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.
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
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]
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]
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]
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.
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]
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)
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]
^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.
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