Google+ Running in Cork, Ireland: Progression of the mile record...

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Progression of the mile record...

Of all the world records, the sub 4 minute mile is possibly one of the most famous. This video clip shows how it has progressed over the years...


3:59.4...Roger Bannister     United Kingdom    6 May 1954 Oxford
3:58.0...John Landy     Australia    21 June 1954 Turku
3:57.2...Derek Ibbotson     United Kingdom    19 July 1957 London
3:54.5...Herb Elliott     Australia    6 August 1958 Santry, Dublin
3:54.4...Peter Snell     New Zealand    27 January 1962 Wanganui
3:54.1...Peter Snell     New Zealand    17 November 1964 Auckland
3:53.6...Michel Jazy     France    9 June 1965 Rennes
3:51.3...Jim Ryun     United States    17 July 1966 Berkeley, Cal.
3:51.1...Jim Ryun     United States    23 June 1967 Bakersfield, Cal.
3:51.0...Filbert Bayi     Tanzania    17 May 1975 Kingston
3:49.4...John Walker     New Zealand    12 August 1975 Göteborg
3:49.0...Sebastian Coe     United Kingdom    17 July 1979 Oslo
3:48.8...Steve Ovett     United Kingdom    1 July 1980 Oslo
3:48.53...Sebastian Coe     United Kingdom    19 August 1981 Zürich
3:48.40...Steve Ovett     United Kingdom    26 August 1981 Koblenz
3:47.33...Sebastian Coe     United Kingdom    28 August 1981 Bruxelles
3:46.32...Steve Cram     United Kingdom    27 July 1985 Oslo
3:44.39...Noureddine Morceli     Algeria    5 September 1993 Rieti
3:43.13...Hicham El Guerrouj     Morocco    7 July 1999 Rome

3 comments:

Dave O Regan said...

What a nine days at the end of August 1981! It was brilliant stuff between Coe and Ovett.

Anonymous said...

Interesting that the record has not been touched for over 13 years !!! Is this like some of the road race records around here ????

John Desmond said...

The mile is an unusual race as in it's not metric and not an Olympic event. Most of the mile races as a result tend to be in the USA or the UK.

The current record holder of the mile, Hicham El Guerrouj is also the current record holder of the 1500m. He ran 3:26.00 back in July 1998 and it has never been broken since.