The mile run (1,760

yard The yard (symbol: yd) is an English unit of length in both the British imperial and US customary systems of measurement equalling 3 feet or 36 inches. Since 1959 it has been by international agreement standardized as exactly ...

s or exactly 1,609.344

metre The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...

s) is a middle-distance

foot race Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

. The history of the mile run event began in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, where it was used as a distance for gambling races. It survived

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

's switch to metric distances in the 1900s and retained its popularity, with the chase for the

four-minute mile A four-minute mile is the completion of a mile run (1609 m) in four minutes or less. It was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister, at age 25, in 3:59.4. As of April 2021, the "four-minute barrier" has been broken by 1,663 athletes, and is n ...

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 A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

and

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...

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 The Emsley Carr Mile is an annual invitational athletics running event held in the United Kingdom over one mile for men. The race was won in 2022 by the British athlete Matthew Stonier. History The race was inaugurated in 1953 by Sir William Ca ...

and Bowerman Mile races are among the foremost annual middle-distance races outdoors, respectively. The current mile world record holders are

Hicham El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj ( ar, هشام الݣروج, Hishām l-Garrūj; ber, ⵀⵉⵛⴰⵎ ⴻⵍ ⴳⴻⵔⵔⵓⵊ, Hisham El Gerruj; born 14 September 1974) is a retired Moroccan middle-distance runner. El Guerrouj is the current world record ho ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

with a time of 3:43.13 and

Sifan Hassan Sifan Hassan ( om, Siifan Hassan; born 1 January 1993) is an Ethiopian-born Dutch middle- and long-distance runner. She completed an unprecedented triple at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics winning gold medals in both the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres, ...

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

with the women's record of 4:12.33. 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 The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 Engli ...

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 The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advised t ...

in 1593. Thus, the history of the mile run began in

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 A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...

one for its more-established participants.Bryant, John (2005). ''3:59.4: The Quest to Break the 4 Minute Mile''. Random House. . The mile run was at the heart of the divide between professional and

amateur sports Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration Remuneration is the pay or other financial compensation provided in exchange for an employee's ''services performed'' (not to be confused with givi ...

in the late 19th century, as running was beginning to gain popularity in the sports world. Separate

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

categories were kept for amateurs and professionals, with professional runners providing the faster times. High-profile contests between Britons William Cummings and

Walter George Walter George may refer to: * Walter George (athlete) (1858–1943), British runner * Walter George (cricketer) (1847–1938), English cricketer * Walter F. George (1878–1957), U.S. Senator and judge from the state of Georgia * W. L. George W ...

brought much publicity to the sport, as did George's races against the American

Lon Myers Laurence Eugene "Lon" Myers (February 16, 1858 – February 16, 1899) was an American sprinter and middle distance runner. Myers won 28 national championships. He also set world records at 11 different distances, and held every American record ...

. The mile run was also one of the foremost events at the amateur

AAA Championships The AAA Championships was an annual track and field competition organised by the Amateur Athletic Association of England. It was the foremost domestic athletics event in the United Kingdom during its lifetime, despite the existence of the officia ...

. 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

The mile run continued to be a popular distance in spite of the

metrication Metrication or metrification is the act or process of converting to the metric system of measurement. All over the world, countries have transitioned from local and traditional units of measurement to the metric system. This process began in F ...

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 World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...

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 John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...

).12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook
(p. 546, 549–50).

IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...

. Retrieved on 12 June 2011. 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 is ubiquitous, whether run in high school gym classes or used for logging in miles for your average recreational runner. The top men's middle-distance runners continued to compete in the mile run in the first half of the 1900s –

Paavo Nurmi Paavo Johannes Nurmi (; 13 June 1897 – 2 October 1973) was a Finnish middle-distance and long-distance runner. He was called the "Flying Finn" or the "Phantom Finn", as he dominated distance running in the 1920s. Nurmi set 22 official world r ...

Jack Lovelock John Edward Lovelock (5 January 1910 – 28 December 1949) was a New Zealand athlete who became the world 1500m and mile record holder and 1936 Olympic champion in the 1500 metres. Early life Lovelock was born in the town of Crushingto ...

and

Sydney Wooderson Sydney Charles Wooderson MBE (30 August 1914 – 21 December 2006), dubbed "The Mighty Atom", was an English athlete whose peak career was in the 1930s and 1940s. He set the world mile record of 4:06.4 at London’s Motspur Park on 28 August 19 ...

were all world record holders over the distance. In the 1940s,

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

runners

Gunder Hägg Gunder Hägg (31 December 1918 – 27 November 2004)Gunder Hägg passes away
IAAF (28 N ...

and

Arne Andersson Arne Andersson (27 October 1917 – 1 April 2009) was a Swedish middle distance runner who became famous for his rivalry with his compatriot Gunder Hägg in the 1940s. Anderson set a 1500 metres world record in Gothenburg in August 1943 with a ...

pushed times into a new territory, as they set three world records each during their rivalry over the decade.Mile - Introduction

. Retrieved on 12 June 2011. The goal of completing a sub-

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 Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister (23 March 1929 – 3 March 2018) was an English neurologist and middle-distance athlete who ran the first sub-4-minute mile. At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Bannister set a British record in the 1500 metres and ...

became the first person to achieve the feat in May 1954 and his effort, conducted with the help of

Chris Brasher Christopher William Brasher CBE (21 August 1928 – 28 February 2003) was a British track and field athlete, sports journalist and co-founder of the London Marathon. Early life and education Born in Georgetown, British Guiana, Brasher went to ...

and

Chris Chataway Chris Chataway (born ) is an Australian Anglican priest and musician who has served as Dean of Perth since 1 February 2020. He previously served as Archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Cath ...

, was a key moment in the rise of the use of

pacemakers An artificial cardiac pacemaker (or artificial pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the natural cardiac pacemaker) or pacemaker is a Implant (medicine), medical device that generates electrical impulses delivered by electrodes to the Heart ...

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. Augustine Choge Kiprono

The 1960s saw American

Jim Ryun James Ronald Ryun (born April 29, 1947) is an American former Republican politician and Olympic track and field athlete, who at his peak was widely considered the world's top middle-distance runner. He won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the 1 ...

, considered one of the world's most decorated middle-distance runners, 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. From this period onwards, African runners began to emerge, breaking the largely white,

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

dominance of the distance; Kenya's

Kip Keino Kipchoge Hezekiah Keino (born 17 January 1940) is a retired Kenyan track and field athlete. He was the chairman of the Kenyan Olympic Committee (KOC) until 29 September 2017. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Keino was among the first in a lo ...

won the mile at the

1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 4 to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions. They were followed by the 1966 Commonwealth P ...

(which was among the last mile races to be held at a major

multi-sport event A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of interna ...

as of 2021).

Filbert Bayi Filbert Bayi Sanka (born June 23, 1953) is a Tanzanian former middle-distance runner who competed throughout the 1970s. He set the world records for 1500 metres in 1974 and the mile in 1975. His world record in the 1500 m was also the Comm ...

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 was highlighted by the rivalry between British runners

Sebastian Coe Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, (born 29 September 1956), often referred to as Seb Coe, is a British politician and former track and field athlete. As a middle-distance runner, Coe won four Olympic medals, including 1500 metres gold medal ...

and Steve Ovett, who improved the record five times between them, including two records at the Oslo Dream Mile race.

Noureddine Morceli Noureddine Morceli ( ar, نور الدين مرسلي, ''Nūr ud-Dīn Mursilī''; born February 28, 1970) is a retired Algerian middle-distance runner. He was the winner of the 1500 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics and won three straight gold me ...

brought the mile record back into African hands in 1993 and Morocco's

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, with long-running series such as the Wanamaker Mile at the

Millrose Games The Millrose Games is an annual indoor athletics meet (track and field) held each February in New York City. They started taking place at the Armory in Washington Heights in 2012, after having taken place in Madison Square Garden from 1914 to 2011 ...

, Dream Mile at the

Bislett Games The Bislett Games is an annual track and field meeting at the Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Norway. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Diamond League. History The first international athletics meeting at Bislet ...

, the British

, and the Bowerman Mile at the

Prefontaine Classic The Prefontaine Classic, an Oregon Track Club event, is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States, held in Eugene, Oregon. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at Hayward Field on the campus of the University o ...

being among the most prominent. Aside from track races, mile races are also occasionally contested in

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open coun ...

and mile runs

on the road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonis ...

include the

Fifth Avenue Mile The Fifth Avenue Mile is an annual road race on Fifth Avenue in New York City, United States. The race begins at 80th Street and heads twenty blocks south to 60th Street. First held on September 26, 1981, the race is currently organized by N ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. However, in high school and collegiate cross country running, races are often measured in kilometers, with 5K and 8K being the most common.

Records

Outdoor

Indoor

All-time top 25

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

Men (outdoor)

* Correct as of June 2022. {, {, class="wikitable sortable" ! Ath.# !! Perf.# !! Time !! Athlete !! Nation !! Date !! Place !! Ref , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1 , 3:43.13 ,

, , rowspan="2" , 7 JUL 1999 , rowspan="2" ,

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2 , 3:43.40 ,

Noah Ngeny Noah Kiprono Ngeny (born 2 November 1978) is a former Kenyan athlete, Olympic gold medalist at 1500 m at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and world record holder in the 1000 m. Career Noah was born in the Uasin Gishu District in Kenya. Ngeny play ...

, , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3 , 3:44.39 , ,

, , , , 05 SEP 1993 , ,

Rieti Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina re ...

, , , - , rowspan="7" , , align=center, 4 , 3:44.60 , ''Guerrouj #2'' , rowspan="7" , , 16 JUL 1998 ,

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...

, , - , align=center, 5 , 3:44.90 , ''Guerrouj #3'' , 04 JUL 1997 ,

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, , - , align=center, 6 , 3:44.95 , ''Guerrouj #4'' , 29 JUN 2001 ,

, , - , align=center, 7 , 3:45.19 , ''Morceli #2'' , 16 AUG 1995 , Zurich , , - , align=center, 8 , 3:45.64 , ''Guerrouj #5'' , 26 AUG 1997 ,

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, , - , align=center, 9 , 3:45.96 , ''Guerrouj #6'' , 05 AUG 2000 ,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, , - , align=center, 10 , 3:46.24 , ''Guerrouj #7'' , 28 JUL 2000 ,

, , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 4 , align="center" , 11 , 3:46.32 , ,

Steve Cram Stephen Cram, (born 14 October 1960) is a British retired track and field athlete. Along with fellow Britons Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, he was one of the world's dominant middle distance runners during the 1980s. Nicknamed "The Jarrow Arr ...

, , , , 27 July 1985 , ,

, , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 5 , align="center" , 12 , 3:46.38 ,

Daniel Komen Daniel Kipngetich Komen (born 17 May 1976) Komen is rumoured to be three years older than officially recognised. is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. Remembered for his rivalry with Haile Gebrselassie, Komen's most notable achievement ...

, , 26 August 1997 ,

, , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 6 , align="center" , 13 , 3:46.46 ,

Jakob Ingebrigtsen Jakob Ingebrigtsen (born 19 September 2000) is a Norwegian Middle-distance running, middle- and Long-distance running, long-distance runner. He won the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics, 2020 Tokyo Olympic ...

, , 16 June 2022 ,

, , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 7 , align="center" , 14 , 3:46.70 , ,

Vénuste Niyongabo Vénuste Niyongabo (born December 9, 1973) is a Burundian former long and middle-distance runner. In 1996, he became the first Olympic medalist from Burundi by winning the 5000 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He had only competed twice bef ...

, , , 26 August 1997 ,

, , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 8 , align="center" , 15 , 3:46.76 , ,

Saïd Aouita Saïd Aouita ( ar, سعيد عويطة; born November 2, 1959) is a former Moroccan track and field athlete. He is the only athlete in history to have won a medal in each of the 800 meters and 5000 meters at the Olympic games. He won the 5000 mete ...

, , , , 2 July 1987 , ,

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

, , , - , , align=center, 16 , 3:46.78 , ''Morceli #3'' , , 27 AUG 1993 ,

, , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 9 , align="center" , 17 , 3:46.91 , , Alan Webb, , , , 21 July 2007 , ,

Brasschaat Brasschaat () is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Brasschaat proper. In November 2006, Brasschaat won the LivCom-Award 200 ...

, , , - , rowspan="3" , , align=center, 18 , 3:46.92 , ''Aouita #2'' , rowspan="3" , , 21 AUG 1985 , Zurich , , - , align=center, 19 , 3:47.10 , ''Guerrouj #8'' , 07 AUG 1999 ,

, , - , align=center, 20 , 3:47.24 , ''Ingebrigtsen #2'' , 21 AUG 2021 , Eugene , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 10 , align="center" , 21 , 3:47.28 , ,

Bernard Lagat Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat (born December 12, 1974) is a Kenyan-American middle and long-distance runner. Lagat was born in Kapsabet, Kenya. Prior to his change of domicile to the US, Lagat had an extensive competitive career representing his ...

, , , 29 June 2001 , ,

, , , - , , align=center, 22 , 3:47.30 , ''Morceli #3'' , , 03 SEP 1993 ,

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 11 , align="center" , 23 , 3:47.32 , Ayanleh Souleiman , , 31 May 2014 , Eugene , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 12 , align="center" , 24 , 3:47.33 , ,

, , , , 28 August 1981 , ,

, , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 13 , align="center" , 25 , 3:47.48 ,

Oliver Hoare Oliver Reginald Hoare (18 July 1945 – 23 August 2018) was an English art dealer, described as arguably the most influential dealer in the Islamic art world. Early life and family Hoare was born on 18 July 1945 to Reginald Hoare, a Norfolk lan ...

, , 16 June 2022 ,

, , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 14 , rowspan="12" align="center" , , 3:47.65 , ,

Laban Rotich Laban Rotich (born 20 January 1969 in Mosoriot) is a retired Kenyan runner who specialized in the 1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in a ...

, , , 4 July 1997 , ,

, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 15 , 3:47.69 , , Steve Scott , , , , 7 July 1982 , ,

, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 16 , 3:47.79 , , José Luis González , , , , 27 July 1985 , ,

, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , rowspan="2" align="center" , 17, , rowspan="2" , 3:47.88 ,

John Kibowen John Kipkemboi Kibowen (born 21 April 1969 in Changach, southern Keiyo District), is a Kenyan former long-distance runner who specialized in the 5000 metres and cross-country running. Kibowen won the gold medal in the short race at the 1998 ...

, , , , 4 July 1997 , ,

, , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , ,

Silas Kiplagat Silas Kiplagat (born 20 August 1989) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. He has a personal best of 3:27.64 minutes, which makes him the fifth fastest of all-time over the distance. Born in Siboh Village, Mar ...

, , , , 31 May 2014 , Eugene , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 19 , 3:47.94 , , William Chirchir , , 28 July 2000 , ,

, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 20 , 3:47.97 , , Dahame Najem Bashir , , , , 29 July 2005 , ,

, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 21 , 3:48.17 , , Paul Korir , , , 8 August 2003 , ,

, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 22 , 3:48.23 , , Ali Saidi-Sief , , , , 13 July 2001 , ,

, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 23 , 3:48.28 , Daniel Kipchirchir Komen , , 10 June 2007 , Eugene , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 24 , 3:48.37 , Stewart McSweyn , , 1 July 2021 ,

, , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 25 , align="center" , 3:48.38 , Andrés Manuel Díaz , , 29 JUN 2001 ,

, *

Women (outdoor)

* Correct as of July 2019. Sonia osullivan 2000-2

{, {, class="wikitable sortable" ! Ath.# !! Perf.# !! Time !! Athlete !! Nation !! Date !! Place !! Ref , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 1 , 1 , 4:12.33 ,

, , 12 JUL 2019 , Monaco , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 2 , 2 , 4:12.56 , ,

Svetlana Masterkova Svetlana Aleksandrovna Masterkova (russian: Светлана Александровна Мастеркова; born 17 January 1968) is a Russian former middle-distance runner and former women's world record holder for the mile and the current 1 ...

, , , , 14 AUG 1996 , ,

Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...

, , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 3 , 3 , 4:14.30 ,

Genzebe Dibaba Genzebe Dibaba Keneni (Oromo language, Oromo: ''Ganzabee Dibaabaa Qananii''; Amharic: ገንዘቤ ዲባባ ቀነኒ; born 8 February 1991) is an Ethiopian Middle-distance running, middle- and Long-distance running, long-distance runner. A 150 ...

, , 06 SEP 2016 ,

Rovereto Rovereto (; "wood of sessile oaks"; locally: ''Roveredo'') is a city and ''comune'' in Trentino in northern Italy, located in the Vallagarina valley of the Adige River. History Rovereto was an ancient fortress town standing at the frontier b ...

, , - , rowspan="2" , , 4 , 4:14.71 , ''Hassan #2'' , rowspan="2" , , 22 JUL 2018 ,

, , - , 5 , 4:14.74 , ''Hassan #3'' , 03 SEP 2021 ,

, , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 4 , 6 , 4:15.61 , ,

Paula Ivan Paula Ivan (born 20 July 1963 as Ionescu, later known as Ilie) is a retired Romanian middle-distance runner. Born in Herăști, Giurgiu County, she graduated from the Gheorghe Șincai High School in Bucharest in 1982. In 1987, Ivan won gold ...

, , , , 10 JUL 1989 , ,

, , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 5 , 7 , 4:15.8h , ,

Natalya Artyomova Natalya Petrovna Artyomova (russian: Наталья Петровна Артёмова; born January 5, 1963, in Rostov-on-Don) is a retired middle-distance runner from Russia, who was one of the leading athletes in the women's 1500 metres and 3000 ...

, , , , 05 AUG 1984 , ,

Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, , , - , , 8 , 4:16.05 , ''Dibaba #2'' , , 06 JUL 2017 ,

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...

, , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 6 , 9 , 4:16.14 ,

Gudaf Tsegay Gudaf Tsegay Desta (born 23 January 1997) is an Ethiopian middle- and long-distance runner. She is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist in the women's 5000 metres. At the World Athletics Championships, she won a bronze for the 1500 metres i ...

, , 22 JUL 2018 , London , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 7 , 10 , 4:16.15 ,

Hellen Obiri Hellen Onsando Obiri (born 13 December 1989) is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. She is a two-time Olympic 5000 metres silver medallist from the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she also placed fourth over the 10,000 metres. S ...

, , 22 JUL 2018 , London , , - , , 11 , 4:16.15 , ''Obiri #2'' , , 09 JUL 2017 , London , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , rowspan="2" , 8 , 12 , , rowspan="2" , 4:16.71 , ,

Mary Slaney Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

, , , , 21 AUG 1985 , ,

, , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 12, ,

Faith Kipyegon Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon (born 10 January 1994) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner specializing in the 1500 metres. A 2016 Rio Olympic and 2020 Tokyo Olympic champion with the Games record at the latter, she is the second woman in history t ...

, , , , 11 SEP 2015 , ,

, , - , , 14 , 4:17.00 , ''Artyomova #2'' , , 20 SEP 1991 ,

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 10 , 15 , 4:17.25 , ,

Sonia O'Sullivan Sonia O'Sullivan (born 28 November 1969) is an Irish people, Irish former track and field athlete. She won a gold medal in the 5000 metres at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics, 1995 World Championships, and a silver medal in the 5000 met ...

, , , , 22 JUL 1994 , ,

, , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 11 , 16 , 4:17.30 ,

Jenny Simpson Jennifer Simpson (née Barringer; born August 23, 1986) is an American middle distance runner and steeplechaser. She represented the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics. She is a former Americ ...

, , 22 JUL 2018 , London , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 12 , 17 , 4:17.33 , ,

Maricica Puica Maricica is a Romanian female given name: *Maricica Puică (née Luca), a retired Romanian Olympic middle-distance runner. * Maricica Țăran, retired Romanian-German Olympic rower See also * Maria (disambiguation) * Marioara *Marcel (disambiguati ...

, , , , 21 AUG 1985 , ,

, , , - , , 18 , 4:17.44 , ''Puica #2'' , , 16 SEP 1982 ,

, , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 13 , 19 , , 4:17.57, ,

Zola Budd Zola Budd (also known as Zola Pieterse; born 26 May 1966) is a South African middle-distance and long-distance runner. She competed at the 1984 Olympic Games for Great Britain and the 1992 Olympic Games for South Africa, both times in the 30 ...

, , , , 21 AUG 1985, ,

, , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 14 , 20 , 4:17.60 ,

Laura Weightman Laura Weightman (born 1 July 1991) is a British Middle-distance running, middle-distance runner who competes in the 1500 metres and 5000 metres. She reached the 1500 metres final at the Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2012 London Olympic ...

, , 12 JUL 2019 , Monaco , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 15 , 21 , 4:17.75 , ,

Maryam Yusuf Jamal Maryam Yusuf Jamal ( ar, مريم يوسف جمال; om, Maryam Yuusuf Jamaal) (born Zenebech Tola) (born 16 September 1984) is an Ethiopian-born Bahraini middle-distance runner. She is the first Bahraini athlete to win an Olympic medal, a gold ...

, , , , 14 SEP 2007 , ,

, , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 16 , 22 , 4:17.87 ,

Gabriela DeBues-Stafford Gabriela Maria DeBues-Stafford (née Stafford, born 13 September 1995) is a Canadian middle- and long-distance runner. A two-time Olympian, she placed fifth in the women's 1500 metres at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. DeBues-Stafford holds the NACA ...

, , 12 JUL 2019 , Monaco , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 17 , 23 , 4:18.03 ,

Laura Muir Laura Muir (born 9 May 1993) is a Scottish middle- and long-distance runner. She is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medallist in the 1500 metres, having previously finished seventh in the event at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Muir won the bronze meda ...

, , 09 JUL 2017 , London , , - , , 24 , 4:18.08 , ''Slaney #2'' , , 09 JUL 1982 ,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 18 , 25 , 4:18.23 , ,

Doina Melinte Doina Ofelia Melinte (; née Beșliu on 27 December 1956) is a retired Romanians, Romanian middle-distance runner. She competed at four Olympics (1980–92), and won a gold medal in the 800 metres and a silver medal in the 1500 metres in 1984. S ...

, , , , 14 JUL 1990 , ,

, , , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 19 , , 4:18.23 , ,

Gelete Burka Gelete Burka Bati (sometimes misspelled ''Burika'', Oromo: Galate Burqaa Baati, Amharic: ገለቴ ቡርቃ; born 23 January 1986) is an Ethiopian middle-distance and long-distance runner. She was born in Kofele in the Arsi Zone of the Oromi ...

, , , , 07 SEP 2008 , ,

, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , 20 , , 4:18.42 , Rababe Arafi , , 12 JUL 2019 , Monaco , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , 21 , , 4:18.58 ,

Axumawit Embaye Axumawit Alem Embaye (Amharic: አክሱማዊት አምባዬ; born 18 October 1994) is an Ethiopian middle-distance runner, who specialises in the 1500 metres. She is a two-time World Athletics Indoor Championships, World Indoor Championship si ...

, , 12 JUL 2019 , Monaco , , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , 22 , , 4:18.65 ,

Winnie Nanyondo Winnie Nanyondo (born 23 August 1993, in Mulago) is a Ugandan middle- and long-distance runner. She has represented her native country in several important international events, including both the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the ...

, , 12 JUL 2019 , Monaco , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , 23 , , 4:18.23 , ,

Ciara Mageean Ciara Mageean ( ) (born 12 March 1992) is a middle-distance runner from Portaferry in Northern Ireland who specialises in the 1500 metres. She is a three-time European Athletics Championship medallist at the event, with bronze in 2016 and silve ...

, , , , 12 JUL 2019 , ,

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , 24 , , 4:19.30 , ,

Gabriela Szabo Gabriela Szabo (, hu, Szabó Gabriella; born 14 November 1975) is a retired Romanian runner. She competed in the 1500 m and 5000 m events at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics and won a gold, a silver and a bronze medal. Szabo is a three-time world c ...

, , , , 01 JUL 1998 , ,

Bellinzona Bellinzona ( , , Ticinese ; french: Bellinzone ; german: Bellenz ; rm, Blizuna )is a municipality, a historic Swiss town, and the capital of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The town is famous for its three castles (Castelgrande, Montebell ...

, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , 25 , , , 4:19.41, ,

Kirsty Wade Kirsty Wade (née McDermott, born 6 August 1962) is a British former middle-distance runner. She is a three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist representing Wales, winning the 800 metres in Brisbane 1982 and both the 800 metres and 1500 me ...

, , , , 27 JUL 1985, ,

, *

Men (indoor)

* Correct as of February 2022. {, class="wikitable" , - !Rank !Time !Athlete !Nation !Date !Place !Ref , - !1 , 3:47.01 ,

Yomif Kejelcha Yomif Kejelcha Atomsa (born 1 August 1997) is an Ethiopian distance runner. He won a silver medal in the men’s 10,000 metres at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. On 3 March 2019, Kejelcha broke the indoor mile world record ...

, , 3 March 2019 ,

Boston University Track and Tennis Center The Boston University Track and Tennis Center houses a banked, 6 lane, 200m indoor track. On January 28, 2013, Olympic Medalist Galen Rupp ran a facility record of 3.50.92 in the mile. On February 9, 2018, Edward Cheserek improved that to 3:49.44 ...

, , - !2 , 3:48.45 , ,

, , , , 12 February 1997 , ,

Indoor Flanders Meeting The Indoor Flanders meeting was an annual indoor track and field meeting which took place at the Flanders Sports Arena in Ghent, Belgium. It was one of foremost meetings on the indoor European circuit and one of nine events which hold IAAF Indoor ...

, , , - !3 , 3:48.87 , Josh Kerr , , 27 February 2022 ,

, , - !4 , 3:49.44 ,

Edward Cheserek Edward Cheserek (born 2 February 1994) is a Kenyan distance runner. He is a 17-time NCAA champion collegiate distance runner for the University of Oregon. Cheserek was the most highly recruited high school distance runner in the nation out of Sain ...

, , 9 February 2018 , David Hemery Valentine Invitational , , - !5 , 3:49.78 , ,

Eamonn Coghlan Eamonn Christopher Coghlan (born 21 November 1952) is an Irish former track and field athlete who specialised in middle distance track events and the 5,000 metres. He is a three-time Olympian and former world champion in the 5,000 m. He se ...

, , , , 27 February 1983 , ,

Meadowlands Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on ...

, , , - !6 , 3:49.89 , ,

, , , , 11 February 2005 , ,

Randal Tyson Track Center The Randal Tyson Track Center is a 5,500-seat indoor track in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Built in 2000, it is home to the University of Arkansas Razorbacks track and field teams. It was also home for one year to the semi-pro Arkansas Stars. The fac ...

, , , - !7 , 3:49.98 , Johnny Gregorek , , 3 March 2019 ,

, , - !8 , 3:50.17 ,

Cooper Teare Cooper Teare (born August 18, 1999) is an American distance runner who races events such as the 1500m, 3000m, 5000m. As a runner at the University of Oregon, he won the 5000m in 13:12.27 at the 2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Cham ...

, , 11 February 2022 , Chicago , , - !9 , 3:50.35 ,

Cole Hocker Cole Hocker (born June 6, 2001) is an American middle and long-distance runner. He competed collegiately for the University of Oregon, where he won multiple NCAA titles. Hocker announced in 2021 he would forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility to ...

, , 11 February 2022 , Chicago , , - !10 , 3:50.63 , , Matthew Centrowitz, , , , 20 February 2016 , ,

Fort Washington Avenue Armory The Fort Washington Avenue Armory, also known as the Fort Washington Armory, The Armory, and the 22nd Regiment Armory, is a historic 5,000-seat arena and armory building located at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, between West 168th and 169th Streets ...

, , , - !11 , 3:50.70 , ,

, , , , 20 February 1993 , ,

Arena Birmingham Arena Birmingham (known for sponsorship reasons as Utilita Arena Birmingham, and previously as The Barclaycard Arena and originally as the National Indoor Arena) is an indoor arena and sporting venue in central Birmingham, United Kingdom. It ...

, , , - !12 , 3:50.83 ,

, , 29 January 2022 ,

, , - !13 , 3:50.92 , ,

Galen Rupp Galen Rupp (born May 8, 1986) is an American long-distance runner. He competed in the Summer Olympics in 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and 2021 in Tokyo. He won the silver medal in the men's 10,000-meter run in London ...

, , , , 26 January 2013 , ,

, , , - ! rowspan="2" , 14 , rowspan="2" , 3:50.94 ,

Marcus O'Sullivan Marcus O'Sullivan (born in Cork, Ireland on 22 December 1961) is an Irish retired middle-distance runner. He competed for Ireland at four Summer Olympics. After Steve Scott and John Walker, he is the third all-time by total of sub-4 minute ...

, , 13 February 1988 ,

, , - ,

Sam Prakel Samuel Prakel (born 29 October 1994) is an American middle- and long-distance runner, who competes for Adidas. His personal best time in the indoor mile is 3:50.94, tied for 13th all-time. He competed collegiately for the Oregon Ducks, where h ...

, , 3 March 2019 ,

, , - !16 , 3:51.06 , ,

Nick Willis Nicholas Ian Willis (born 25 April 1983) is a New Zealand middle distance runner and the country's only two-time Olympic medalist in the 1500 metres. He won the silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and bronze at the 2016 Olympics in R ...

, , , , 20 February 2016 , ,

, , , - !17 , 3:51.20 , ,

Ray Flynn Raymond Leo Flynn (born July 22, 1939) is an American politician who served as 52nd Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts from 1984 until 1993. He also served as United States Ambassador to the Holy See from 1993–1997. Flynn was an All-American c ...

, , , , 27 February 1983 , ,

, , , - !18 , 3:51.21 ,

Lopez Lomong Lopez Lomong (born January 5, 1985) is a South Sudanese-born American track and field athlete. Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, came to the United States at the age of 16 and became a U.S. citizen in 2007. Lomong qualified for the 2008 Su ...

, , 19 February 2013 ,

, , - !19 , 3:51.26 ,

Henry Wynne Sir Henry Arthur Wynne, PC (14 June 1867 – 21 August 1943) was an Irish solicitor. He was Chief Crown Solicitor for Ireland from 1916 to 1922. He was knighted in 1919 and sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland in 1922, one of the last three to ...

, , 3 March 2019 ,

, , - !20 , 3:51.8 , Steve Scott , , 20 February 1981 , San Diego , , - !21 , 3:52.02 , Peter Elliott , , 9 February 1990 ,

East Rutherford East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.

, , - !22 , 3:52.03 , Morgan Beadlescomb , , 11 February 2022 , Chicago , , - !23 , 3:52.10 , Ciaran O Lionaird , , 16 February 2013 ,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, , - !24 , 3:52.18 , Rui Silva , , 15 February 2001 ,

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, , - !25 , 3:52.22 ,

Kyle Merber Kyle Merber (born November 19, 1990) is a former American mid-distance runner who specialized in the mile and the 1500 metres. He was sponsored by Hoka One One and competed for the New Jersey New York Track Club before retiring from the sport in ...

, , 26 February 2017 ,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Notes

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

also ran 3:48.46 (2019). *

also ran 3:50.39 (2021) *

also ran 3:50.55 (2021).

Women (indoor)

* Correct as of February 2022. {, class="wikitable" , - !Rank !Time !Athlete !Nation !Date !Place !Ref , - !1 , 4:13.31 , ,

, , , , 17 February 2016 , , Globen Galan , , , - !2 , 4:16.85 , Elle Purrier , , 8 February 2020 ,

, , - !3 , 4:17.14 , ,

, , , , 9 February 1990 , ,

, , , - !4 , 4:17.26 ,

Konstanze Klosterhalfen Konstanze "Koko" Klosterhalfen (born 18 February 1997) is a German middle- and long-distance runner. She is the 2019 World Championship bronze medallist and 2022 European champion in the 5000 metres, becoming the first German winner of the ev ...

, , 8 February 2020 ,

, , - !5 , 4:17.88 ,

Jemma Reekie Jemma Reekie (born 6 March 1998) is a Scottish middle-distance runner. She placed fourth in the 800 metres at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, narrowly missing out on the bronze medal. Reekie achieved a rare double at the 2019 European U23 Championshi ...

, , 8 February 2020 ,

, , - !6 , 4:18.75 ,

, , 16 February 2019 ,

, , - !7 , 4:18.99 , ,

, , , , 10 February 1989 , ,

, , , - !8 , 4:19.73 ,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, 8 February 2020 ,

, , - !9 , 4:19.89 , ,

, , , , 11 February 2017 , ,

, , , - !10 , 4:20.5 , , Mary Decker-Tabb, , , , 19 February 1982 , ,

San Diego Sports Arena Pechanga Arena (historically known as the San Diego Sports Arena) is an indoor arena built in 1966 and located in the Midway area of San Diego, California. The arena seats 12,000 for indoor football, 12,920 for ice hockey, indoor soccer and ...

, , , - !11 , 4:20.81 ,

Josette Norris Josette Andrews (née Norris; born December 15, 1995) is an American middle to long-distance runner. Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, Norris graduated from Tenafly High School in 2014, where she won the Meet of Champions in the 1,600 meters event ...

, , 29 January 2022 ,

, , - !12 , 4:21.72 ,

, , 17 February 2022 ,

Liévin Liévin (; pcd, Lévin; ) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The inhabitants are called ''Liévinois''. Overview The town of Liévin is an old mining area of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this town is of modest size but ...

, , - !13 , 4:21.79 , , Regina Jacobs, , , , 8 January 2000 , , New Balance Mile Challenge, , , - !14 , 4:22.66 , ,

Shannon Rowbury Shannon Rowbury (born September 19, 1984) is an American middle-distance runner from San Francisco, California. After competing collegiately for Duke University, she turned professional in 2007. Rowbury has represented the United States at the ...

, , , , 31 January 2015 , , Wake Forest Invitational, , , - !15 , 4:22.86 ,

Colleen Quigley Colleen Quigley (born November 20, 1992) is an American middle-distance runner, steeplechase specialist and an Olympian from St. Louis, Missouri. She is the current World Record holder in the 4x1500 meters relay (set July 31, 2020). Competing in ...

, , 9 February 2019 ,

, , - !16 , 4:22.93 , ,

Kate Grace Kate Grace (born October 24, 1988) is an American middle-distance runner. A multiple All-American runner for Yale University, she turned professional in 2011. Grace competed for the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics, making it to the fina ...

, , , , 11 February 2017 , ,

, , , - !17 , 4:23.00 , , Carla Sacramento, , , , 24 February 2002 , ,

Meeting Pas de Calais The Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais (formerly Meeting Pas de Calais) also called Meeting International de Liévin (''International Meeting of Liévin'') is an annual indoor track and field competition which takes place in February in Liévin ...

, , , - !18 , 4:23.19 ,

, , 4 February 2001 , Sparkassen Cup , , - !19 , 4:23.33 ,

Kutre Dulecha Kutre Dulecha (born August 22, 1978 in Sidamo) is a middle distance runner from Ethiopia. She mainly competes in 1500 metres, where she set a world junior record in 1997. She became world indoor champion in 2004, Ethiopia's first ever women's 1 ...

, , 4 February 2001 , Sparkassen Cup , , - !20 , 4:23.49 ,

Olga Komyagina Olga Komyagina (born 10 February 1974) is a Russian middle distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres. She gained fame acting as a pacemaker/rabbit in races, and is widely considered to be the best pacemaker in the history of athletics. ...

, , 27 January 2008 , Moscow , , - !21 , 4:23.50 ,

, , 21 February 2015 ,

, , - !22 , 4:23.53 ,

, , 20 February 2010 ,

, , - !23 , 4:23.86 ,

, , 5 February 1988 ,

, , - !24 , 4:24.06 ,

Jessica Hull Jessica Jolliffe ( née Hull born 22 October 1996) is an Australian distance runner who won 3 consecutive junior Australian Athletics Championships in 2013–2015. Hull set the Australian and Oceanian indoor 1500 metres records and the Australi ...

, , 29 January 2022 ,

, , - !25 , 4:24.10 , Kalkidan Gezahegne , , 20 February 2010 ,

Notes

Below is a list of other times superior to 4:22.59: * Elle Purrier also ran 4:19.30 (2022). *

also ran 4:22.59 (2022).

Youth age records

Key:

Boys

{, class="wikitable" , - ! Age !! Time !! Athlete !! Nation !! Birthdate !! Date !! Place !! Ref , - , 5 , , 6:33.3 , , Daniel Skandera , , , , 2 November 2007 , , 23 July 2013 , ,

Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina *Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...

, , , - , 6 , , 5:44.4 , , Daniel Skandera , , , , 2 November 2007 , , 5 August 2014 , ,

, , , - , 7 , , 5:20.3 , , Daniel Skandera , , , , 2 November 2007 , , 9 June 2015 , ,

, , , - , 8 , , 5:12.1 , , Daniel Skandera , , , , 2 November 2007 , , 9 August 2016 , ,

, , , - , 9 , , 5:02.5 , , Daniel Skandera , , , , 2 November 2007 , , 27 June 2017 , ,

, , , - , 10 , , 4:46.6 , , Daniel Skandera , , , , 2 November 2007 , , 24 July 2018 , ,

, , , - , 11 , , 4:43.9 , , Daniel Skandera , , , , 2 November 2007 , , 1 November 2019 , ,

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

, , , - , 12 , , 4:36.80 , , Jeremy Kain , , , , 18 August 2004 , , 13 July 2017 , ,

Los Gatos Los Gatos (, ; ) is an List of municipalities in California, incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population is 33,529 according to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located in the San Franci ...

, , , - , 13 , , 4:26.49 , , James Burke , , , , 5 August 1997 , , 21 May 2011 , ,

Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

, , , - , 14 , , 4:12.77 , , Marcus Reilly , , , , 13 November 2005 , , 7 November 2020 , , Fairhaven , , , - , 15 , , 4:05.77 , , Corey Campbell , , , , 26 July 2006 , , 20 May 2022 , ,

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

, , , - , rowspan=2, 16 , 3:56.29 , ,

, , , , 19 September 2000 , , 15 June 2017 , ,

, , , - style="background:#f6f5ce;" , 3:54.63 , , Victor Torres , , , , 19 April 1989 , , 14 June 2005 , ,

, , , - , 17 , , 3:50.90 , ,

Hamza Driouch Hamza Driouch ( ar, حمزة الدريوش ''Ḥamza ad-Driyūsh''; born 16 November 1994) is a Qatari track and field athlete. He was born in Guelmim, Morocco. In February 2015 it was announced that Driouch had been banned from athletics for tw ...

, , , , 16 November 1994 , , 7 June 2012 , ,

, , , - , 18 , , 3:49.77 , ,

Caleb Ndiku Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku (born 9 October 1992 in Machakos) is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. Career Born in Machakos, he was the son of a javelin thrower, David Ndiku, but he decided not to follow his father and focused on running ins ...

, , , , 9 October 1992 , , 4 June 2011 , , Eugene , , , - , 19 , , 3:49.29 , , William Biwott Tanui , , , , 5 March 1990 , , 3 July 2009 , ,

, ,

Girls

{, class="wikitable" , - ! Age !! Time !! Athlete !! Nation !! Birthdate !! Date !! Place !! Ref , - , 6 , , 6:36.0 , , Celine Struijvé , , , , 10 November 2012 , , 17 September 2019 , , Epe , , , - , 7 , , 6:05.1 , , Kristina Wilson , , , , 5 December 1963 , , 5 June 1971 , , , , , - , 8 , , 5:43.5 , , Imogen Stewart , , , , 27 July 2005 , , 10 December 2013 , ,

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, , , - , 9 , , 5:18.74 , , Imogen Stewart , , , , 27 July 2005 , , 17 January 2015 , ,

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wate ...

, , , - , 10 , , 5:04.19 , , Imogen Stewart , , , , 27 July 2005 , , 16 January 2016 , ,

, , , - , 11 , , 4:56.08 , , Imogen Stewart , , , , 27 July 2005 , , 4 March 2017 , ,

, , , - , 12 , , 4:46.57 , , Imogen Stewart , , , , 27 July 2005 , , 13 January 2018 , ,

, , , - , 13 , , 4:44.73 , , Imogen Stewart , , , , 27 July 2005 , , 22 December 2018 , ,

, , , - , 14 , , 4:40.1 , ,

Mary Decker Mary Teresa Slaney (formerly Tabb, née Decker, born August 4, 1958) is a retired American middle-distance runner. During her career, she won gold medals in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters at the 1983 World Championships, and was the world re ...

, , , , 4 August 1958 , , 16 March 1973 , ,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, , , - , 15 , , 4:35.16 , , Sadie Engelhardt , , , , 21 August 2006 , , 9 April 2022 , ,

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

, , , - , 16 , , 4:28.25 , , Mary Cain , , , , 3 May 1996 , , 16 February 2013 , ,

, , , - , 17 , , 4:24.11 , , Mary Cain , , , , 3 May 1996 , , 24 January 2014 , ,

, , , - , 18 , , 4:24.10 , , Kalkidan Gezahegne , , , , 8 May 1991 , , 20 February 2010 , ,

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

, , , - , 19 , , 4:17.57 , ,

, , , , 26 May 1966 , , 21 August 1985 , ,

, ,

Season's bests

Men

{, class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" , - !Year !Time !Athlete !Place , - , 2001 , 3:44.95 , align=left, ,

, - , 2002 , 3:48.28 , align=left, ,

, - , 2003 , 3:48.17 , align=left, ,

, - , 2004 , 3:49.84 , align=left, ,

, - , 2005 , 3:47.97 , align=left, ,

, - , 2006 , 3:50.32 , align=left, ,

, - , 2007 , 3:46.91 , align=left, ,

, - , 2008 , 3:49.38 , align=left, ,

, - , 2009 , 3:48.50 , align=left, , Eugene , - , 2010 , 3:49.56 , align=left, ,

, - , 2011 , 3:49.09 , align=left, , Eugene , - , 2012 , 3:49.22 , align=left, ,

, - , 2013 , 3:49.48 , align=left, , Eugene , - , 2014 , 3:47.32 , align=left, , Eugene , - , 2015 , 3:51.10 , align=left, , Eugene , - , 2016 , 3:50.63 i , align=left, ,

, - , 2017 , 3:49.04 , align=left, , Eugene , - , 2018 , 3:49.44 i , align=left, ,

, - , 2019 , 3:47.01 i , align=left, ,

, - , 2020 , 3:51.23 , align=left, ,

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, - , 2021 , 3:47.24 , , Eugene , - , 2022 , 3:46.46 , ,

Women

{, class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" , - !Year !Time !Athlete !Place , - , 2001 , 4:23.19 i , align=left, ,

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

, - , 2002 , 4:23.00 i , align=left, ,

, - , 2003 , 4:24.40 , align=left, ,

Heusden-Zolder Heusden-Zolder (; li, Heuze-Zolder ) is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian Limburg (Belgium), province of Limburg near Hasselt. On 1 January 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769. The total ar ...

, - , 2004 , 4:21.57 , align=left, ,

Tula Tula may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Tula Mountains *Tula Point India *Tulā, a solar month in the traditional Indian calendar Iran * Tula, Iran, a village in Hormozgan Province Italy * Tula, Sardinia, municipality (''comune'') in the pr ...

, - , 2005 , 4:28.29 , align=left, ,

, - , 2006 , 4:27.96 , align=left, , Falmouth , - , 2007 , 4:17.75 , align=left, ,

, - , 2008 , 4:18.23 , align=left, ,

, - , 2009 , 4:25.91 i , align=left, , College Station , - , 2010 , 4:23.53 i , align=left, ,

, - , 2011 , 4:28.60 i , align=left, ,

, - , 2012 , 4:26.76 , align=left, , Falmouth , - , 2013 , 4:27.02 i , align=left, ,

, - , 2014 , 4:24.11 i , align=left, ,

, - , 2015 , 4:16.71 , align=left, ,

, - , 2016 , 4:13.31 i , align=left, ,

, - , 2017 , 4:16.05 , align=left, ,

, - , 2018 , 4:14.71 , align=left, ,

, - , 2019 , 4:12.33 , align=left, ,

, - , 2020 , 4:16.81 i , align=left, ,

, - , 2021 , 4:14.74 , align=left, ,

, - , 2022 , 4:27.81 , align=left, ,

* "i" indicates performance on 200m indoor track

References

External links

IAAF list of one-mile records in XML
ref> {{DEFAULTSORT:Mile run Events in track and field Middle-distance running Articles containing video clips