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Athletics
Mile run
ArneAndersson&GunderHagg1942.jpg
Gunder Hägg (right) defeats Arne Andersson with a world record time of 4:06.2 min in Gothenburg in 1942.
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) 3:47.01sh (2019)
Women  Genzebe Dibaba (ETH) 4:13.31sh (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 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. 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 for which World Athletics has on its books for official world records.

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.

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.

The record for the fastest mile ever run on any terrain is held by Craig Wheeler, who ran a downhill mile in 1993 in a time of 3:24; Wheeler's time is not an officially recognized record due to the downhill grade of the course he ran.

History

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. 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.

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. 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.

Bannister and Landy
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).

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. 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. 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.

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. In fact, pacemakers, if performing effectively, can earn generous sums of money for their performances and accurate pacing duties.

Women's Mile at the Adidas Boost Boston Games in 2019
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. Jim Ryun was the first person to run a sub-four minute mile in high school. 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).

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.

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 1600m 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.

On the men's side, the fastest non-downhill mile ran 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

See also: Mile run world record progression
Carlos ga..
Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj (left) is the world record holder for the outdoor mile.

Outdoor

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

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

Area Men's Women's
Time Athlete Time Athlete
World 3:53.3h  Edward Cheserek (KEN) 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) 4:32.0h  Nozomi Tanaka (JPN)
Europe 3:56.41  Callum Elson (GBR) 4:29.0h  Maria Akraka (SWE)
North, Central America
and Caribbean		 3:55.0h  Jordan McNamara (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

Men (outdoor)

  • Correct as of September 2023.
Ath.# Perf.# Time Athlete Nation Date Place
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
4 4 3:43.97 Yared Nuguse  United States 16 September 2023 Eugene
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
10 3:45.64 El Guerrouj #5 26 August 1997 Berlin
11 3:45.96 El Guerrouj #6 5 August 2000 London
12 3:46.24 El Guerrouj #7 28 July 2000 Oslo
6 13 3:46.32 Steve Cram  Great Britain 27 July 1985 Oslo
7 14 3:46.38 Daniel Komen  Kenya 26 August 1997 Berlin
15 3:46.46 Ingebrigtsen #2 16 June 2022 Oslo
8 16 3:46.70 Vénuste Niyongabo  Burundi 26 August 1997 Berlin
9 17 3:46.76 Saïd Aouita  Morocco 2 July 1987 Helsinki
18 3:46.78 Morceli #3 27 August 1993 Berlin
10 19 3:46.91 Alan Webb  United States 21 July 2007 Brasschaat
20 3:46.92 Aouita #2 21 August 1985 Zürich
21 3:47.10 El Guerrouj #8 7 August 1999 London
22 3:47.24 Ingebrigtsen #3 21 August 2021 Eugene
11 23 3:47.28 Bernard Lagat  Kenya 29 June 2001 Rome
24 3:47.30 Morceli #4 3 September 1993 Brussels
12 25 3:47.32 Ayanleh Souleiman  Djibouti 31 May 2014 Eugene
13 3:47.33 Sebastian Coe  Great Britain 28 August 1981 Brussels
14 3:47.48 Oliver Hoare  Australia 16 June 2022 Oslo
15 3:47.65 Laban Rotich  Kenya 4 July 1997 Oslo
George Mills  United Kingdom 16 September 2023 Eugene
17 3:47.69 Steve Scott  United States 7 July 1982 Oslo
Mario García  Spain 16 September 2023 Eugene
19 3:47.79 José Luis González  Spain 27 July 1985 Oslo
20 3:47.88 John Kibowen  Kenya 4 July 1997 Oslo
Silas Kiplagat  Kenya 31 May 2014 Eugene
22 3:47.94 William Chirchir  Kenya 28 July 2000 Oslo
23 3:47.97 Dahame Najem Bashir  Qatar 29 July 2005 Oslo
24 3:48.06 Reynold Cheruiyot  Kenya 16 September 2023 Eugene
25 3:48.08 Cole Hocker  United States 16 September 2023 Eugene

Women (outdoor)

  • Correct as of July 2023.
Ath.# Perf.# Time Athlete Nation Date Place
1 1 4:07.64 Faith Kipyegon  Kenya 21 July 2023 Monaco
2 2 4:12.33 Sifan Hassan  Netherlands 12 July 2019 Monaco
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
6 8 4:14.79 Freweyni Hailu  Ethiopia 21 July 2023 Monaco
7 9 4:15.24 Laura Muir  Great Britain 21 July 2023 Monaco
8 10 4:15.34 Jessica Hull  Australia 21 July 2023 Monaco
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
12 15 4:16.15 Hellen Obiri  Kenya 22 July 2018 London
16 4:16.15 Obiri #2 9 July 2017 London
13 17 4:16.35 Nikki Hiltz  United States 21 July 2023 Monaco
14 18 4:16.38 Melissa Courtney-Bryant  Great Britain 21 July 2023 Monaco
15 19 4:16.47 Elise Cranny  United States 21 July 2023 Monaco
16 20 4:16.71 Mary Slaney  United States 21 August 1985 Zürich
20 4:16.71 Kipyegon #2 11 September 2015 Brussels
22 4:17.00 Artyomova #2 20 September 1991 Barcelona
17 23 4:17.13 Birke Haylom  Ethiopia 15 June 2023 Oslo
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
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
23 4:17.75 Maryam Yusuf Jamal  Bahrain 14 September 2007 Brussels
24 4:17.87 Gabriela DeBues-Stafford  Canada 12 July 2019 Monaco
25 4:18.11 Cory McGee  United States 15 June 2023 Oslo

Men (indoor)

  • Correct as of March 2024.
Rank Time Athlete Nation Date Place Ref
1 3:47.01 Yomif Kejelcha  Ethiopia 3 March 2019 Boston
2 3:47.38 Yared Nuguse  United States 11 February 2023 New York City
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
5 3:48.87 Josh Kerr  Great Britain 27 February 2022 Boston
6 3:48.93 George Mills  Great Britain 11 February 2024 New York City
7 3:49.44 Edward Cheserek  Kenya 9 February 2018 Boston
8 3:49.46 Neil Gourley  Great Britain 11 February 2023 New York City
9 3:49.62 Adam Fogg  Great Britain 11 February 2024 New York City
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
13 3:50.17 Cooper Teare  United States 11 February 2022 Chicago
14 3:50.35 Cole Hocker  United States 11 February 2022 Chicago
15 3:50.45 Amos Bartelsmeyer  Germany 11 February 2023 Boston
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
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
11 February 2023 New York City
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
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

Women (indoor)

  • Correct as of February 2024.
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
3 4:16.41 Elinor Purrier  United States 11 February 2024 New York City
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
6 4:17.36 Freweyni Hailu  Ethiopia 30 January 2024 Ostrava
7 4:17.88 Jemma Reekie  Great Britain 8 February 2020 New York City
8 4:18.75 Laura Muir  Great Britain 16 February 2019 Birmingham
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
11 4:19.53 Hirut Meshesha  Ethiopia 30 January 2024 Ostrava
12 4:19.73 Gabriela DeBues-Stafford  Canada 8 February 2020 New York City
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
16 4:20.81 Josette Norris  United States 29 January 2022 New York City
17 4:21.19 Katie Snowden  Great Britain 11 February 2023 New York City
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
21 4:22.86 Colleen Quigley  United States 9 February 2019 New York City
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

Youth age records

Key:       Incomplete information

Boys

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
15 4:05.77 Corey Campbell  Great Britain 26 July 2006 20 May 2022 Stirling
16 3:55.44 Cameron Myers  Australia 9 June 2006 23 February 2023 Melbourne
17 3:50.90 Hamza Driouch  Qatar 16 November 1994 7 June 2012 Oslo
18 3:48.93 Niels Laros  Netherlands 17 April 2005 16 September 2023 Eugene
19 3:48.06 Reynold Cheruiyot  Kenya 30 July 2004 16 September 2023 Eugene

Girls

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
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

  • "i" indicates performance on 200m indoor track

See also

  • 5 Mile - 5 mile run
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