World record progression for the mile run
Encyclopedia
The world record in the mile run
is the best mark set by a male or female runner
in the middle-distance track and field
event. The IAAF
is the official body which oversees the records. Hicham El Guerrouj
is the current men's record holder with his time of 3:43.13 minutes, while Svetlana Masterkova
has the women's record of 4:12.56 minutes. Since 1976, the mile
is the only non-metric distance recognized by the IAAF for record purposes.
Accurate times for the mile run (1.609344 km) were not recorded until after 1850, when the first precisely measured running tracks were built. Foot racing had become popular in England
by the 17th century, when footmen
would race and their masters would wager on the result. By the 19th century "pedestrianism
", as it was called, had become very popular and the best times recorded in the period were by professionals. Even after professional foot racing died out, it was not until 1915 that the professional record of 4:12¾ minutes (set by Walter George
in 1886) was surpassed by an amateur.
Progression of the mile record accelerated in the 1930s, as newsreel
coverage greatly popularized the sport, making stars out of milers such as Jules Ladoumègue
, Jack Lovelock
, and Glenn Cunningham
. In the 1940s, Swedes Arne Andersson
and Gunder Hägg
lowered the record to just over four minutes (4:01.4) while racing was curtailed in the combatant countries due to World War II. After the war, it was John Landy
of Australia and Britain's Roger Bannister
who took up the challenge of being the first to break the fabled four-minute mile
barrier. Roger Bannister did it first, and John Landy followed 46 days later. By the end of the 20th century, the record had been lowered to 3:43.13, by Hicham El Guerrouj
of Morocco
in 1999.
On the women's side, the first sub-5:00 mile was achieved by Britain's Diane Leather
23 days after Bannister's first sub-4:00 mile. But the International Association of Athletics Federations
(IAAF) did not recognize women's records for the distance until 1967, when Anne Rosemary Smith
of Britain ran 4:37.0. The current women's world record is 4:12.56 by Svetlana Masterkova
of Russia
, set on August 14, 1996.
As there was no recognized official sanctioning body until 1912, there are several versions of the mile progression before that year. One version starts with Richard Webster
(GBR) who ran 4:36.5 in 1865, surpassed by Chinnery in 1868.
Another variation of the amateur record progression pre-1862 is as follows:
in the mile for men (athletics) was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations
, in 1913.
To June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 32 world records in the event.
Auto times to the hundredth of a second were accepted by the IAAF for events up to and including 10,000 m from 1981.
in the mile for women (athletics) was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations
, in 1967.
To June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 13 world records in the event.
Actual times run are noted above. Those times with an asterisk were not the times ratified by the IAAF. Marasescu's 4:22.09 was ratified as 4:22.1. Slaney's 4:21.68 was initially ratified as 4:21.7 until the IAAF recognized times to the hundredth of a second in 1981.
Mary Slaney ran 4:17.55 in Houston on 16 February 1980, and Natalya Artyomova
(Soviet Union) ran 4:15.8 in Leningrad on 6 August 1984, but neither time was ratified by the IAAF.
Mile run
The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...
is the best mark set by a male or female runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
in the middle-distance track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
event. The IAAF
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
is the official body which oversees the records. Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj "King of the Mile" is a Moroccan former middle distance runner...
is the current men's record holder with his time of 3:43.13 minutes, while Svetlana Masterkova
Svetlana Masterkova
Svetlana Alexandrovna Masterkova is a Russian former middle distance runner and current world record holder for the mile. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal in both the 800 and 1,500 metres....
has the women's record of 4:12.56 minutes. Since 1976, the mile
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
is the only non-metric distance recognized by the IAAF for record purposes.
Accurate times for the mile run (1.609344 km) were not recorded until after 1850, when the first precisely measured running tracks were built. Foot racing had become popular in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by the 17th century, when footmen
Footman
A footman is a male servant, notably as domestic staff.-Word history:The name derives from the attendants who ran beside or behind the carriages of aristocrats, many of whom were chosen for their physical attributes. They ran alongside the coach to make sure it was not overturned by such obstacles...
would race and their masters would wager on the result. By the 19th century "pedestrianism
Pedestrianism
Pedestrianism was a 19th-century form of competitive walking, often professional and funded by wagering, from which the modern sport of racewalking developed.-18th- and early 19th-century Britain:...
", as it was called, had become very popular and the best times recorded in the period were by professionals. Even after professional foot racing died out, it was not until 1915 that the professional record of 4:12¾ minutes (set by Walter George
Walter George (athlete)
Walter Goodall George was a nineteenth century British runner from Calne who after setting numerous world records as an amateur, went professional in part to challenge the mile record-holder William Cummings, defeating him in several highly publicized races...
in 1886) was surpassed by an amateur.
Progression of the mile record accelerated in the 1930s, as newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
coverage greatly popularized the sport, making stars out of milers such as Jules Ladoumègue
Jules Ladoumegue
Jules Ladoumègue was a French middle-distance runner. He became a running star as the sport enjoyed a huge resurgence at the start of the Great Depression, fueled in large part by newsreel coverage...
, Jack Lovelock
Jack Lovelock
John Edward Lovelock was a New Zealand athlete, and the 1936 Olympic champion in the 1500 metres....
, and Glenn Cunningham
Glenn Cunningham (runner)
Glenn V. Cunningham was an American distance runner and athlete considered by many the greatest American miler of all time. He received the James E...
. In the 1940s, Swedes Arne Andersson
Arne Andersson
Arne Andersson was a Swedish middle distance runner who became famous for his rivalry with his compatriot Gunder Hägg in the 1940s. Andersson set a 1500 metres world record in Gothenburg in August 1943 with a time of 3:45.0 min...
and Gunder Hägg
Gunder Hägg
Gunder Hägg was a Swedish runner and multiple world record breaker of the 1940s. Gunder Hägg set over a dozen middle distance world records at events ranging from 1500 metres to 5000 meters, including three at both the 1500 meters and the mile, one at 3000 meters and one at 5000 meters.Hägg and...
lowered the record to just over four minutes (4:01.4) while racing was curtailed in the combatant countries due to World War II. After the war, it was John Landy
John Landy
John Michael Landy, AC, CVO, MBE is an Australian former Olympic track athlete. He was the second man to break the four-minute mile barrier in the mile run, and he held the world records for the 1500 metre run and the mile race...
of Australia and Britain's Roger Bannister
Roger Bannister
Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CBE is an English former athlete best known for running the first recorded mile in less than 4 minutes...
who took up the challenge of being the first to break the fabled four-minute mile
Four-minute mile
In the sport of athletics, the four-minute mile is the act of completing the mile run in less than four minutes. It was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister in 3:59.4. The 'four minute barrier' has since been broken by many male athletes, and is now the standard of all male professional...
barrier. Roger Bannister did it first, and John Landy followed 46 days later. By the end of the 20th century, the record had been lowered to 3:43.13, by Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj "King of the Mile" is a Moroccan former middle distance runner...
of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in 1999.
On the women's side, the first sub-5:00 mile was achieved by Britain's Diane Leather
Diane Leather
Diane Leather is the first woman to run a mile in less than 5 minutes. Representing the Birchfield Harriers, Leather broke the 5 minute barrier with a time of 4 minutes and 59.6 seconds, during the Midlands Women's AAA Championships at Birmingham's Alexander Sports Ground on 29 May 1954 - just 23...
23 days after Bannister's first sub-4:00 mile. But the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
(IAAF) did not recognize women's records for the distance until 1967, when Anne Rosemary Smith
Anne Rosemary Smith
Anne Rosemary Smith was a sprinter and middle distance runner, who specialised in the 1500m and mile events. She represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic games, reaching the final in the 800m event...
of Britain ran 4:37.0. The current women's world record is 4:12.56 by Svetlana Masterkova
Svetlana Masterkova
Svetlana Alexandrovna Masterkova is a Russian former middle distance runner and current world record holder for the mile. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal in both the 800 and 1,500 metres....
of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, set on August 14, 1996.
Professionals
| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:28 | Charles Westhall | 26 July 1855 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
|
| 4:28 | Thomas Horspool Thomas Horspool Thomas Horspool was a British runner who set several world records in the mile soon after relatively precise running tracks and accurate timing devices came into use in the mid-19th century.... |
28 September 1857 | Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... |
|
| 4:23 | Thomas Horspool | 12 July 1858 | Manchester | |
| 4:22¼ | Siah Albison Siah Albison Siah Albison was a professional British runner who set a world record in the mile in the 1860s.A weaver from Bow Lee near Manchester, Albison earned the mile championship belt of England in 1859... |
27 October 1860 | Manchester | |
| 4:21¾ | William Lang William Lang (athlete) William Lang was a professional British runner, who set world records in numerous running events in the 1860s, including a mile record which stood for 16 years.... |
11 July 1863 | Manchester | |
| 4:20½ | Edward Mills | 23 April 1864 | Manchester | |
| 4:20 | Edward Mills | 25 June 1864 | Manchester | |
| 4:17¼ | William Lang | 19 August 1865 | Manchester | |
| 4:17¼ | William Richards | 19 August 1865 | Manchester | |
| 4:16 1/5 | William Cummings | 14 May 1881 | Preston | |
| 4:12¾ | Walter George Walter George (athlete) Walter Goodall George was a nineteenth century British runner from Calne who after setting numerous world records as an amateur, went professional in part to challenge the mile record-holder William Cummings, defeating him in several highly publicized races... |
23 August 1886 | London |
Amateurs
| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:55 | J. Heaviside | 1 April 1861 | Dublin | |
| 4:49 | J. Heaviside | 27 May 1861 | Dublin | |
| 4:46 | Matthew Greene | 27 May 1861 | Dublin | |
| 4:33 | George Farran | 23 May 1862 | Dublin | |
| 4:29 3/5 | Walter Chinnery | 10 March 1868 | Cambridge | |
| 4:28 4/5 | Walter Gibbs | 3 April 1868 | London | |
| 4:28 3/5 | Charles Gunton | 31 March 1873 | London | |
| 4:26 0/5 | Walter Slade Walter Slade Walter Goodall George was a nineteenth century British runner from who set a number of world records for the mile as an amateur, but never became a professional athlete.-Early life:... |
30 May 1874 | London | |
| 4:24½ | Walter Slade | 1 June 1875 | London | |
| 4:23 1/5 | Walter George | 16 August 1880 | London | |
| 4:19 2/5 | Walter George | 3 June 1882 | London | |
| 4:18 2/5 | Walter George | 21 June 1884 | Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... |
|
| 4:17 4/5 | Thomas Conneff Thomas Conneff Thomas Conneff was an amateur American runner who held the amateur record for the fastest mile from 1895 to 1911.He was an Irish-born runner who emigrated to the United States in 1888 and generally specialized in longer distances, winning the national 10-mile championship four years in a row... |
26 August 1893 | Cambridge, Mass. Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent... |
|
| 4:17 0/5 | Fred Bacon Fred Bacon Fred E. Bacon was a late-19th century British runner who won numerous running titles and briefly held the amateur world record for the mile.Born in Boxted, Essex, Bacon competed for Ashton-under-Lyne Harriers whilst stationed there as a soldier.... |
6 July 1895 | London | |
| 4:15 3/5 | Thomas Conneff | 28 August 1895 | New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
|
| 4:15 2/5 | John Paul Jones | 27 May 1911 | Cambridge, Mass. |
As there was no recognized official sanctioning body until 1912, there are several versions of the mile progression before that year. One version starts with Richard Webster
Richard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone
Richard Everard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone, GCMG, QC was a British barrister, politician and judge who served in many high political and judicial offices.-Background and education:...
(GBR) who ran 4:36.5 in 1865, surpassed by Chinnery in 1868.
Another variation of the amateur record progression pre-1862 is as follows:
| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:52 | Cadet Marshall | 2 September 1852 | Addiscome | |
| 4:45 | Thomas Finch | 3 November 1858 | Oxford | |
| 4:45 | St. Vincent Hammick | 15 November 1858 | Oxford | |
| 4:40 | Gerald Surman | 24 November 1859 | Oxford | |
| 4:33 | George Farran | 23 May 1862 | Dublin |
IAAF era
The first world recordWorld record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
in the mile for men (athletics) was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
, in 1913.
To June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 32 world records in the event.
| Time | Auto | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:14.4 | John Paul Jones | 31 May 1913 | Allston, Mass. | ||
| 4:12.6 | Norman Taber Norman Taber Norman Stephen Taber was an American middle distance runner. He was the first amateur runner to surpass Walter George's professional record in the mile, set nearly 30 years previously... |
16 July 1915 | Allston, Mass. | ||
| 4:10.4 | Paavo Nurmi Paavo Nurmi Paavo Johannes Nurmi was a Finnish runner. Born in Turku, he was known as one of the "Flying Finns," a term given to him, Hannes Kolehmainen, Ville Ritola, and others for their distinction in running... |
23 August 1923 | Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... |
||
| 4:09.2 | Jules Ladoumègue Jules Ladoumegue Jules Ladoumègue was a French middle-distance runner. He became a running star as the sport enjoyed a huge resurgence at the start of the Great Depression, fueled in large part by newsreel coverage... |
4 October 1931 | Paris | ||
| 4:07.6 | Jack Lovelock Jack Lovelock John Edward Lovelock was a New Zealand athlete, and the 1936 Olympic champion in the 1500 metres.... |
15 July 1933 | Princeton, N.J. Princeton, New Jersey Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756... |
||
| 4:06.8 | Glenn Cunningham Glenn Cunningham (runner) Glenn V. Cunningham was an American distance runner and athlete considered by many the greatest American miler of all time. He received the James E... |
16 June 1934 | Princeton, N.J. | ||
| 4:06.4 | Sydney Wooderson Sydney Wooderson Sydney Charles Wooderson MBE , dubbed "The Mighty Atom", was an English athlete whose peak career was in the 1930s and 1940s. He was one of Britain’s greatest middle-distance runners and had an amazing sprint finish... |
28 August 1937 | Motspur Park Motspur Park Motspur Park, also known locally as West Barnes is a suburb in South West London situated across the boundary between the London Borough of Merton and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. It owes its identity to the railway station of the same name, which has six trains an hour to London's... |
||
| 4:06.2 | Gunder Hägg Gunder Hägg Gunder Hägg was a Swedish runner and multiple world record breaker of the 1940s. Gunder Hägg set over a dozen middle distance world records at events ranging from 1500 metres to 5000 meters, including three at both the 1500 meters and the mile, one at 3000 meters and one at 5000 meters.Hägg and... |
1 July 1942 | Göteborg | ||
| 4:06.2 | Arne Andersson Arne Andersson Arne Andersson was a Swedish middle distance runner who became famous for his rivalry with his compatriot Gunder Hägg in the 1940s. Andersson set a 1500 metres world record in Gothenburg in August 1943 with a time of 3:45.0 min... |
10 July 1942 | Stockholm | ||
| 4:04.6 | Gunder Hägg | 4 September 1942 | Stockholm | ||
| 4:02.6 | Arne Andersson | 1 July 1943 | Göteborg | ||
| 4:01.6 | Arne Andersson | 18 July 1944 | Malmö | ||
| 4:01.4 | Gunder Hägg | 17 July 1945 | Malmö | ||
| 3:59.4 | Roger Bannister Roger Bannister Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CBE is an English former athlete best known for running the first recorded mile in less than 4 minutes... |
6 May 1954 | Oxford | ||
| 3:58.0 | John Landy John Landy John Michael Landy, AC, CVO, MBE is an Australian former Olympic track athlete. He was the second man to break the four-minute mile barrier in the mile run, and he held the world records for the 1500 metre run and the mile race... |
21 June 1954 | Turku | ||
| 3:57.2 | Derek Ibbotson Derek Ibbotson George Derek Ibbotson MBE was an English runner who excelled in athletics in the 1950s. His most famous achievement was setting a new world record in the mile in 1957.... |
19 July 1957 | London | ||
| 3:54.5 | Herb Elliott Herb Elliott Herbert James "Herb" Elliott AC MBE is a former Australian athlete, one of the world's greatest middle distance runners... |
6 August 1958 | Santry, Dublin Morton Stadium Morton Stadium, or the National Athletics Stadium, is an athletics stadium in Santry, in the north of Dublin City. Often called Santry Stadium, it is the centre for athletics events in Ireland, and home track of Clonliffe Harriers. It was home to Sporting Fingal FC... |
||
| 3:54.4 | Peter Snell Peter Snell Sir Peter George Snell, KNZM, MBE is a former New Zealand athlete, now resident in Texas, United States. He had one of the shortest careers of world famous international sportsmen, yet achieved so much that he was voted New Zealand’s "Sports Champion of the Century"... |
27 January 1962 | Wanganui | ||
| 3:54.1 | 3:54.04 | Peter Snell | 17 November 1964 | Auckland | |
| 3:53.6 | Michel Jazy Michel Jazy Michel Jazy is a former French middle distance runner, who won the silver medal over 1500 metres at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. The race was won by Herb Elliott in a new world record time... |
9 June 1965 | Rennes | ||
| 3:51.3 | Jim Ryun Jim Ryun James Ronald Ryun is an American former track athlete and politician, who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing the 2nd District in Kansas. In the 2006 election, Ryun was defeated by Democratic challenger Nancy Boyda... |
17 July 1966 | Berkeley, Cal. | ||
| 3:51.1 | Jim Ryun | 23 June 1967 | Bakersfield, Cal. | ||
| 3:51.0 | Filbert Bayi Filbert Bayi Filbert Bayi is a former Tanzanian middle-distance runner of the 1970s who set the world records for 1500 metres in 1974 and the mile in 1975... |
17 May 1975 | Kingston | ||
| 3:49.4 | John Walker John Walker (runner) Sir John George Walker, KNZM, CBE, is a former middle distance runner from New Zealand.Walker was the first person to run the mile in under 3:50, and won the Olympic Games 1500m in Montreal in 1976.... |
12 August 1975 | Göteborg | ||
| 3:49.0 | 3:48.95 | Sebastian Coe | 17 July 1979 | Oslo | |
| 3:48.8 | Steve Ovett Steve Ovett Stephen Michael James "Steve" Ovett OBE , is a former middle distance runner from England. He was gold medalist in the 800 metres at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, U.S.S.R., and set world records for 1500 metres and the mile run... |
1 July 1980 | Oslo | ||
| 3:48.53 | Sebastian Coe | 19 August 1981 | Zürich | ||
| 3:48.40 | Steve Ovett | 26 August 1981 | Koblenz | ||
| 3:47.33 | Sebastian Coe | 28 August 1981 | Bruxelles | ||
| 3:46.32 | Steve Cram Steve Cram Stephen "Steve" Cram MBE is a British retired 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 Arrow", Cram set world records in the 1500 metres, 2000 metres and the mile during a... |
27 July 1985 | Oslo | ||
| 3:44.39 | Noureddine Morceli Noureddine Morceli Noureddine Morceli is a retired Algerian athlete, winner of the 1500 m run at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Born in Ténès, Noureddine Morceli rose to athletic prominence after winning the silver medal in the 1500 m at the World Junior Championships in 1988... |
5 September 1993 | Rieti | ||
| 3:43.13 | Hicham El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj Hicham El Guerrouj "King of the Mile" is a Moroccan former middle distance runner... |
7 July 1999 | Rome |
Auto times to the hundredth of a second were accepted by the IAAF for events up to and including 10,000 m from 1981.
Pre-IAAF
| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:13.2 | Elizabeth Atkinson | 24 June 1921 | Manchester | |
| 5:27.5 | Ruth Christmas | 20 August 1932 | London | |
| 5:24.0 | Gladys Lunn Gladys Lunn Gladys Anne Lunn was an English athlete who competed in the 1934 British Empire Games in the 1938 British Empire Games.... |
1 June 1936 | Brentwood | |
| 5:23.0 | Gladys Lunn | 18 July 1936 | London | |
| 5:20.8 | Gladys Lunn | 8 May 1937 | Dudley | |
| 5:17.0 | Gladys Lunn | 7 August 1937 | London | |
| 5:15.3 | Evelyn Forster | 22 July 1939 | London | |
| 5:11.0 | Anne Oliver | 14 June 1952 | London | |
| 5:09.8 | Enid Harding | 4 June 1953 | London | |
| 5:08.0 | Anne Oliver | 12 September 1953 | Consett | |
| 5:02.6 | Diane Leather | 30 September 1953 | London | |
| 5:00.3 | Edith Treybal | 1 November 1953 | Timisoara | |
| 5:00.2 | Diane Leather | 26 May 1954 | Birmingham | |
| 4:59.6 | Diane Leather | 29 May 1954 | Birmingham | |
| 4:50.8 | Diane Leather | 24 May 1955 | London | |
| 4:45.0 | Diane Leather | 21 September 1955 | London | |
| 4:41.4 | Marise Chamberlain Marise Chamberlain Marise Chamberlain is a former New Zealand middle distance runner. She is the only New Zealand woman to win an Olympic medal in track athletics... |
8 December 1962 | Perth | |
| 4:39.2 | Anne Rosemary Smith Anne Rosemary Smith Anne Rosemary Smith was a sprinter and middle distance runner, who specialised in the 1500m and mile events. She represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic games, reaching the final in the 800m event... |
13 May 1967 | London |
IAAF era
The first world recordWorld record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
in the mile for women (athletics) was recognized by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, now known as the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
, in 1967.
To June 21, 2009, the IAAF has ratified 13 world records in the event.
| Time | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:37.0 | Anne Rosemary Smith Anne Rosemary Smith Anne Rosemary Smith was a sprinter and middle distance runner, who specialised in the 1500m and mile events. She represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic games, reaching the final in the 800m event... |
3 June 1967 | London | |
| 4:36.8 | Maria Gommers | 14 June 1969 | Leicester | |
| 4:35.3 | Ellen Tittel | 20 August 1971 | Sittard | |
| 4:29.5 | Paola Pigni | 8 August 1973 | Viareggio | |
| 4:23.8 | Natalia Marasescu Natalia Marasescu Natalia Mărăşescu is a retired Romanian middle distance runner who specialized mainly in the 1500 metres.... |
21 May 1977 | Bucharest | |
| 4:22.09* | Natalia Marasescu Natalia Marasescu Natalia Mărăşescu is a retired Romanian middle distance runner who specialized mainly in the 1500 metres.... |
27 January 1979 | Auckland | |
| 4:21.68* | Mary Slaney | 26 January 1980 | Auckland | |
| 4:20.89 | Lyudmila Veselkova Lyudmila Veselkova Lyudmila Veselkova is a retired female middle distance runner, who represented the USSR in the 1970s and the early 1980s. She set her personal best in the women's 800 metres on September 8, 1982 at the European Championships in Athens, Greece.-References:*... |
12 September 1981 | Bologna | |
| 4:18.08 | Mary Slaney | 9 July 1982 | Paris | |
| 4:17.44 | Maricica Puică Maricica Puica Maricica Puică is a Romanian former middle distance athlete, who won the 3000 meters gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, a race also remembered for the collision of Mary Decker and Zola Budd.... |
9 September 1982 | Rieti | |
| 4:16.71 | Mary Slaney | 21 August 1985 | Zürich | |
| 4:15.61 | Paula Ivan Paula Ivan -References:... |
10 July 1989 | Nice | |
| 4:12.56 | Svetlana Masterkova Svetlana Masterkova Svetlana Alexandrovna Masterkova is a Russian former middle distance runner and current world record holder for the mile. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal in both the 800 and 1,500 metres.... |
14 August 1996 | Zürich |
Actual times run are noted above. Those times with an asterisk were not the times ratified by the IAAF. Marasescu's 4:22.09 was ratified as 4:22.1. Slaney's 4:21.68 was initially ratified as 4:21.7 until the IAAF recognized times to the hundredth of a second in 1981.
Mary Slaney ran 4:17.55 in Houston on 16 February 1980, and Natalya Artyomova
Natalya Artyomova
Natalya Artyomova is a retired middle-distance runner from Russia, who was one of the leading athletes in the women's 1,500 and 3,000 metres during the 1980s. On July 4, 1992 traces of a banned steroid were allegedly found in her urine sample...
(Soviet Union) ran 4:15.8 in Leningrad on 6 August 1984, but neither time was ratified by the IAAF.
Further reading
- Cordner Nelson and Roberto Quercetani, The Milers, Tafnews Press, 1985, ISBN 0-911521-15-1
- Bascomb Neal, "The Perfect Mile", Houghton Mifflin, 2004, ISBN 0-618391-12-6