Wanamaker Mile

Wanamaker Mile
The 2015 Men's Wanamaker Mile. Leading above are Bernard Lagat & Chris O'Hare.
Date	February
Location	Fort Washington Avenue Armory New York City, New York, United States
Event type	Indoor Track and field
Distance	One Mile (1,609.344 meters)
Established	1926
Organizer	Millrose Games
Course records	Men: Yared Nuguse 3:47.38 (2023) Women: Elinor Purrier 4:16.41 (2024)
Official site	The Wanamaker Mile

The Wanamaker Mile is a prestigious indoor mile race for elite middle distance runners held annually at the Millrose Games in New York City. Alongside Oslo's Dream Mile and Eugene's Bowerman Mile, the Wanamaker Mile is among the world's premier mile races. It is the signature and concluding event of the Millrose Games, and is named in honor of department store owner Rodman Wanamaker.^[1]

The race is a tradition for Irish runners: past Irish winners include Ronnie Delany (1956–1959), Eamonn Coghlan (1977, '79–'81, '83, '85 and '87), Marcus O'Sullivan (1986, '88–'90 and 1992), Niall Bruton (1994 and 1996), and Mark Carroll (2000).^[2] Ray Flynn, the Irish record holder in the mile and the current meeting director of the Millrose Games, has also competed in the Wanamaker Mile.^[3]

It was at the Millrose Games that Coghlan earned the nickname "Chairman of the Boards" (from the surface of the track being made of wooden boards).^[4] O'Sullivan has run 11 sub-four-minute miles in the Wanamaker.^[5]

The Wanamaker Mile has been won by over 40 different men, including Glenn Cunningham, Kip Keino, Tony Waldrop, Filbert Bayi, Steve Scott, Noureddine Morceli, Bernard Lagat, Yared Nuguse, Matthew Centrowitz Jr., Marcus O'Sullivan, Ron Delany, and Eamonn Coghlan.

History

The Millrose Games were first held in a local armory in 1908, being organized by the employees of the Wanamaker Department Store's New York City branch. The employees formed the recreational Millrose Athletic Association. "Millrose" was the name of the country home of Rodman Wanamaker in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. When this local armory overflowed, the Millrose Games were moved to Madison Square Garden in 1914.

From 1916 to 1925, the games' signature event was the 1.5 mile run. In 1925, the last edition of the "Wanamaker 1.5 Mile Race" was won by "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi, the nine-time Olympic gold medalist from Finland.

In 1926, the race was shortened to one mile, and thus the Wanamaker Mile was born.^[6] The winner of the 1926 race was James J. Connolly, who had represented the United States at the 1920 and 1924 Olympics.^[7]

In the 1929 Wanamaker, American athlete Ray Conger became the first and only athlete to defeat and upset "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi in the mile. Although Conger was modest about his win, he would be known as "the man who beat Nurmi" for decades.^{[8][9][10][11]}

The first time the Wanamaker Mile was won in a sub-four minute time was by American athlete Tony Waldrop in 1974, in 3:59.7.

The first women's race for the Wanamaker was held in 1982, and was won by Mary Decker.^[12]

The Wanamaker was once held every year at 10:00 p.m., a tradition started by the legendary sports announcer Ted Husing. Husing would broadcast the race live during the nightly news. In 2002, the mile was moved to 9 p.m. to accommodate television coverage.^[13]

Madison Square Garden, which possessed a 146-meter track,^[14] was the venue for the race from 1914 until 2012, when it was moved to The Armory in Upper Manhattan,^[15] a much faster 200-meter mondo track.^[16]

Yomif Kejelcha in the 2019 Wanamaker Mile.

Accompanying this venue change, the Millrose Games and therefore the Wanamaker Mile shifted from a Friday evening format to an all-day Saturday format.^[17]

By 2018, the start time had been moved to late afternoon when it was nationally televised live on NBC.^[18]

In 2019, Yomif Kejelcha won the Wanamaker in 3:48.46 to miss Hicham El Guerrouj's then-world record of 3:48.45 by just one hundredth of a second. Kejelcha would later go on to shatter El Guerrouj's indoor mile world record by almost 1.5 seconds at the Bruce Lehane Invitational in Boston, with a time of 3:47.01.^[19]

The 2024 edition of the Wanamaker Mile at the 116th Millrose Games was held on Super Bowl Sunday (February 11), at 2:42 pm (women) and 2:53 pm (men).^[20]

Sponsors

The sponsors of the Wanamaker Mile have varied over the years, with the NYRR often supporting the race.^[21]

In 2023, the Rudin family sponsored the event in the 115th Millrose Games.^[22]

Records

In 2010, Bernard Lagat surpassed Eamonn Coghlan's record of seven Wanamaker Mile victories with his eighth victory.^[23] Prior to Coghlan, Glenn Cunningham was among the first men to dominate the event, winning six out of seven Wanamaker Miles from 1933 to 1939.^[24]

Mary Decker, Doina Melinte and Regina Jacobs are all tied for most Wanamaker victories on the women's side, with three wins each.^[25]

The current men's event record in the Wanamaker Mile is held by American athlete Yared Nuguse, who ran an American record time of 3:47.38 in the 2023 Wanamaker, missing Ethiopian athlete Yomif Kejelcha's 2019 indoor mile world record of 3:47.01 by .37 seconds. In 2024, Nuguse defended his title (3:47.83), but did not run faster than he did in 2023.^[26][27]

The current women's event record in the Wanamaker Mile was set in 2024 by American athlete Elinor Purrier, with a time of 4:16.41, also the American record. Purrier had eclipsed her previous 2020 American record time of 4:16.85.^[28][29]

Annual men's champions^[30]

Key:    Meet record (bolded)

Year	Athlete	Country	Time
Armory Era
2025	TBD
2024	Yared Nuguse	United States	3:47.83[31]
2023	Yared Nuguse	United States	3:47.38
2022	Ollie Hoare	Australia	3:50.83
2021	Meet Cancelled due to COVID-19
2020	Chris O'Hare	Great Britain	3:55.61
2019	Yomif Kejelcha	Ethiopia	3:48.46
2018	Chris O'Hare	Great Britain	3:54.14
2017	Eric Jenkins	United States	3:53.23
2016	Matt Centrowitz Jr.	United States	3:50.63
2015	Matt Centrowitz Jr.	United States	3:51.35
2014	Will Leer	United States	3:52.47
2013	Lopez Lomong	United States	3:51.21
2012	Matt Centrowitz Jr.	United States	3:53.92
Madison Square Garden Era
2011	Deresse Mekonnen	Ethiopia	3:58.58
2010	Bernard Lagat	United States	3:56.34
2009	Bernard Lagat	United States	3:58.44
2008	Bernard Lagat	United States	3:57.91
2007	Bernard Lagat	United States	3:54.26
2006	Bernard Lagat	United States	3:56.85
2005	Bernard Lagat	United States	3:52.87
2004	Hudson De Souza	Brazil	4:02.93
2003	Bernard Lagat	Kenya	4:00.36
2002	Laban Rotich	Kenya	3:57.04
2001	Bernard Lagat	Kenya	3:58.26
2000	Mark Carroll	Ireland	3:58.19
1999	William Tanui	Kenya	3:59.24
1998	Laban Rotich	Kenya	3:55.69
1997	Isaac Viciosa	Spain	3:59.34
1996	Niall Bruton	Ireland	4:00.58
1995	Graham Hood	Canada	3:57.08
1994	Niall Bruton	Ireland	3:58.71
1993	Noureddine Morceli	Algeria	3:55.06
1992	Marcus O’Sullivan	Ireland	4:00.65
1991	Noureddine Morceli	Algeria	3:53.50
1990	Marcus O’Sullivan	Ireland	3:59.35
1989	Marcus O’Sullivan	Ireland	3:54.27
1988	Marcus O’Sullivan	Ireland	3:56.89
1987	Eamonn Coghlan	Ireland	3:55.91
1986	Marcus O'Sullivan	Ireland	3:56.05
1985	Eamonn Coghlan	Ireland	3:53.82
1984	Steve Scott	United States	3:59.38
1983	Eamonn Coghlan	Ireland	3:54.40
1982	Steve Scott	United States	3:55.37
1981	Eamonn Coghlan	Ireland	3:53.0
1980	Eamonn Coghlan	Ireland	3:58.2
1979	Eamonn Coghlan	Ireland	3:55.0
1978	Dick Buerkle	United States	3.58.4
1977	Eamonn Coghlan	Ireland	4.00.2
1976	Paul Cummings	United States	3.57.6
1975	Filbert Bayi	Tanzania	3:59.3
1974	Tony Waldrop	United States	3:59.7
1973	Henryk Szordykowski	Poland	4:04.4
1972	John Mason	United States	4:03.2
1971	Marty Liquori	United States	4:00.6
1970	Marty Liquori	United States	4:02.6
1969	Marty Liquori	United States	4:00.8
1968	Preston Davis	United States	4:03.9
1967	Dave Patrick	United States	4:03.7
1966	Kipchoge Keino	Kenya	4:03.9
1965	John Whetton	England	4:05.4
1964	Tom O'Hara	United States	4:00.6
1963	Tom O'Hara	United States	4:01.5
1962	Peter Close	United States	4:08.6
1961	Islvan Rozsavolgyi	Hungary	4:06.0
1960	James Grelle	United States	4:06.4
1959	Ron Delany	Ireland	4:06.5
1958	Ron Delany	Ireland	4:04.6
1957	Ron Delany	Ireland	4:06.7
1956	Ron Delany	Ireland	4:09.5
1955	Gunnar Nielsen	Denmark	4:03.6
1954	Josy Barthel	Luxembourg	4:07.5
1953	Fred Dwyer	United States	4:08.2
1952	Don A. Gehrmann	United States	4:11.2
1951	Don A. Gehrmann	United States	4:07.5
1950	Don A. Gehrmann	United States	4:09.3
1949	Don A. Gehrmann	United States	4:09.5
1948	Gilbert Dodds	United States	4:05.3
1947	Gilbert Dodds	United States	4:09.2
1946	Leslie MacMitchell	United States	4:19.0
1945	James Rafferty	United States	4:13.1
1944	Gilbert Dodds	United States	4:10.6
1943	Earl Mitchell	United States	4:08.6
1942	Leslie MacMitchell	United States	4:11.3
1941	Walter J. Mehl	United States	4:13.6
1940	Charles H. Fenske	United States	4:07.4
1939	Glenn Cunningham	United States	4:13.0
1938	Glenn Cunningham	United States	4:11.0
1937	Glenn Cunningham	United States	4:14.4
1936	Joseph R. Mangan	United States	4:11.0
1935	Glenn Cunningham	United States	4:11.0
1934	Glenn Cunningham	United States	4:11.2
1933	Glenn Cunningham	United States	4:13.0
1932	Gene Venzke	United States	4:11.2
1931	Ray Conger	United States	4:13.6
1930	Ray Conger	United States	4:21.8
1929	Ray Conger	United States	4:17.4
1928	Lloyd Hahn	United States	4:18.6
1927	Lloyd Hahn	United States	4:15.6
1926	James J. Connolly	United States	4:17.2

See also

• Mile run world record progression
• Four-minute mile
• Dicksonpokalen
• Dream Mile
• Emsley Carr Mile
• Bowerman Mile

References

1. "The Wanamaker Mile". 116th Millrose Games. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
2. "The Wanamaker Mile – Champions List". runningpast.com. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
3. Cobley, John. "Racing Past-The Wanamaker Mile: More than 50 years of History". Racing Past. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
4. "Wanamaker Mile Still Goes the Distance". The Wall Street Journal. February 14, 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
5. "ATHLETICS Caulfield pipped in New York". The Irish Independent. February 3, 2002. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
6. "The Wanamaker Mile". 116th Millrose Games. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
7. "The Wanamaker Mile". 116th Millrose Games. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
8. "The Day - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
9. "Ray Conger Named Coach; Noted Track Star to Direct the Teams at Penn State". The New York Times. December 24, 1942.
10. Raevuori, Antero (1997). Paavo Nurmi: juoksijain kuningas. Suuret suomalaiset (2. painos ed.). Porvoo: Söderström. ISBN 978-951-0-21850-1.
11. Risjord, Norman K. (February 2000). Clark, George Rogers (19 November 1752–13 February 1818), revolutionary war general and "conqueror of the Northwest". American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0200067.
12. "The Wanamaker Mile". 116th Millrose Games. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
13. Litsky, Frank (January 8, 2002). "An Earlier Start Time For the Wanamaker Mile". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
14. "The Wanamaker Mile". 116th Millrose Games. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
15. "From Good Times at the Garden to a New Era at the Armory". The New York Times. February 8, 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
16. "The Wanamaker Mile". 116th Millrose Games. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
17. "Millrose Games to expand to 'all day' Saturday program, move to The Armory". MileSplit New York. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
18. "Track & Field". NBC Sports. Event occurs at 17:55. NBC. WGBA.
19. "Kejelcha breaks world indoor mile record with 3:47.01 in Boston | REPORT | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
20. "Schedule". 116th Millrose Games. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
21. "The Wanamaker Mile". 116th Millrose Games. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
22. Parker, Kevin (2023-01-05). "The Rudin Family to Sponsor the Wanamaker Miles at the 115th Millrose Games". citybiz. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
23. "Bernard Lagat wins eighth career Wanamaker Mile to set mark at Millrose Games at Garden". New York Daily News. January 30, 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
24. "The Wanamaker Mile". 116th Millrose Games. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
25. "The Wanamaker Mile". 116th Millrose Games. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
26. Metzler, Brian (2023-02-13). "The Famous Millrose Games Delivers Speed, Records, and the Wanamaker Mile". Outside Online. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
27. "Results". results.nyrrmillrosegames.org. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
28. "The Wanamaker Mile". 116th Millrose Games. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
29. "Results". results.nyrrmillrosegames.org. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
30. "Running Past - Wanamaker Mile Champions List". www.runningpast.com. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
31. "Results". results.nyrrmillrosegames.org. Retrieved 2024-02-11.

External links

• Wanamaker Mile Champions List
• List of All Wanamaker Mile Finishers (1926-2022)
• The Wanamaker Mile: More than 50 years of History