The world record in the mile run is the fastest time set by a runner in the middle-distance track and field event. World Athletics is the official body which oversees the records. Hicham El Guerrouj is the current men's record holder with his time of 3:43.13,[1] while Faith Kipyegon has the women's record of 4:07.64.[2] Since 1976, the mile has been the only non-metric distance recognized by the IAAF for record purposes. However, in international competitions such as the Olympics the term "mile" almost always refers to a distance of 1,500 meters, which is 109.344 meters shorter than an Imperial mile, even though four "full" laps of a 400 meter track is equal to 1,600 meters.
Accurate times for the mile run (1.609344 km) have been recorded since 1850, when the first precisely measured running tracks were built. Foot racing had become popular in England by the 17th century, when footmen would race and their masters would wager on the result.[citation needed] By the 19th century "pedestrianism", as it was called, had become extremely popular and the best times recorded in the period were by professionals.[citation needed] Even after professional foot racing died out, it was not until 1915 that the professional record of 4:123⁄4 (set by Walter George in 1886) was surpassed by an amateur.[citation needed]
Progression of the mile record accelerated in the 1930s as newsreel coverage greatly popularized the sport, making stars out of milers such as Jules Ladoumègue, Jack Lovelock, and Glenn Cunningham. In the 1940s, Swedes Arne Andersson and Gunder Hägg lowered the record to 4:01.4 while racing was curtailed during World War II in the combatant countries. After the war, Roger Bannister of the United Kingdom and John Landy of Australia vied to be the first to break the fabled four-minute mile barrier. Roger Bannister did it first on May 6, 1954, and John Landy followed 46 days later.
On the women's side, the first sub-5:00 mile was achieved by the UK's Diane Leather 23 days after Bannister's first sub-4:00 mile. However, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) did not recognize women's records for the distance until 1967, when Anne Smith of the UK ran 4:37.0.[3]
Men
editPre-IAAF
editProfessionals
edit| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:28 | Charles Westhall | 26 July 1855 | London | |
| 4:28 | Thomas Horspool | 28 September 1857 | Manchester | |
| 4:23 | Thomas Horspool | 12 July 1858 | Manchester | |
| 4:221⁄4 | Siah Albison | 27 October 1860 | Manchester | |
| 4:213⁄4 | William Lang | 11 July 1863 | Manchester | |
| 4:201⁄2 | Edward Mills | 23 April 1864 | Manchester | |
| 4:20 | Edward Mills | 25 June 1864 | Manchester | |
| 4:171⁄4 | William Lang | 19 August 1865 | Manchester | |
| 4:171⁄4 | William Richards | 19 August 1865 | Manchester | |
| 4:161⁄5 | William Cummings | 14 May 1881 | Preston | |
| 4:123⁄4 | Walter George | 23 August 1886 | London |
Amateurs
edit| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:55 | J. Heaviside | 1 April 1861 | Dublin | |
| 4:49 | J. Heaviside | 27 May 1861 | Dublin | |
| 4:46 | Matthew Greene | 27 May 1861 | Dublin | |
| 4:33 | George Farran | 23 May 1862 | Dublin | |
| 4:293⁄5 | Walter Chinnery | 10 March 1868 | Cambridge | |
| 4:284⁄5 | Walter Gibbs | 3 April 1868 | London | |
| 4:283⁄5 | Charles Gunton | 31 March 1873 | London | |
| 4:260⁄5 | Walter Slade | 30 May 1874 | London | |
| 4:241⁄2 | Walter Slade | 1 June 1875 | London | |
| 4:231⁄5 | Walter George | 16 August 1880 | London | |
| 4:192⁄5 | Walter George | 3 June 1882 | London | |
| 4:182⁄5 | Walter George | 21 June 1884 | Birmingham | |
| 4:174⁄5 | Thomas Conneff | 26 August 1893 | Cambridge | |
| 4:170⁄5 | Fred Bacon | 6 July 1895 | London | |
| 4:153⁄5 | Thomas Conneff | 28 August 1895 | New York City | |
| 4:152⁄5 | John Paul Jones | 27 May 1911 | Cambridge |
As there was no recognized official sanctioning body until 1912, there are several versions of the mile progression before that year. One version starts with Richard Webster (GBR) who ran 4:36.5 in 1865, surpassed by Chinnery in 1868.[4]
Another variation of the amateur record progression pre-1862 is as follows:[5]
| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:52 | Cadet Marshall | 2 September 1852 | Addiscome | |
| 4:45 | Thomas Finch | 3 November 1858 | Oxford | |
| 4:45 | St. Vincent Hammick | 15 November 1858 | Oxford | |
| 4:40 | Gerald Surman | 24 November 1859 | Oxford | |
| 4:33 | George Farran | 23 May 1862 | Dublin |
IAAF / World Athletics era
editThe first world record in the mile for men (athletics) was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (later known as the International Association of Athletics Federations and currently known as World Athletics) in 1913.
To June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 32 world records in the event.[6]
| Ratified | |
| Not ratified | |
| Ratified but later rescinded | |
| Pending ratification |
| Time | Auto | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:14.4 | John Paul Jones | 31 May 1913[6] | Allston, Mass. | ||
| 4:12.6 | Norman Taber | 16 July 1915[6] | Allston, Mass. | ||
| 4:10.4 | Paavo Nurmi | 23 August 1923[6] | Stockholm | ||
| 4:09.2 | Jules Ladoumègue | 4 October 1931[6] | Paris | ||
| 4:07.6 | Jack Lovelock | 15 July 1933[6][7] | Princeton, N.J. | ||
| 4:06.8 | Glenn Cunningham | 16 June 1934[6][8] | Princeton, N.J. | ||
| 4:06.4 | Sydney Wooderson | 28 August 1937[6][9] | Motspur Park | ||
| 4:06.2 | Gunder Hägg | 1 July 1942[6] | Gothenburg | ||
| 4:06.2 | Arne Andersson | 10 July 1942[6] | Stockholm | ||
| 4:04.6 | Gunder Hägg (2) | 4 September 1942[6] | Stockholm | ||
| 4:02.6 | Arne Andersson (2) | 1 July 1943[6] | Gothenburg | ||
| 4:01.6 | Arne Andersson (3) | 18 July 1944[6] | Malmö | ||
| 4:01.4 | Gunder Hägg (3) | 17 July 1945[6] | Malmö | ||
| 3:59.4 | Roger Bannister | 6 May 1954[6][10] | Oxford | ||
| 3:58.0 | John Landy | 21 June 1954[6][11] | Turku | ||
| 3:57.2 | Derek Ibbotson | 19 July 1957[6][12][13] | London | ||
| 3:54.5 | Herb Elliott | 6 August 1958[6][14][15] | Dublin | ||
| 3:54.4 | Peter Snell | 27 January 1962[6][16] | Wanganui | ||
| 3:54.1 | 3:54.04 | Peter Snell (2) | 17 November 1964[6][17] | Auckland | |
| 3:53.6 | Michel Jazy | 9 June 1965[6][18] | Rennes | ||
| 3:51.3 | Jim Ryun | 17 July 1966[6][19][20] | Berkeley, Cal. | ||
| 3:51.1 | Jim Ryun (2) | 23 June 1967[6][21] | Bakersfield, Cal. | ||
| 3:51.0 | Filbert Bayi | 17 May 1975[6][22] | Kingston | ||
| 3:49.4 | John Walker | 12 August 1975[6][23][24] | Gothenburg | ||
| 3:49.0 | 3:48.95 | Sebastian Coe | 17 July 1979[6][25] | Oslo | |
| 3:48.8 | Steve Ovett | 1 July 1980[6][26] | Oslo | ||
| 3:48.53 | Sebastian Coe (2) | 19 August 1981[6][27] | Zürich | ||
| 3:48.40 | Steve Ovett (2) | 26 August 1981[6][28] | Koblenz | ||
| 3:47.33 | Sebastian Coe (3) | 28 August 1981[6][29] | Brussels | ||
| 3:46.32 | Steve Cram | 27 July 1985[6][30] | Oslo | ||
| 3:44.39 | Noureddine Morceli | 5 September 1993[6][31] | Rieti | ||
| 3:43.13 | Hicham El Guerrouj | 7 July 1999[6][32] | Rome |
The "Time" column indicates the ratified mark; the "Auto" column indicates a fully automatic time that was also recorded in the event when hand-timed marks were used for official records, or which was the basis for the official mark, rounded to the 10th of a second, depending on the rules then in place.
Records for the mile were rounded up to the nearest tenth of a second commencing January 1, 1957. Previously, records were rounded up to the nearest fifth of a second. Those rounded-up marks were: Cunningham's 4:06.8 (timed at 4:06.7); Hägg's 4:06.2 (4:06.1); Hägg's 4:01.4 (4:01.3); Landy's 3:58.0 (3:57.9). Landy's mark was not retroactively adjusted when the new rule came into effect.[33]: vii, 69–70 Auto times to the hundredth of a second were accepted by the IAAF for events up to and including 10,000 m beginning in 1981.[6]
During the most recent world record setting race in 1999, Noah Ngeny came in second place to Hicham El Guerrouj with a time of 3:43.40, which continues to be the second fastest mile run in history, beating out the old world record set in 1993 by Noureddine Morceli.[34] No-one else approached the record in the 21st century until September 16, 2023, when Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Yared Nuguse recorded the third and fourth fastest times in history, with 3:43.73 and 3:43.97 respectively.
Men's Indoor
editMen Indoor Pre-IAAF
editMen Indoor IAAF era
editThe IAAF started to recognize indoor world records in 1987, with the then world's best time, Coghlan's 3:49.78, ratified as the inaugural record for the mile.[35]
| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:49.78 | Eamonn Coghlan | February 27, 1983 | East Rutherford | |
| 3:48.45 | Hicham El Guerrouj | February 12, 1997 | Ghent | |
| 3:47.01 | Yomif Kejelcha | March 3, 2019 | Boston |
Road Men
editIAAF Era
editNote: The Road Mile became an official world record event after September 1, 2023, on World Athletics Certified Courses only (i.e: elevation gradient must not exceed one meter per kilometer, start and finish line must not be more than half a mile apart). 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.[36][37]
Key:
h = hand-timed
Source:[38]
| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:01.21 | Samuel Prakel | April 25, 2023 | Des Moines | |
| 3:56.13 | Hobbs Kessler | October 1, 2023 | Riga | |
| 3:54.6h | Emmanuel Wanyonyi | April 27, 2024 | Herzogenaurach | |
| 3:51.3h | Elliot Giles | September 1, 2024 | Düsseldorf |
Women
editPre-IAAF
edit| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:13.2 | Elizabeth Atkinson | 24 June 1921 | Manchester | |
| 5:27.5 | Ruth Christmas | 20 August 1932 | London | |
| 5:24.0 | Gladys Lunn | 1 June 1936 | Brentwood | |
| 5:23.0 | Gladys Lunn | 18 July 1936 | London | |
| 5:20.8 | Gladys Lunn | 8 May 1937 | Dudley | |
| 5:17.0 | Gladys Lunn | 7 August 1937 | London | |
| 5:15.3 | Evelyn Forster | 22 July 1939 | London | |
| 5:11.0 | Anne Oliver | 14 June 1952 | London | |
| 5:09.8 | Enid Harding | 4 June 1953 | London | |
| 5:08.0 | Anne Oliver | 12 September 1953 | Consett | |
| 5:02.6 | Diane Leather | 30 September 1953 | London | |
| 5:00.3 | Edith Treybal | 1 November 1953 | Timișoara | |
| 5:00.2 | Diane Leather | 26 May 1954 | Birmingham | |
| 4:59.6 | Diane Leather | 29 May 1954 | Birmingham | |
| 4:50.8 | Diane Leather | 24 May 1955 | London | |
| 4:45.0 | Diane Leather | 21 September 1955 | London | |
| 4:41.4 | Marise Chamberlain | 8 December 1962 | Perth | |
| 4:39.2 | Anne Smith | 13 May 1967 | London |
Women's IAAF era
editThe first world record in the mile for women (athletics) was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (later known as the International Association of Athletics Federations and currently known as World Athletics), in 1967. To June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 13 world records in the event.[39]
| Time | Auto | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:37.0 | Anne Smith | 3 June 1967[39] | London | ||
| 4:36.8 | Maria Gommers | 14 June 1969[39] | Leicester | ||
| 4:35.3 | Ellen Tittel | 20 August 1971[39] | Sittard | ||
| 4:29.5 | Paola Pigni | 8 August 1973[39] | Viareggio | ||
| 4:23.8 | Natalia Mărășescu | 21 May 1977[39] | Bucharest | ||
| 4:22.1 | 4:22.09 | Natalia Mărășescu | 27 January 1979[39] | Auckland | |
| 4:21.7 | 4:21.68 | Mary Decker | 26 January 1980[39] | Auckland | |
| 4:20.89 | Lyudmila Veselkova | 12 September 1981[39] | Bologna | ||
| 4:18.08 | Mary Decker-Tabb | 9 July 1982[39] | Paris | ||
| 4:17.44 | Maricica Puică | 9 September 1982[39] | Rieti | ||
| 4:16.71 | Mary Decker-Slaney | 21 August 1985[39] | Zürich | ||
| 4:15.61 | Paula Ivan | 10 July 1989[39] | Nice | ||
| 4:12.56 | Svetlana Masterkova | 14 August 1996[39] | Zürich | ||
| 4:12.33 | Sifan Hassan | 12 July 2019 | Monaco | ||
| 4:07.64 | Faith Kipyegon | 21 July 2023[40] | Monaco |
The "Time" column indicates the ratified mark; the "Auto" column indicates a fully automatic time that was also recorded in the event when hand-timed marks were used for official records, or which was the basis for the official mark, rounded to the 10th of a second, depending on the rules then in place.
The IAAF recognized times to the hundredth of a second starting in 1981.[39]
Note:
- Decker ran 4:17.55 indoors in Houston on 16 February 1980, but this time was rejected as a record due to an oversized track.
- Natalya Artyomova (Soviet Union) ran 4:15.8 in Leningrad on 6 August 1984, but this time was rejected as a record due to there being no international judges.
Women's Indoor
editWomen Indoor Pre-IAAF
edit| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5:17.2 | Brenda Cook | February 5, 1966 | Cosford | |
| 5:03.6 | Joyce Smith | February 12, 1966 | Cosford | |
| 4:52.0 | Doris Brown | February 19, 1966 | Vancouver | |
| 4:40.4 | Doris Brown | February 18, 1967 | Vancouver | |
| 4:38.5 | Debbie Heald | March 17, 1972 | Richmond | |
| 4:35.6 | Francie Larrieu | February 17, 1973 | San Diego | |
| 4:34.6 | Francie Larrieu | February 2, 1974 | Seattle | |
| 4:29.0 | Francie Larrieu | February 15, 1975 | San Diego | |
| 4:28.5 | Francie Larrieu | March 3, 1975 | Richmond | |
| 4:24.6 | Mary Decker | January 22, 1982 | Los Angeles | |
| 4:21.47 | Mary Decker | February 12, 1982 | New York |
Women Indoor IAAF era
edit| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:20.5 | Mary Decker | February 19, 1982 | San Diego | |
| 4:18.86 | Doina Melinte | February 13, 1988 | East Rutherford | |
| 4:17.14 | Doina Melinte | February 9, 1990 | East Rutherford | |
| 4:13.31 | Genzebe Dibaba | February 17, 2016 | Stockholm |
Road Women
editIAAF Era
editNote: The Road Mile became an official world record event after September 1, 2023, on World Athletics Certified Courses only (i.e: elevation gradient must not exceed one meter per kilometer, start and finish line must not be more than half a mile apart). 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.[36][37]
Key:
Wo = Women Only Race
Source:[41]
| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:27.97 Wo | Nikki Hiltz | April 25, 2023 | Des Moines | |
| 4:20.98 Wo | Deribe Welteji | October 1, 2023 | Riga |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "International Association of Athletics Federations". IAAF. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
- ^ "Mile run - women - senior - outdoor". World Athletics. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ Edward S. Sears (8 June 2015). Running Through the Ages, 2d ed. McFarland. pp. 261–. ISBN 978-1-4766-2086-2.
- ^ "World Mile Record Progression". Berkshire Sports. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
- ^ "Progression of world record times for males". sta.colostate.edu. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. pp. Pages 546, 549–50. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
- ^ McLemore, Henry (July 16, 1933). "Epochal run breaks mark". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. p. 1, sports.
- ^ "Cunningham and Eastman set world's records in mile, half-mile". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. June 17, 1934. p. 1, sports.
- ^ "Wooderson cracks mile record mark". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. August 29, 1937. p. 1, sports.
- ^ "4-minute mile cracked by British speedster". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. 7 May 1954. p. 1.
- ^ Haeggblom, Stig (June 22, 1954). "Landy cracks mark in 3:58". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. p. 14.
- ^ "World mile record for Ibbotson". Glasgow Herald. July 20, 1957. p. 5.
- ^ "World wondering how fast a man can run a mile". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. July 20, 1957. p. 7.
- ^ "Australian runner's mile record". Glasgow Herald. August 7, 1958. p. 5.
- ^ "Herb Elliott runs 3:54.5 world record mile". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. August 6, 1958. p. 3B.
- ^ "Snell cracks Elloitt's mile record with clocking of 3:54.4 on grass". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 28, 1962. p. 1B.
- ^ "Snell snaps his own mile mark with 3:54.1 clocking". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 17, 1964. p. 3B.
- ^ "The record miles – and now 3:53.6!". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 10, 1965. p. 1D.
- ^ "Poles help Ryun with mile mark". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. July 18, 1966. p. 2B.
- ^ Engel, Lou (July 18, 1966). "Ryun's record performance thrills KU trach coaches". Lawrence Journal-World. (Kansas). p. 10.
- ^ "Ryun writes 3:51.1 chapter to mile story". Lawrence Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. June 24, 1967. p. 10.
- ^ "Bayi lowers mile mark to 3:51". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. May 18, 1975. p. 1B.
- ^ "Walker's 3:49.4 "perfect race"". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. August 13, 1975. p. 1D.
- ^ "Walker runs record 3:49.4 mile". Lawrence Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. August 13, 1975. p. 13.
- ^ "'Nice air' Coe's only explanation for record mile". Lawrence Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. July 18, 1979. p. 24.
- ^ "Coe loses world mile record to Ovett". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire service reports. July 2, 1980. p. 1D.
- ^ "Coe, Nehemiah set records". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). Associated Press. August 20, 1981. p. 1D.
- ^ "Ovett snaps mile record; Rono's back". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire service reports. August 27, 1981. p. 1C.
- ^ "Coe trims mile mark once again". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 29, 1981. p. 17.
- ^ "Three world track records fall at Oslo". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. July 28, 1985. p. 1B.
- ^ "Morceli shatters mile record". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 6, 1993. p. 1D.
- ^ "El Guerrouj breaks mile mark on 'miracle track'". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. July 8, 1999. p. 1D.
- ^ Hymans, Richard; Matrahazi, Imre. "IAAF World Records Progression" (PDF) (2015 ed.). International Association of Athletics Federations. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
- ^ Hicham El Guerrouj sets a world record in the mile, retrieved 2023-02-27
- ^ "Progressions - Mile History".
- ^ a b "Ratified: world road mile records for Hiltz and Prakel | PRESS-RELEASES | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ a b "Stats | World Athletics | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ "Stats | World Athletics | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. pp. Pages 546, 642. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
- ^ "Mile Run Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ "Stats | World Athletics | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
Further reading
edit- Bascomb, Neil (2004). The Perfect Mile. Willow. ISBN 978-0-0071737-3-0.
- Bryant, John (2004). 3:59.4 The Quest To Break The Four Minute Mile. Hutchinson. ISBN 978-0-0918003-3-8.
- Nelson, Cordner; Quercetani, Roberto (1985). The Milers. Tafnews Press. ISBN 0-911521-15-1.
- Phillips, Bob (2004). 3:59.4 The Quest For The Four-Minute Mile. Parrs Wood Press. ISBN 978-1-9031584-9-4.
External links
edit- Runner's World data
- Running Times Magazine data
- Frankfurt University (in German) (Internet Archive)
- Women's progression
- Another women's mile progression
- Frankfurt University (Women's progression) (in German) (Internet Archive)
- Clips of Bannister's 4 minute mile
- Video of current Men's world record by Hicham El Guerrouj