This is a list of American high school students who have run a four-minute mile since the feat was first accomplished in 1964.
The first person to run the mile (1,760 yards, or 1,609.344 metres) in under four minutes was Roger Bannister in 1954, in a time of 3:59.4. [1] This barrier would not be broken by a high school student until 1964, when Jim Ryun ran the distance in a time of 3:59.0 at the Compton Relays. [2] Ryun went on to set a national high school record of 3:55.3, which stood until 2001 when it was broken by Alan Webb. [3] Twenty one U.S. high school students have run the mile in less than four minutes since 1964.
After setting the national high school record in the mile, Jim Ryun set the world record in 1966 and then again in 1967, when he ran 3:51.1. Ryun was 19 at the time, making him the youngest world record holder in the mile to date. His record stood for nine years. [4] Ryun competed in the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympic games. He took silver in the men's 1500m at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Alan Webb broke Ryun's 36-year old high school mile record (3:55.3), running 3:53.43 at the Prefontaine Classic in 2001. Webb also ran what was then an American record in the mile, in 2007, at 3:46.91. Despite finding success in high school and on the track, Webb had an inconsistent career that was riddled with injuries, such as achilles tendonitis and a stress fracture in his foot and tibia. [5]
Name | Time | Date | Venue | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jim Ryun | 3:59.0 [6] | June 5, 1964 | Compton Invitational | Los Angeles, California |
Jim Ryun | 3:58.3 [7] | May 15, 1965 | KSHSAA Track and Field Championships | Wichita, Kansas |
Jim Ryun | 3:58.1 [8] | May 29, 1965 | California Relays | Modesto, California |
Jim Ryun | 3:56.8 [8] | June 4, 1965 | Compton Invitational | Los Angeles, California |
Jim Ryun | 3:55.3 [6] | June 27, 1965 | AAU Track and Field Championships | San Diego, California |
Tim Danielson | 3:59.4 [6] | June 11, 1966 | San Diego Invitational | San Diego, California |
Marty Liquori | 3:59.8 [6] | June 23, 1967 | AAU Track and Field Championships | Bakersfield, California |
Alan Webb | 3:59.86 (indoors) [6] | January 20, 2001 | New Balance Games | New York City, New York |
Alan Webb | 3:53.43 [6] | May 27, 2001 | Prefontaine Classic | Eugene, Oregon |
Lukas Verzbicas | 3:59.71 [6] | June 11, 2011 | Adidas Grand Prix | New York City, New York |
Matthew Maton | 3:59.38 [6] | May 8, 2015 | Oregon Twilight Meet | Eugene, Oregon |
Grant Fisher | 3:59.38 [6] | June 4, 2015 | Festival of Miles | St. Louis, Missouri |
Drew Hunter | 3:58.25 (indoors) [6] | February 6, 2016 | Armory Track Invitational | New York City, New York |
Drew Hunter | 3:57.81 (indoors) [9] | February 20, 2016 | NYRR Millrose Games | New York City, New York |
Michael Slagowski | 3:59.53 [6] | April 29, 2016 | Jesuit Twilight Invitational | Portland, Oregon |
Reed Brown | 3:59.30 [6] | June 1, 2017 | Festival of Miles | St. Louis, Missouri |
Leo Daschbach | 3:59.54 [10] | May 23, 2020 | The Quarantine Clasico | El Dorado Hills, California |
Hobbs Kessler | 3:57.66 (indoors) [11] | February 7, 2021 | American Track League Invitational | Fayetteville, Arkansas |
Colin Sahlman | 3:58.81 (indoors) [12] | February 5, 2022 | Dr. Sander Invitational/Columbia Challenge | New York City, New York |
Gary Martin | 3:57.98 [13] | May 14, 2022 | Philadelphia Catholic League Championships | Springfield, Pennsylvania |
Colin Sahlman | 3:56.24 [14] | May 28, 2022 | Prefontaine Classic | Eugene, Oregon |
Gary Martin | 3:57.89 [15] | June 2, 2022 | Festival of Miles | St. Louis, Missouri |
Connor Burns | 3:58.83 [16] | June 2, 2022 | Festival of Miles | St. Louis, Missouri |
Rheinhardt Harrison | 3:59.33 [17] | June 3, 2022 | Golden South Series #2 | Tarpon Springs, Florida |
Simeon Birnbaum | 3:59.51 [18] | June 15, 2022 | Brooks PR Invitational | Seattle, Washington |
Connor Burns | 3:59.51 (indoors) [19] | February 26, 2023 | Last Chance Indoor National Qualifier at BU | Boston, Massachusetts |
Rocky Hansen | 3:59.56 [20] | April 30, 2023 | Virginia High Performance Meet | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Simeon Birnbaum | 3:57.53 [21] | June 1, 2023 | Festival of Miles | St. Louis, Missouri |
Rocky Hansen | 3:58.24 [22] | June 1, 2023 | Festival of Miles | St. Louis, Missouri |
Tinoda Matsatsa | 3:58.7 [23] | June 1, 2023 | Festival of Miles | St. Louis, Missouri |
Jackson Heidesch | 3:59.08 [24] | June 1, 2023 | Festival of Miles | St. Louis, Missouri |
JoJo Jourdon | 3:59.87 (indoors) [25] | February 3, 2024 | New Balance Indoor Grand Prix | Boston, Massachusetts |
Note: all of the above runners were high school seniors when they ran under four minutes for the mile except for Ryun in 1964, and Burns and Birnbaum in 2022, who were juniors at the time.