayi, Paola Pigni-Cacchi, John Walker, Eamonn Coghlan, Coe, Steve Cram, Noureddine Morceli, and Hicham El Guerrouj. The event posthumously honored Roger Bannister and Diane Leather Charles, who were the first to break the four minute and five minute mile barriers, for men and women respectively.[16][17]

On the men's side, the fastest mile run since Hicham El Guerrouj's 3:43.13 in 1999 was Jakob Ingebrigtsen's 3:43.73 at the 2023 Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic & Diamond League Final.

Records

[edit]
Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj (left) is the world record holder for the outdoor mile.

Outdoor

[edit]
Area Men's Women's
Time Athlete Time Athlete
World 3:43.13  Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 4:07.64  Faith Kipyegon (KEN)
Continental records
Africa 3:43.13  Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 4:07.64  Faith Kipyegon (KEN)
Asia 3:47.97  Daham Najim Bashir (QAT) 4:17.75  Maryam Yusuf Jamal (BHR)
Europe 3:43.73  Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) 4:12.33  Sifan Hassan (NED)
North, Central America
and Caribbean
3:43.97  Yared Nuguse (USA) 4:16.71  Mary Slaney (USA)
Oceania 3:47.48  Oliver Hoare (AUS) 4:15.34  Jessica Hull (AUS)
South America 3:51.05  Hudson de Souza (BRA) 4:30.05  Soraya Vieira Telles (BRA)

Indoor

[edit]
Area Men's Women's
Time Athlete Time Athlete
World 3:47.01  Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) 4:13.31  Genzebe Dibaba (ETH)
Continental records
Africa 3:47.01  Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) 4:13.31  Genzebe Dibaba (ETH)
Asia 3:57.05  Mohamed Suleiman (QAT) 4:24.71  Maryam Yusuf Jamal (BHR)
Europe 3:48.87  Josh Kerr (GBR) 4:17.14  Doina Melinte (ROM)
North, Central America
and Caribbean
3:47.38  Yared Nuguse (USA) 4:16.85  Elle Purrier (USA)
Oceania 3:50.83  Ollie Hoare (AUS) 4:24.14  Kim Smith (NZL)
South America 3:56.26  Hudson de Souza (BRA) 4:42.24  Valentina Medina (VEN)

Road

[edit]
Area Men's Women's
Time Athlete Time Athlete
World 3:51.3h  Elliot Giles (GBR) 4:20.98  Dirbe Welteji (ETH)
Continental records
Africa 3:53.3h  Edward Cheserek (KEN) 4:20.98  Dirbe Welteji (ETH)
Asia 4:01.26  Ryoji Tatezawa (JPN) 4:29.79  Nozomi Tanaka (JPN)
Europe 3:51.3h  Elliot Giles (GBR) 4:29.0h  Maria Akraka (SWE)
North, Central America
and Caribbean
3:51.9h  Yared Nuguse (USA) 4:25.0h  Ellinor Purrier (USA)
Oceania 3:56.57  Nick Willis (NZL) 4:32.0h  Linden Hall (AUS)
South America 4:02.75  Guilherme Kurtz (BRA) none none

All-time top 25

[edit]
Outdoor tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 25 mile times and the top 25 athletes:
- denotes top performance for athletes in the top 25 mile times
- denotes lesser performances, still in the top 25 mile times, by repeat athletes
- denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes who fall outside the top 25 mile times

Men (outdoor)

[edit]
Ath.# Perf.# Time Athlete Nation Date Place Ref.
1 1 3:43.13 Hicham El Guerrouj  Morocco 7 July 1999 Rome
2 2 3:43.40 Noah Ngeny  Kenya 7 July 1999 Rome
3 3 3:43.73 Jakob Ingebrigtsen  Norway 16 September 2023 Eugene [20]
4 4 3:43.97 Yared Nuguse  United States 16 September 2023 Eugene [20]
5 5 3:44.39 Noureddine Morceli  Algeria 5 September 1993 Rieti
6 3:44.60 El Guerrouj #2 16 July 1998 Nice
7 3:44.90 El Guerrouj #3 4 July 1997 Oslo
8 3:44.95 El Guerrouj #4 29 June 2001 Rome
9 3:45.19 Morceli #2 16 August 1995 Zürich
6 10 3:45.34 Josh Kerr  Great Britain 25 May 2024 Eugene [21]
11 3:45.60 Ingebrigtsen #2 25 May 2024 Eugene [21]
12 3:45.64 El Guerrouj #5 26 August 1997 Berlin
13 3:45.96 El Guerrouj #6 5 August 2000 London
14 3:46.22 Nuguse #2 25 May 2024 Eugene [21]
15 3:46.24 El Guerrouj #7 28 July 2000 Oslo
7 16 3:46.32 Steve Cram  Great Britain 27 July 1985 Oslo
8 17 3:46.38 Daniel Komen  Kenya 26 August 1997 Berlin
18 3:46.46 Ingebrigtsen #3 16 June 2022 Oslo [22]
9 19 3:46.70 Vénuste Niyongabo  Burundi 26 August 1997 Berlin
10 20 3:46.76 Saïd Aouita  Morocco 2 July 1987 Helsinki
21 3:46.78 Morceli #3 27 August 1993 Berlin
11 22 3:46.91 Alan Webb  United States 21 July 2007 Brasschaat
23 3:46.92 Aouita #2 21 August 1985 Zürich
24 3:47.10 El Guerrouj #8 7 August 1999 London
25 3:47.24 Ingebrigtsen #4 21 August 2021 Eugene
12 3:47.28 Bernard Lagat  Kenya 29 June 2001 Rome
13 3:47.32 Ayanleh Souleiman  Djibouti 31 May 2014 Eugene [23]
14 3:47.33 Sebastian Coe  Great Britain 28 August 1981 Brussels
15 3:47.48 Oliver Hoare  Australia 16 June 2022 Oslo [22]
16 3:47.65 Laban Rotich  Kenya 4 July 1997 Oslo
George Mills  United Kingdom 16 September 2023 Eugene [20]
18 3:47.69 Steve Scott  United States 7 July 1982 Oslo
Mario García  Spain 16 September 2023 Eugene [20]
20 3:47.74 Neil Gourley  Great Britain 25 May 2024 Eugene [24]
21 3:47.79 José Luis González  Spain 27 July 1985 Oslo
22 3:47.83 Jake Wightman  Great Britain 25 May 2024 Eugene [25]
23 3:47.88 John Kibowen  Kenya 4 July 1997 Oslo
Silas Kiplagat  Kenya 31 May 2014 Eugene
25 3:47.94 William Chirchir  Kenya 28 July 2000 Oslo

Women (outdoor)

[edit]
Ath.# Perf.# Time Athlete Nation Date Place Ref.
1 1 4:07.64 Faith Kipyegon  Kenya 21 July 2023 Monaco [28]
2 2 4:12.33 Sifan Hassan  Netherlands 12 July 2019 Monaco [29]
3 3 4:12.56 Svetlana Masterkova  Russia 14 August 1996 Zürich
4 4 4:14.30 Genzebe Dibaba  Ethiopia 6 September 2016 Rovereto
5 4:14.71 Hassan #2 22 July 2018 London
6 4:14.74 Hassan #3 3 September 2021 Brussels
5 7 4:14.58 Ciara Mageean  Ireland 21 July 2023 Monaco [28]
6 8 4:14.79 Freweyni Hailu  Ethiopia 21 July 2023 Monaco [28]
7 9 4:15.24 Laura Muir  Great Britain 21 July 2023 Monaco [30]
8 10 4:15.34 Jessica Hull  Australia 21 July 2023 Monaco [30]
9 11 4:15.61 Paula Ivan  Romania 10 July 1989 Nice
10 12 4:15.8h Natalya Artyomova  Soviet Union 5 August 1984 Leningrad
13 4:16.05 Dibaba #2 6 July 2017 Lausanne
11 14 4:16.14 Gudaf Tsegay  Ethiopia 22 July 2018 London [31]
12 15 4:16.15 Hellen Obiri  Kenya 22 July 2018 London [31]
16 4:16.15 Obiri #2 9 July 2017 London
13 17 4:16.35 Nikki Hiltz  United States 21 July 2023 Monaco [30]
14 18 4:16.38 Melissa Courtney-Bryant  Great Britain 21 July 2023 Monaco [30]
15 19 4:16.47 Elise Cranny  United States 21 July 2023 Monaco [30]
16 20 4:16.71 Mary Slaney  United States 21 August 1985 Zürich
20 4:16.71 Kipyegon #2 11 September 2015 Brussels [32]
22 4:17.00 Artyomova #2 20 September 1991 Barcelona
17 23 4:17.13 Birke Haylom  Ethiopia 15 June 2023 Oslo [33]
18 24 4:17.25 Sonia O'Sullivan  Ireland 22 July 1994 Oslo
19 25 4:17.30 Jenny Simpson  United States 22 July 2018 London [31]
20 4:17.33 Maricica Puica  Romania 21 August 1985 Zürich
21 4:17.57 Zola Budd  Great Britain 21 August 1985 Zürich
22 4:17.60 Laura Weightman  Great Britain 12 July 2019 Monaco [34]
23 4:17.75 Maryam Yusuf Jamal  Bahrain 14 September 2007 Brussels
24 4:17.87 Gabriela DeBues-Stafford  Canada 12 July 2019 Monaco [29]
25 4:18.11 Cory McGee  United States 15 June 2023 Oslo [33]

Men (indoor)

[edit]
  • Correct as of March 2024.[35]
Rank Time Athlete Nation Date Place Ref
1 3:47.01 Yomif Kejelcha  Ethiopia 3 March 2019 Boston [36]
2 3:47.38 Yared Nuguse  United States 11 February 2023 New York City [37]
3 3:48.45 Hicham El Guerrouj  Morocco 12 February 1997 Ghent
4 3:48.66 Hobbs Kessler  United States 11 February 2024 New York City [38]
5 3:48.87 Josh Kerr  Great Britain 27 February 2022 Boston [39]
6 3:48.93 George Mills  Great Britain 11 February 2024 New York City [38]
7 3:49.44 Edward Cheserek  Kenya 9 February 2018 Boston [40]
8 3:49.46 Neil Gourley  Great Britain 11 February 2023 New York City [37]
9 3:49.62 Adam Fogg  Great Britain 11 February 2024 New York City [38]
10 3:49.78 Eamonn Coghlan  Ireland 27 February 1983 East Rutherford
11 3:49.89 Bernard Lagat  United States 11 February 2005 Fayetteville
12 3:49.98 Johnny Gregorek  United States 3 March 2019 Boston [36]
13 3:50.17 Cooper Teare  United States 11 February 2022 Chicago [41]
14 3:50.35 Cole Hocker  United States 11 February 2022 Chicago [41]
15 3:50.45 Amos Bartelsmeyer  Germany 11 February 2023 Boston [42]
16 3:50.46 Anass Essayi  Morocco 11 February 2023 Boston
17 3:50.56 Vincent Ciattei  United States 2 March 2024 New York City [43]
18 3:50.63 Matthew Centrowitz  United States 20 February 2016 New York City
19 3:50.70 Noureddine Morceli  Algeria 20 February 1993 Birmingham
20 3:50.83 Oliver Hoare  Australia 29 January 2022 New York City [44]
11 February 2023 New York City [37]
21 3:50.92 Galen Rupp  United States 26 January 2013 Boston
22 3:50.94 Marcus O'Sullivan  Ireland 13 February 1988 East Rutherford
Sam Prakel  United States 3 March 2019 Boston [45]
24 3:51.06 Nick Willis  New Zealand 20 February 2016 New York City
25 3:51.20 Ray Flynn  Ireland 27 February 1983 East Rutherford

Notes

[edit]

Below is a list of other times superior to 3:50.55:

Women (indoor)

[edit]
  • Correct as of February 2024.[46]
Rank Time Athlete Nation Date Place Ref
1 4:13.31 Genzebe Dibaba  Ethiopia 17 February 2016 Stockholm
2 4:16.16 Gudaf Tsegay  Ethiopia 8 February 2023 Toruń [47]
3 4:16.41 Elinor Purrier  United States 11 February 2024 New York City [48]
4 4:17.14 Doina Melinte  Romania 9 February 1990 East Rutherford
5 4:17.26 Konstanze Klosterhalfen  Germany 8 February 2020 New York City [49]
6 4:17.36 Freweyni Hailu  Ethiopia 30 January 2024 Ostrava [50]
7 4:17.88 Jemma Reekie  Great Britain 8 February 2020 New York City [49]
8 4:18.75 Laura Muir  Great Britain 16 February 2019 Birmingham [51]
9 4:18.99 Paula Ivan  Romania 10 February 1989 East Rutherford
10 4:19.03 Jessica Hull  Australia 11 February 2024 New York City [52]
11 4:19.53 Hirut Meshesha  Ethiopia 30 January 2024 Ostrava [53]
12 4:19.73 Gabriela DeBues-Stafford  Canada 8 February 2020 New York City [49]
13 4:19.89 Sifan Hassan  Netherlands 11 February 2017 New York City
14 4:20.5h Mary Decker-Tabb  United States 19 February 1982 San Diego
15 4:20.61 Susan Lokayo Ejore  Kenya 11 February 2024 New York City [54]
16 4:20.81 Josette Norris  United States 29 January 2022 New York City [44]
17 4:21.19 Katie Snowden  Great Britain 11 February 2023 New York City [55]
18 4:21.79 Regina Jacobs  United States 8 January 2000 New York City
19 4:22.66 Shannon Rowbury  United States 31 January 2015 Winston Salem
20 4:22.72 Lucia Stafford  Canada 11 February 2023 New York City [56]
21 4:22.86 Colleen Quigley  United States 9 February 2019 New York City [57]
22 4:22.93 Kate Grace  United States 11 February 2017 New York City
23 4:23.00 Carla Sacramento  Portugal 24 February 2002 Liévin
24 4:23.19 Gabriela Szabo  Romania 4 February 2001 Stuttgart
25 4:23.33 Kutre Dulecha  Ethiopia 4 February 2001 Stuttgart

Notes

[edit]

Below is a list of other times superior to 4:22.59:

Men (road)

[edit]

Note: World Athletics only accepts times achieved on World Athletics certified courses that are conducted according to World Athletics rules. The elevation gradient must not exceed one meter per kilometer.[58] For instance, the famous Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City, or New Zealand's Queen Street Golden Mile,[59] are too steep to be record eligible by World Athletics. Downhill miles such as Craig Wheeler's 3:24 clocking in the 1993 Meltham Mile[60] were achieved on ineligible courses and as such are not recognized by World Athletics. The road mile became an official world record event on 1 September 2023 which is why most performances prior to this date were not previously considered records. The winning times from the 2023 U.S. Road Mile Championships, on 25 April, were ratified by World Athletics as the inaugural road mile world records.[61]

  • Correct as of September 2024.
Rank Time Athlete Nation Date Place Ref
1 3:51.3h Elliot Giles  United Kingdom 1 September 2024 Düsseldorf [62]
2 3:51.9h Yared Nuguse  United States 1 September 2024 Düsseldorf
3 3:53.3h Edward Cheserek  Kenya 7 December 2019 Honolulu
4 3:54.6h Emmanuel Wanyonyi  Kenya 27 April 2024 Herzogenaurach
5 3:54.89 Leonard Kipkemoi Bett  Kenya 8 December 2018 Honolulu
6 3:54.9h Vincent Kibet Keter  Kenya 1 September 2024 Düsseldorf
7 3:55.0h Jordan McNamara  United States 21 September 2014 Lahaina
8 3:55.6h Leonel Manzano  United States 24 March 2012 Austin
9 3:55.8h Ben Blankenship  United States 12 May 2016 Minneapolis
10 3:56.0h Graham Hood  Canada 13 December 1997 Honolulu
11 3:56.13 Hobbs Kessler  United States 1 October 2023 Riga
12 3:56.3h Brimin Kiprono Kiprotich  Kenya 7 December 2019 Honolulu
13 3:56.40 Steve Scott  United States 14 July 1984 Berkeley
14 3:56.41 Callum Elson  United Kingdom 1 October 2023 Riga
15 3:56.43 Samuel Prakel  United States 1 October 2023 Riga
16 3:56.5h Ryan Mphahlele  South Africa 27 April 2024 Herzogenaurach
17 3:56.57 Nick Willis  New Zealand 4 August 2013 Saline
Maël Gouyette  France 1 October 2023 Riga
19 3:56.77 John Walker  New Zealand 14 July 1984 Berkeley
20 3:56.81 Vincent Ciattei  United States 9 December 2023 Honolulu
21 3:56.98 Kieran Lumb  Canada 1 October 2023 Riga
22 3:57.0h Philemon Hanneck  Zimbabwe 1 February 1998 Santee
Ibrahim Mohamed Aden  Somalia
Patrick Joseph  United States 7 December 2019 Honolulu
25 3:57.1h Ulf Högberg  Sweden 4 July 1975 London
Craig Huffer  Australia 7 December 2019 Honolulu

Notes

[edit]

Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 3:57.0h:[63]

  • Edward Cheserek also ran 3:54.83 (2018).
  • Hobbs Kessler also ran 3:56.2h (2024).
  • Yared Nuguse also ran 3:56.58 (2023).
  • Patrick Joseph also ran 3:57.0h (2019).

Women (road)

[edit]

Note: World Athletics only accepts times achieved on World Athletics certified courses that are conducted according to World Athletics rules. The elevation gradient must not exceed one meter per kilometer.[58] For instance, the famous Fifth Avenue Mile, or New Zealand's Queen Street Golden Mile,[59] are too steep to be record eligible by World Athletics. Downhill miles are achieved on ineligible courses and as such are not recognized by World Athletics. The road mile became an official world record event on 1 September 2023 which is why performances prior to this date were not previously considered records. The winning times from the 2023 U.S. Road Mile Championships, on 25 April, were ratified by World Athletics as the inaugural road mile world records.[61]

  • Correct as of September 2024.
Rank Time Athlete Nation Date Place Ref
1 4:20.98 Diribe Welteji  Ethiopia 1 October 2023 Riga [64]
2 4:22.54 Mirriam Cherop  Kenya 8 December 2018 Honolulu
3 4:23.06 Freweyni Hailu  Ethiopia 1 October 2023 Riga
4 4:24.13 Faith Kipyegon  Kenya 1 October 2023 Riga
5 4:25.0h Elle St. Pierre  United States 7 December 2019 Honolulu
6 4:25.7h Shannon Osika  United States Honolulu
7 4:27.0h Sinclaire Johnson  United States 23 July 2021 Pittsburgh
8 4:27.4h Katrina Coogan  United States 9 December 2017 Honolulu
9 4:27.97 Nikki Hiltz  United States 25 April 2023 Des Moines
10 4:28.0h Leah Pells  Canada 13 December 1997 Honolulu
11 4:28.00 Genzebe Dibaba  Ethiopia 20 July 2014 London
11 4:28.0h Emily Lipari  United States 22 July 2022 Pittsburgh
13 4:29.0h Maria Akraka  Sweden 1 February 1998 Santee
14 4:29.00 Morgan Uceny  United States 20 July 2014 London
15 4:29.1h Nicole Sifuentes  Canada 10 December 2016 Honolulu
16 4:29.79 Nozomi Tanaka  Japan 9 December 2023 Honolulu
17 4:30.0h Suzy Favor Hamilton  United States 1 February 1998 Santee
18 4:30.16 Weini Kelati Frezghi  United States 9 December 2023 Honolulu
19 4:30.24 Susan Lokayo Ejore  Kenya 9 December 2023 Honolulu
20 4:30.30 Rachel Schneider  United States 21 April 2021 Des Moines
21 4:30.3h Marissa Damink  Netherlands 1 September 2024 Düsseldorf
22 4:30.94 Addison Wiley  United States 25 April 2023 Des Moines
23 4:31.0h Hannah England  United Kingdom 26 May 2013 London
Melissa Courtney-Bryant 26 May 2019 London
Sarah McDonald
Heather MacLean  United States 22 July 2022 Pittsburgh
Allie Wilson  United States 22 July 2022 Pittsburgh
Nelly Chepchirchir  Kenya 27 April 2024 Herzogenaurach

Notes

[edit]

Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 4:30.0h:[65]

  • Mirriam Cherop also ran 4:24.7h (2017).
  • Leah Pells also ran 4:28.0h (1998).
  • Nikki Hiltz also ran 4:28.0h (2022), 4:28.07 (2023), and 4:29.7h (2019).
  • Sinclaire Johnson also ran 4:28.70 (2023).
  • Emily Lipari also ran 4:29.3h (2020).
  • Shannon Osika also ran 4:30.0h (2021).

Youth age records

[edit]

Key:   Incomplete information

Boys

[edit]
Age Time Athlete Nation Birthdate Date Place Ref
5 6:33.3 Daniel Skandera  United States 2 November 2007 23 July 2013 Santa Rosa
6 5:44.4 Daniel Skandera  United States 2 November 2007 5 August 2014 Santa Rosa
7 5:20.3 Daniel Skandera  United States 2 November 2007 9 June 2015 Santa Rosa
8 5:12.1 Daniel Skandera  United States 2 November 2007 9 August 2016 Santa Rosa
9 5:02.5 Daniel Skandera  United States 2 November 2007 27 June 2017 Santa Rosa
10 4:46.6 Daniel Skandera  United States 2 November 2007 24 July 2018 Santa Rosa
11 4:36.04 Archie Sideridis  Australia 18 October 2011 9 February 2023 Melbourne
12 4:35.66 Quenton Lanese  United States 4 March 2011 20 May 2023 Mercer Island
13 4:22.33 Jackson Miller  United States 11 June 1999 1 June 2023 St. Louis
14 4:11.20 Angus Wilkinson  Great Britain 16 January 2009 26 August 2023 Stirling [66]
15 4:05.77 Corey Campbell  Great Britain 26 July 2006 20 May 2022 Stirling [67]
16 3:55.44 Cameron Myers  Australia 9 June 2006 23 February 2023 Melbourne [68]
17 3:50.15 Cameron Myers  Australia 9 June 2006 25 May 2024 Eugene [69]
18 3:48.93 Niels Laros  Netherlands 17 April 2005 16 September 2023 Eugene [20]
19 3:48.06 Reynold Cheruiyot  Kenya 30 July 2004 16 September 2023 Eugene [20]

Girls

[edit]
Age Time Athlete Nation Birthdate Date Place Ref
6 6:36.0 Celine Struijvé  Netherlands 10 November 2012 17 September 2019 Epe
7 6:05.1 Kristina Wilson  United States 5 December 1963 5 June 1971
8 5:43.5 Imogen Stewart  Australia 27 July 2005 10 December 2013 Sydney
9 5:18.74 Imogen Stewart  Australia 27 July 2005 17 January 2015 Wollongong
10 5:04.19 Imogen Stewart  Australia 27 July 2005 16 January 2016 Wollongong
11 4:56.08 Imogen Stewart  Australia 27 July 2005 4 March 2017 Sydney
12 4:46.57 Imogen Stewart  Australia 27 July 2005 13 January 2018 Wollongong
13 4:44.73 Imogen Stewart  Australia 27 July 2005 22 December 2018 Sydney
14 4:40.1 i Mary Decker  United States 4 August 1958 16 March 1973 Richmond
15 4:35.16 Sadie Engelhardt  United States 21 August 2006 9 April 2022 Arcadia [70]
16 4:28.25 i Mary Cain  United States 3 May 1996 16 February 2013 New York City
17 4:24.11 i Mary Cain  United States 3 May 1996 24 January 2014 Boston
18 4:24.10 i Kalkidan Gezahegne  Ethiopia 8 May 1991 20 February 2010 Birmingham
19 4:17.57 Zola Budd  Great Britain 26 May 1966 21 August 1985 Zürich

Season's bests

[edit]
  • "i" indicates performance on 200m indoor track

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Matt Centrowitz Wins 2015 Wanamaker Mile in Thrilling Stretch Run over Nick Willis at Millrose Games".
  2. ^ It has always been customary to give horizontal distances in yards and vertical distances in feet.
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  8. ^ McMillan, Ken. "Classic weekend notebook: Running for a good cause". Retrieved 14 November 2016.
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  11. ^ a b Mile - Introduction. IAAF. Retrieved on 12 June 2011.
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  13. ^ Butcher, Pat (4 May 2004). Completely off pace. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2011-06-12.
  14. ^ "Ryun first high schooler to break 4-minute mile". 5 June 1964.
  15. ^ Commonwealth Games Medallists - Men. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 12 June 2011.
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  21. ^ a b c "Chebet breaks world 10,000m record, Kerr pips Ingebrigtsen in mile in Eugene". World Athletics. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
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  31. ^ a b c "Mile Run Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
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  33. ^ a b Cathal Dennehy (15 June 2023). "Warholm and Ingebrigtsen outstanding in Oslo". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  34. ^ Mike Rowbottom (12 July 2019). "Hassan breaks world mile record in Monaco with 4:12.33 - IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
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  41. ^ a b "DeBues-Stafford breaks North American indoor 5000m record in Boston". World Athletics. 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
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  44. ^ a b Brittany Hambleton (29 January 2022). "Nick Willis extends sub-4 streak to 20 years in the Wanamaker Mile". runningmagazine.ca. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
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  46. ^ "One Mile - women - senior - indoor". Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  47. ^ Jess Whittington (8 February 2023). "Tsegay triumphs with No.2 all-time indoor mile in Torun". World Athletics. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
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  49. ^ a b c "Purrier smashes North American indoor mile record at Millrose Games". World Athletics. 9 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  50. ^ "Czech Indoor Gala Mile women results" (PDF). atletika.cz. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  51. ^ John Mulkeen (16 February 2019). "Tefera breaks world indoor 1500m record in Birmingham". IAAF. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
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  54. ^ "Mile Run Result". World Athletics. 11 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  55. ^ Geoff Jerwood (15 February 2023). "England women's record for Katie Snowden & Surrey League titles for Herne Hill teams". hernehillharriers.org. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  56. ^ Marley Dickinson (11 February 2023). "Yared Nuguse breaks American indoor mile record at Millrose Games". runningmagazine.ca. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  57. ^ Rich Sands (10 February 2019). "Millrose Games Women — American 800 Record For Ajee' Wilson". trackandfieldnews.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  58. ^ a b "Certified road events".
  59. ^ a b "The world's fastest mile | SPIKES | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  60. ^ "Maniacs stand out a mile". The Independent. 19 July 1997. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  61. ^ a b "Ratified: world road mile records for Hiltz and Prakel | PRESS-RELEASES | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  62. ^ "1 Mile Road Men".
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  64. ^ "1 Mile Road - women - senior - all". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  65. ^ "1 Mile Road - women - senior - all". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  66. ^ "Monument Mile – Saturday 26 August". centralathletics.co.uk. 27 August 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  67. ^ "Monument Mile magic as Ben clocks 3:57 and age group Records fall". scottishathletics.org.uk. 21 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  68. ^ Len Johnson (23 February 2023). "Kerley and local heroes fire up a revived Melbourne". World Athletics. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  69. ^ "Mile Run Result" (PDF). swisstiming.com. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  70. ^ Joe Curley. "Records fall after Ventura High freshman Engelhardt runs mile at Arcadia Invitational". eu.vcstar.com. Retrieved 26 May 2022.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The marathon race is commonly described in both imperial and metric distances. Although it was first run under imperial measurement of 26 miles, it was slightly elongated for the 1904 Summer Olympics in London to reach its current distance, and is now measured in kilometres for official purposes.
[edit]
  1. ^ McMillan, Ken. "Classic weekend notebook: Running for a good cause". recordonline.com. Retrieved 6 June 2016.