The mile run (1,760 yards or exactly 1,609.344 metres) is a middle-distance foot race. The history of the

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 English ...

run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races. It survived track and field's switch to metric distances in the 1900s and retained its popularity, with the chase for the four-minute mile in the 1950s a high point for the race. In spite of the roughly equivalent

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...

race, which is used instead of the mile at the World Championships and Olympic Games and is sometimes referred as the foremost middle-distance track event in athletics, the mile run is present in all fields of athletics, and since 1976, it is the only imperial distance for which World Athletics has on its books for official world records. Although the mile is not featured at any major championships, the Wanamaker Mile,

Dream Mile The Dream Mile may refer to the annual Diamond League race in Oslo at Bislett Stadium, or several historic individual races featuring top middle-distance runners. Dream Mile (Bislett) The Dream Mile is an annual mile race run at Bislett Stadium, O ...

, Emsley Carr Mile and Bowerman Mile races are among the foremost annual middle-distance races outdoors, respectively. The current mile world record holders are Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco with a time of 3:43.13 and Sifan Hassan of The Netherlands 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 today is equal to a length of 5,280 feet, the distance of the English mile gained its current definition of 1,760 yards through a statute of the Parliament of England in 1593. Thus, the history of the mile run began in England and it initially found usage within the wagered running contests of the 18th and 19th century. Such contests would attract large numbers of spectators and gamblers – so many that the activity became a professional one for its more-established participants.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 categories were kept for amateurs and professionals, with professional runners providing the faster times. High-profile contests between Britons William Cummings and Walter George brought much publicity to the sport, as did George's races against the American Lon Myers. The mile run was also one of the foremost events at the amateur AAA Championships. Although the spotlight was shining on the running scene, the categories remained distinct but the respective rise in amateurism and decline of the professional sector saw the division become irrelevant in the 20th century. Bannister and Landy

The mile run continued to be a popular distance in spite of the metrication of track and field and athletics in general, replacing the imperial distance for the metric mile (1500 meters). It was the

– sometimes referred to as the

metric mile A metric mile is a colloquial term used in some countries for the 1500 meters, the premier middle distance running event in international track and field. The term 'metric mile' (0.93 statute miles) was applied to this distance because it appr ...

– which was featured on the

Olympic athletics programme Athletics has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. The athletics program traces its earliest roots to events used in the ancient Greek Olympics. The modern program in ...

. The International Amateur Athletics Federation formed in 1912 and confirmed the first officially recognised world record in the mile the following year (4:14.4 minutes run by John Paul Jones).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,

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 Order of the British Empire, MBE (30 August 1914 – 21 December 2006), dubbed "The Mighty Atom", was an England, English Track and field athletics, athlete whose peak career was in the 1930s and 1940s. He set the world ...

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 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- 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 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 and Chris Chataway, was a key moment in the rise of the use of pacemakers at the top level of the sport – an aspect which is now commonplace at non-championship middle and long-distance races. In fact, pacemakers, if performing effectively, can earn generous sums of money for their performances and accurate pacing duties. Augustine Choge Kiprono

The 1960s saw American Jim Ryun, 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 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 Games, Olympic gold medalist, Keino was among the f ...

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 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 Stephen Michael James Ovett, (; born 9 October 1955) is a retired British track athlete. A middle-distance runner, he was the gold medalist in the 800 metres at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, and set 5 world records for 1500 metres and the ...

, who improved the record five times between them, including two records at the

Oslo Dream Mile The Dream Mile may refer to the annual Diamond League race in Oslo at Bislett Stadium, or several historic individual races featuring top middle-distance runners. Dream Mile (Bislett) The Dream Mile is an annual mile race run at Bislett Stadium, O ...

race. Noureddine Morceli brought the mile record back into African hands in 1993 and Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj set the current record of 3:43.13, which has stood since 1999. Mile run contests remain a key feature of many annual track and field meetings, including recreational, high school, and collegiate meets, with long-running series such as the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games,

at the Bislett Games, the British Emsley Carr Mile, and the Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic being among the most prominent. Aside from track races, mile races are also occasionally contested in cross country running 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 in New York City. However, in high school and collegiate cross country running, races are often measured in kilometers, with 5K and 8K being the most common.

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 , Hicham El Guerrouj , , rowspan="2" , 7 JUL 1999 , rowspan="2" , Rome , , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2 , 3:43.40 , Noah Ngeny , , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3 , 3:44.39 , , Noureddine Morceli , , , , 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 , , - , align=center, 5 , 3:44.90 , ''Guerrouj #3'' , 04 JUL 1997 , Oslo , , - , align=center, 6 , 3:44.95 , ''Guerrouj #4'' , 29 JUN 2001 , Rome , , - , align=center, 7 , 3:45.19 , ''Morceli #2'' , 16 AUG 1995 , Zurich , , - , align=center, 8 , 3:45.64 , ''Guerrouj #5'' , 26 AUG 1997 , Berlin , , - , align=center, 9 , 3:45.96 , ''Guerrouj #6'' , 05 AUG 2000 , London , , - , align=center, 10 , 3:46.24 , ''Guerrouj #7'' , 28 JUL 2000 , Oslo , , -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 , , Oslo , , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 5 , align="center" , 12 , 3:46.38 , Daniel Komen , , 26 August 1997 , Berlin, , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 6 , align="center" , 13 , 3:46.46 , Jakob Ingebrigtsen , , 16 June 2022 , Oslo , , -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 , Berlin , , , -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 , , , - , , align=center, 16 , 3:46.78 , ''Morceli #3'' , , 27 AUG 1993 , Berlin , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 9 , align="center" , 17 , 3:46.91 , ,

Alan Webb Alan Webb may refer to: * Alan Webb (actor) (1906–1982), English actor * Alan Webb (runner) (born 1983), American track athlete * Alan Webb (footballer) (born 1963), retired English association football player See also

* Allan Webb (disambigu ...

, , , , 21 July 2007 , , Brasschaat, , , - , 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 , London , , - , align=center, 20 , 3:47.24 , ''Ingebrigtsen #2'' , 21 AUG 2021 ,

Eugene Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...

, , -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 , , Rome , , , - , , align=center, 22 , 3:47.30 , ''Morceli #3'' , , 03 SEP 1993 , Brussels , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 11 , align="center" , 23 , 3:47.32 ,

Ayanleh Souleiman Ayanleh Souleiman (born 3 December 1992), also known as ''Hassan Ayanleh'' ( so, Xasan Ayaanle Saleebaan) is a Djiboutian middle distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. He is the Djiboutian record holder for the distance, with his be ...

, , 31 May 2014 ,

, , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 12 , align="center" , 24 , 3:47.33 , ,

, , , , 28 August 1981 , , Brussels , , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , align="center" , 13 , align="center" , 25 , 3:47.48 , Oliver Hoare , , 16 June 2022 , Oslo , , -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 at ...

, , , 4 July 1997 , , Oslo , , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 15 , 3:47.69 , , Steve Scott , , , , 7 July 1982 , , Oslo , , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 16 , 3:47.79 , , José Luis González , , , , 27 July 1985 , , Oslo , , , -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 an ...

, , , , 4 July 1997 , , Oslo , , -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 ,

, , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 19 , 3:47.94 , ,

William Chirchir William Chirchir (born 6 February 1979, in Bomet) is a Kenyan runner (Kipsigis Kipsigis may refer to: *the Kipsigis people of Kenya *Kipsigis language Kipsigis (or Kipsikii, Kipsikiis) is part of the Kenyan Kalenjin dialect cluster, It is spo ...

, , 28 July 2000 , , Oslo , , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 20 , 3:47.97 , , Dahame Najem Bashir , , , , 29 July 2005 , , Oslo , , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 21 , 3:48.17 , ,

Paul Korir Paul Kipketer Korir (born July 15, 1977, in Kipkoror, near Lessos, Nandi District in the Rift Valley Province) is a middle distance athlete from Kenya. Biography He graduated from Kilibwoni High School in Nandi District in 1996. He has started ...

, , , 8 August 2003 , , London , , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 22 , 3:48.23 , ,

Ali Saidi-Sief ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...

, , , , 13 July 2001 , , Oslo , , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 23 , 3:48.28 ,

Daniel Kipchirchir Komen Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (born November 27, 1984, in Chemorgong, Koibatek District) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres. He graduated from Timboroa High School in 2003. He started running seriously whil ...

, , 10 June 2007 ,

, , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 24 , 3:48.37 ,

Stewart McSweyn Stewart McSweyn (born 1 June 1995) is an Australian long-distance runner. He competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and managed to qualify for the Men's 1500m final. He came third in his heat with a time of 3:36.39 and qualified for the semifinals. ...

, , 1 July 2021 , Oslo , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , align="center" , 25 , align="center" , 3:48.38 ,

Andrés Manuel Díaz Andrés Manuel Díaz (born 12 July 1969 in A Coruña) is a former Spanish middle-distance runner. He represented Spain at the Olympics in 1996 and 2000 and was the bronze medallist over 1500 metres at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships. ...

, , 29 JUN 2001 , Rome , *

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 , Sifan Hassan , , 12 JUL 2019 , Monaco , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 2 , 2 , 4:12.56 , , Svetlana Masterkova, , , , 14 AUG 1996 , , Zürich, , , -bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 3 , 3 , 4:14.30 , Genzebe Dibaba , , 06 SEP 2016 , Rovereto , , - , rowspan="2" , , 4 , 4:14.71 , ''Hassan #2'' , rowspan="2" , , 22 JUL 2018 , London , , - , 5 , 4:14.74 , ''Hassan #3'' , 03 SEP 2021 , Brussels , , - 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 , , Nice , , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 5 , 7 , 4:15.8h , , Natalya Artyomova , , , , 05 AUG 1984 , , Leningrad , , , - , , 8 , 4:16.05 , ''Dibaba #2'' , , 06 JUL 2017 , Lausanne , , - 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 , , Zürich , , - 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 , , Brussels , , - , , 14 , 4:17.00 , ''Artyomova #2'' , , 20 SEP 1991 , Barcelona , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 10 , 15 , 4:17.25 , , Sonia O'Sullivan, , , , 22 JUL 1994 , , Oslo, , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 11 , 16 , 4:17.30 , Jenny Simpson , , 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 , , Zürich, , , - , , 18 , 4:17.44 , ''Puica #2'' , , 16 SEP 1982 ,

, , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 13 , 19 , , 4:17.57, , Zola Budd, , , , 21 AUG 1985, , Zürich , , - 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 , , Brussels, , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 16 , 22 , 4:17.87 , Gabriela DeBues-Stafford , , 12 JUL 2019 , Monaco , , - bgcolor="#f6F5CE" , 17 , 23 , 4:18.03 , Laura Muir , , 09 JUL 2017 , London , , - , , 24 , 4:18.08 , ''Slaney #2'' , , 09 JUL 1982 , Paris , , - 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 , , Oslo, , , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 19 , , 4:18.23 , , Gelete Burka, , , , 07 SEP 2008 , ,

, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , 20 , , 4:18.42 ,

Rababe Arafi Rababe Arafi ( ar, رباب عرافي, born 12 January 1991) is a middle-distance runner from Morocco, who specialises in the 1500 metres. Born in Khouribga, she is a three-time medallist at the African Championships in Athletics, having been c ...

, , 12 JUL 2019 , Monaco , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , 21 , , 4:18.58 , Axumawit Embaye , , 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, , , -bgcolor=#CCFFCC , 24 , , 4:19.30 , , Gabriela Szabo, , , , 01 JUL 1998 , , Bellinzona, , , -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, , Oslo , *

Men (indoor)

* Correct as of February 2022. {, class="wikitable" , - !Rank !Time !Athlete !Nation !Date !Place !Ref , - !1 , 3:47.01 , Yomif Kejelcha , , 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 , , Hicham El Guerrouj , , , , 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, , , , 27 February 1983 , , Meadowlands Arena, , , - !6 , 3:49.89 , ,

, , , , 11 February 2005 , , Randal Tyson Track Center, , , - !7 , 3:49.98 , Johnny Gregorek , , 3 March 2019 ,

, , - !8 , 3:50.17 , Cooper Teare , , 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, , , - !11 , 3:50.70 , , Noureddine Morceli, , , , 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 , Oliver Hoare , , 29 January 2022 , Fort Washington Avenue Armory , , - !13 , 3:50.92 , , Galen Rupp, , , , 26 January 2013 , ,

, , , - ! rowspan="2" , 14 , rowspan="2" , 3:50.94 , Marcus O'Sullivan , , 13 February 1988 , Meadowlands Arena , , - ,

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 , , Fort Washington Avenue Armory, , , - !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 , , Meadowlands Arena , , , - !18 , 3:51.21 , Lopez Lomong , , 19 February 2013 , Fort Washington Avenue Armory , , - !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 , , - !22 , 3:52.03 ,

Morgan Beadlescomb Morgan Beadlescomb (born June 1, 1998) is an American middle-distance and long-distance runner currently representing Adidas. Early Years Beadlescomb attended Algonac High School in Algonac, Michigan. He won the Lower Peninsula D2 Cross Countr ...

, , 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 2 ...

, , 26 February 2017 , Boston ,

Notes

Below is a list of other times superior to 3:50.55: * Yomif Kejelcha also ran 3:48.46 (2019). * Cooper Teare 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 , , Genzebe Dibaba , , , , 17 February 2016 , ,

Globen Galan The Globen Galan is an annual indoor athletics event held in February at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. The meeting was first held in 1990 and from 2000 to 2010 known as GE Galan, because General Electric was the official title sponsor. ...

, , , - !2 , 4:16.85 , Elle Purrier , , 8 February 2020 , Millrose Games , , - !3 , 4:17.14 , ,

, , , , 9 February 1990 , , Meadowlands Arena, , , - !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 , Millrose Games , , - !5 , 4:17.88 , Jemma Reekie , , 8 February 2020 , Millrose Games , , - !6 , 4:18.75 , Laura Muir , , 16 February 2019 ,

, , - !7 , 4:18.99 , ,

, , , , 10 February 1989 , , Meadowlands Arena, , , - !8 , 4:19.73 , Gabriela DeBues-Stafford , Canada , 8 February 2020 , Millrose Games , , - !9 , 4:19.89 , , Sifan Hassan, , , , 11 February 2017 , , Millrose Games, , , - !10 , 4:20.5 , ,

Mary Decker-Tabb 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 rec ...

, , , , 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 , , 29 January 2022 , Fort Washington Avenue Armory , , - !12 , 4:21.72 ,

, , 17 February 2022 , Liévin , , - !13 , 4:21.79 , ,

Regina Jacobs Regina Jacobs (born August 28, 1963 in Los Angeles) is an American former middle-distance runner from Los Angeles. She had an extended career that included two IAAF World Championships in Athletics silver medals and an indoor world championship ...

, , , , 8 January 2000 , , New Balance Mile Challenge, , , - !14 , 4:22.66 , , Shannon Rowbury, , , , 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 , Fort Washington Avenue Armory , , - !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 , , Millrose Games, , , - !17 , 4:23.00 , ,

Carla Sacramento Carla Cristina Paquete Sacramento OIH (born 10 December 1971 in São Sebastião da Pedreira) is a middle distance runner from Portugal. Biography Sacramento won medals at a variety of distances but her speciality is the 1500 m. She won ...

, , , , 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 , Gabriela Szabo , , 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 15 ...

, , 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 , Axumawit Embaye , , 21 February 2015 ,

, , - !22 , 4:23.53 , Gelete Burka , , 20 February 2010 ,

, , - !23 , 4:23.86 ,

, , 5 February 1988 , New York City , , - !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 , Fort Washington Avenue Armory , , - !25 , 4:24.10 ,

Kalkidan Gezahegne Kalkidan Gezahegne (born 8 May 1991) is an Ethiopian-born Bahraini middle- and long-distance runner. She is the 10,000 metres 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist. 11 years earlier, at age 18, Gezahegne became the youngest ever female World ind ...

, , 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 * Sa ...

, , , - , 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 , , , - , 13 , , 4:26.49 , , James Burke , , , , 5 August 1997 , , 21 May 2011 , , Schenectady , , , - , 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 , , , - , rowspan=2, 16 , 3:56.29 , , Jakob Ingebrigtsen , , , , 19 September 2000 , , 15 June 2017 , , Oslo , , , - 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 , , Oslo , , , - , 18 , , 3:49.77 , , Caleb Ndiku , , , , 9 October 1992 , , 4 June 2011 , ,

, , , - , 19 , , 3:49.29 , ,

William Biwott Tanui William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

, , , , 5 March 1990 , , 3 July 2009 , , Oslo , ,

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 , , , - , 10 , , 5:04.19 , , Imogen Stewart , , , , 27 July 2005 , , 16 January 2016 , , Wollongong , , , - , 11 , , 4:56.08 , , Imogen Stewart , , , , 27 July 2005 , , 4 March 2017 , ,

, , , - , 12 , , 4:46.57 , , Imogen Stewart , , , , 27 July 2005 , , 13 January 2018 , , Wollongong , , , - , 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 , , Boston , , , - , 18 , , 4:24.10 , ,

, , , , 8 May 1991 , , 20 February 2010 , , Birmingham , , , - , 19 , , 4:17.57 , , Zola Budd , , , , 26 May 1966 , , 21 August 1985 , , Zürich , ,

Season's bests

Men

{, class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" , - !Year !Time !Athlete !Place , - , 2001 , 3:44.95 , align=left, , Rome , - , 2002 , 3:48.28 , align=left, , Rome , - , 2003 , 3:48.17 , align=left, , London , - , 2004 , 3:49.84 , align=left, , London , - , 2005 , 3:47.97 , align=left, , Oslo , - , 2006 , 3:50.32 , align=left, , Oslo , - , 2007 , 3:46.91 , align=left, , Brasschaat , - , 2008 , 3:49.38 , align=left, , Oslo , - , 2009 , 3:48.50 , align=left, ,

, - , 2010 , 3:49.56 , align=left, , Oslo , - , 2011 , 3:49.09 , align=left, ,

, - , 2012 , 3:49.22 , align=left, , Oslo , - , 2013 , 3:49.48 , align=left, ,

, - , 2014 , 3:47.32 , align=left, ,

, - , 2015 , 3:51.10 , align=left, ,

, - , 2016 , 3:50.63 i , align=left, , New York City , - , 2017 , 3:49.04 , align=left, ,

, - , 2018 , 3:49.44 i , align=left, , Boston , - , 2019 , 3:47.01 i , align=left, , Boston , - , 2020 , 3:51.23 , align=left, , Milan , - , 2021 , 3:47.24 , ,

, - , 2022 , 3:46.46 , , Oslo

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

, - , 2009 , 4:25.91 i , align=left, ,

College Station College station or College Station may refer to: Transportation *College station (MetroLink), a St. Louis light rail station in Saint Clair County, Illinois, United States *College station (PNR), a Philippine National Railways station in Los Baño ...

, - , 2010 , 4:23.53 i , align=left, , Birmingham , - , 2011 , 4:28.60 i , align=left, , New York City , - , 2012 , 4:26.76 , align=left, , Falmouth , - , 2013 , 4:27.02 i , align=left, , New York City , - , 2014 , 4:24.11 i , align=left, , Boston , - , 2015 , 4:16.71 , align=left, , Brussels , - , 2016 , 4:13.31 i , align=left, ,

, - , 2017 , 4:16.05 , align=left, , Lausanne , - , 2018 , 4:14.71 , align=left, , London , - , 2019 , 4:12.33 , align=left, , Monaco , - , 2020 , 4:16.81 i , align=left, , Boston , - , 2021 , 4:14.74 , align=left, , Brussels , - , 2022 , 4:27.81 , align=left, , London * "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