The Best Mile Moments of 2024
U.S. indoor record by St. Pierre, new mother; record four men sub-3:50 indoors same race; Engelhardt national girls Mile records, outdoor and HS-only; men’s road Mile world record shattered, twice; at Iffley Road, 70th anniversary celebration of the first sub-4 by Roger Bannister; three more U.S. high schoolers sub-4!
By Ryan Lamppa, Bring Back the Mile
In 2024, the Mile continued to shine brightly with another spectacular, historic year, nationally and globally, as the beat goes on as illustrated and summarized by the following best Mile moments.
Reinas 15th Father-Son Sub-4 Combo – January 12
At the Arkansas Invitational in Fayetteville, Reuben Reina, Jr. ran 3:59.91 Mile indoors, joining his father Reuben Reina (3:58.88 in 1989) as the 15th Father-Son Sub-4 Combo Club.
Young runs fastest Mile at highest altitude – January 19
At the Lumberjack Team Challenge in Flagstaff, AZ, Nico Young won the Mile in 3:57.33 on the NAU 300 meter oversized indoor track, recording the fastest known Mile at the highest altitude (6,900 feet) as well as the fastest indoor Mile by an American and #2 all-time behind Edward Cheserek (KEN) who clocked 3:54.73 in Albuquerque, NM in 2018. Young’s time equates to sub-3:50 sea level performance.
St. Pierre, Nuguse shine at Wanamaker Mile – February 11
At 116th Millrose Games, Elle St. Pierre (above), 11 months after giving birth, won her third Wanamaker Mile title and also broke her U.S. indoor record and track personal record, clocking a dominant 4:16.41 and the fastest track time of the year. Overall, in the deepest women's indoor Mile ever, five national records were set.
In the deepest men’s race, Yared Nuguse defended his Wanamaker Mile title in 3:47.83, just off his U.S. record from 2023. For the first time, four men went sub-3:50 in the same indoor Mile race; also American Hobbs Kessler (3:48.66) and Britons George Mills (3:48.93) and Adam Fogg (3:49.62).
Team USA 1500m medal haul at World Indoors – March 3
At World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, American 1500m runners produced a banner day, winning an impressive four medals: two silver (Nikki Hiltz and Cole Hocker) and two bronze medals (Emily Mackey and Hobbs Kessler).
Also in the 3000m on March 2, top U.S. Milers Elle St. Pierre and Yared Nuguse won gold and silver medals. St. Pierre, who’s son, Ivan, turned 1-year-old on March 4, clocked 8:20.87, setting meet and absolute U.S. records; also the first indoor 3000m world title by an American woman! #AGT
Shively, Engelhardt = fastest U.S. HS-only indoor Mile – March 10
At New Balance Indoor Nationals in Boston, Clay Shively, a senior at Trinity Academy in Wichita, Kansas, dominated the boys Mile in 4:00.47, a meet record and the fastest U.S. HS-only indoor time. In the girls Mile, Sadie Engelhardt, a Ventura HS (CA) junior, was equally as stellar, clocking 4:36.36, also a meet record and the fastest U.S. HS-only indoor performance.
Engelhardt three-peats Mile, #2 All-Time U.S. HS-only at Arcadia – April 6
At the Arcadia Invitational in California, Sadie Engelhardt continued her stellar Mile racing year as she became the first to three-peat in the girls Mile, running 4:34.31, meet & state records and the #2 all-time U.S. performance in a girls HS-only race. Timpview High of Utah teammates Jane Hedengren (4:37.17) and Lily Alder (4:40.82) finished second and third.
Engelhardt shatters U.S. HS-only girls Mile record at Mt. SAC – April 19
At the Mt. SAC Relays, Sadie Engelhardt smashed the U.S. HS-only girls Mile record, clocking 4:31.72 in a solo effort (previous record, 4:33.87, Katelyn Tuohy, 2018); also, #2 all-time (fastest, 4:28.25, Mary Cain, 2014, indoors).
Ciattei scares road Mile world record at Grand Blue Mile – April 23
At the 15th Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines, Iowa, Vince Ciattei captured his second USA Road Mile title (also 2022), just missing Hobb Kessler’s 3:56.13 WR from 2023 with his 3:56.97, but he did shatter Clayton Murphy's course record of 3:59.96 from 2017. In the women’s race, Rachel McArthur won her first national crown in her debut road Mile, crossing the finish line in 4:32.20.
Wanyonyi wallops road Mile world record – April 27
Kenyan Emmanuel Wanyonyi, at the Adizero Road to Records in Herzogenaurach, Germany, won the Mile in 3:54.6 to smash American Hobb Kessler’s 3:56.13 road world record from 2023. Kessler finished second in 3:56.2.
Nuguse hits Mile record trifecta at Penn Relays – April 27
At the 128th Penn Relays, Yared Nuguse won a thrilling Mile race in a record trifecta of 3:51.06 to break the following records: Penn Relays – 3:53.2 (Tony Waldrop, 1974), Franklin Field – 3:52.88 (Eamonn Coghlan, 1979) and Pennsylvania state record – (3:52.26, Steve Scott, 1981). In addition, Nuguse’s time is the fastest track Mile run in April. Olli Hoare (AUS) and Eric Holt (USA) were also under the previous three records, running 3:51.28 and 3:51.46, respectively.
Hear, hear for the 70th anniversary celebration of the first sub-4 minute Mile – May 6
Oxford was the place to be Monday, May 6 for the 70th anniversary celebration of Roger Bannister’s iconic, historic, still resonating first sub-4 minute Mile (3:59.4). Oxford University staged a day-long celebration with a multi-heat community Mile in the city’s center and track races at the same Iffley Road venue where Bannister etched his name in the history books that fateful day in 1954. Mile luminaries and record holders at the event included Filbert Bayi, Eamonn Coghlan, Steve Cram, Noureddine Morceli and Hicham El Guerrouj (the latter and Cram ran the community Mile which had 1,077 finishers). Fittingly, at the famed track, four men broke 4 minutes, won by Italian Ossama Meslek in 3:56.15, to the delight of the 2,000 in attendance and to further celebrate Sir Roger and sub-4.
Kerr th
e King at Bowerman Mile – May 25
At the Prefontaine Classic, in a highly anticipated showdown, World 1500m champion Josh Kerr held off Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win the Bowerman Mile in a British record of 3:45.34, breaking legend Steve Cram’s 1985 record as well as clocking the fastest track Mile in the month of May, #6 man all-time and the fastest track time of the year. Overall, nine men went sub-3:50 including top American Yared Nuguse, third in 3:46.22, and teen talent Cameron Myers of Australia, 11th overall, ran 3:50.15 to set an age 17 world record.
Oh, what a night in St. Louis! – May 30
In arguably the greatest day in prep Mile history, at the Festival of Miles in St. Louis, Allie Zealand from Virginia won the girls Mile in 4:30.38 , setting a U.S. high school outdoor record and leading 5 girls under 4:40, and then 15 minutes later, teen phenom Sadie Engelhardt, in the pro Mile, finished second, clocking 4:28.46 to reclaim the record! Jenn Randall won the women’s pro Mile in 4:28.23, also her first sub-4:30. NOTE: Engelhardt, a junior, has run a record 13 sub-4:40 Mile times thus far (Cain had 3 sub-4:40 before turning pro).
In the next race, Drew Griffith from Pennsylvania won the boys Mile in 3:57.72 to the become the 22nd U.S. HSer to go sub-4 (17th since the BBTM launch) and the 5th fastest outdoors (6th overall); Griffith was also the 9th HSer to record a sub-4 at the event. In addition, finishers 2-4 went sub-4:02, including runner-up Clay Shively at 4:00.02.
The men’s pro race was won by Ben Veatch, breaking the beam in 3:56.04, a PR, and followed by 11 men also sub-4.
Two sub-4 in HS-only race – June 15
History was made on Saturday evening in Philadelphia at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor: in a thrilling race, for the first time, two high schoolers – Drew Griffith & Zach Hillhouse (Utah) – clocked sub-4 minute Mile times in a HS-only race, 3:59.00 (meet record) and 3:59.62, respectively; Hillhouse = 3rd U.S. HSer sub-4 for the year (also, JoJo Jourdon, 3:59.87, Boston, indoors) and 23rd U.S. prepster sub-4 & 18th since BBTM launch. Bravo! #AGT
In the girls Mile, the ever consistent Sadie Engelhardt ran her record 14th sub-4:40, winning in a meet record of 4:37.04 (61 point last lap). Allie Zealand was runner-up in 4:39.16.
Golden 1500 at U.S. Olympic Trials – June 24
In the greatest U.S. 1500 meter race, Cole Hocker impressively defended his Olympic Trials title, crushing the meet record in 3:30.59, also a PR. Yared Nuguse followed closely on Hocker’s heels in 3:30.86, and 21-year-old Hobbs Kessler took the coveted third Team USA berth to Paris, holding off Vince Ciattei, 3:31.53 to 3:31.78. Overall, the top 8 bettered the old meet record (3:34.09, Matthew Centrowitz, 2016, and Nuguse, 2024 semi) and 8 of 12 finishers recorded PRs. Bravo!
Great U.S. women’s 1500m ever! – June 30 
The following week, the U.S. women produced an historic 1500 at the Olympic Trials. Elle St. Pierre, who earlier won the 5000m, took the pace out from the gun, hitting the first 400 in 61 seconds. In the final thrilling home stretch, Nikki Hiltz passed St. Pierre and Emily Mackay to win in a stunning 3:55.33 (#2 U.S. all-time), shattering St. Pierre’s Trials record of 3:58.03 from 2021 and defending her 2023 crown. Mackay and St. Pierre followed quickly in 3:55.90 and 3:55.99 (#3 and #4 U.S. all-time). In the greatest mass finish for U.S. women in the 1500, the top six athletes surpassed the old Trials record and the top eight also set personal records, all sub-4. What a race!
Fast times at Yakima Mile – July 13
At the 5th Yakima Mile, under hot evening conditions, two first-time road Milers – Kayley DeLay and Anthony Camerieri – won their respective races in 4:22 (4:21.76) and 3:54 (3:53.88). DeLay’s time was the #2 women’s Mile time ever on Washington soil, just missing Nikki Hiltz’s state best of 4:21.5 from the 2021 race. Each champion earned $5000 for the win, and race founder Chris Waddle awarded DeLay a $3000 bonus for her outstanding performance. Overall, 6 men went sub-4 and 6 women sub-4:30.
Hoare wins dramatic Emsley Carr Mile – July 20
At the 71st Emsley Carr Mile, part of the London Athletics Meet, Olli Hoare of Australia held off a fast closing pack of runners, breaking the beam in 3:49.03, followed closely by Norway’s Narve Gilje Nordas in 3:49.06; the first five finishers were separated by just 0.56 seconds! Unfortunately, three athletes took a tumble shortly after the start, including Niels Laros of The Netherlands who clawed his way back to finish 4th in an impressive 3:49.45. Overall, 14 men went sub-4.
Gregorek four-peats at Guardian Mile – July 27
In a thrilling three-man finish, Johnny Gregorek secured his 4th consecutive Guardian Mile title in Cleveland, running 4:00 (3:59.96) and edging Australians Jack Anstey and Mick Stanovsek, 4:01 (4:00.50) and 4:10 (4:00.60), respectively. In the women’s race, Micaela DeGenero passed 2020 1500m Olympian Heather MacLean just before the finish line for the win in 4:35 (4:34.57) to 4:35 (4:34.79).
DeGenero fastest women’s Mile at altitude – August 1
At the Mile High Mile in Boulder, CO, Micaela DeGenero followed up her Guardian Mile win with the fastest absolute women’s Mile at altitude, breaking the beam in 4:31.61 to set event and Colorado state records; previous absolute mark , 4:32.23, indoors, Nikki Hiltz, Flagstaff, AZ, 01/20/23 and previous outdoor and state mark, 4:32.72, Emma Coburn, Grand Junction, CO, 06/27/20. Joey Berriatua won the men’s race in 4:02.67, just missing the event record.
Suliman, Ewoi record-setters at Sir Walter Miler – August 2
At Sir Walter Miler in Raleigh, NC, American Waleed Suliman and Kenyan Dorcus Ewoi shattered meet and state records in 3:51.89 and 4:19.71, respectively. In addition, Ewoi became the first woman to run a track sub-4:20 outdoors on U.S. soil, also setting a U.S. All-Comers outdoor record. Women’s runner-up Sage Hurta-Klecker clocked a personal record of 4:19.89, #6 U.S. woman all-time outdoors.
Hocker’s shocker in Paris – August 6
There aren’t enough superlatives to do justice to what happened in the men’s 1500m at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, but suffice it to say that the race was epic. Defending champion and co-race favorite Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway took the pace out hard from the gun and hit the 800 meter mark in a swift 1:51, followed closely by a train of world class Milers. Ingebrigtsen’s efforts, however, didn’t shake the top contenders, instead they just ran in his slipstream.
On the final curve, the medals race started as Ingebrigtsen pushed hard to the finish line, but 2023 World champion Josh Kerr, U.S. Olympic Trials champion Cole Hocker and fellow American Yared Nuguse also increased their turnover. Kerr went first, and after his initial charge was thwarted by Ingebrigtsen just before the final 100 meters, Hocker, 23, saw Lane 1 open up and sprinted to the beam, clocking 3:27.65 and setting Olympic and personal records. Kerr captured silver with a British record of 3:27.79 just nipping Nuguse, who also set a PR of 3:27.80, for bronze. Ingebrigtsen finished fourth in 3:28.24, the final man under the previous Olympic record, 3:28.32 by Ingebrigtsen, Tokyo 2020.
Overall, in arguably the greatest 1500 ever, an Olympic record six men went sub-3:30, including the third American, 21-year-old Hobbs Kessler (3:29.45, PR). National records were also set by 19-year-old Niels Laros of The Netherlands, 3:29.54, 6th, and Pietro Arese of Italy, 3:30.74, 8th. This was the first time since the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, 112 years ago, that Team USA placed two men on the 1500m podium.
You goatta have Faith! – August 10
To no one’s surprise, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Faith Kipyegon won a record third 1500m gold medal, effortlessly running away from the deepest women’s field ever in 3:51.29, an Olympic record. Jessica Hull of Australia and Georgia Bell of Great Britain earned silver and bronze medals, 3:52.56 and 3:52.61; the latter a British record. Overall, nine women went sub-4 minutes, the most in Olympic history.
Giles shatters road Mile world record – September 1
At New Balance KÖ Meile in Düsseldorf, Germany, Elliot Giles of Great Britain shattered the road Mile world record, running 3:51.3. American, Paris Olympic 1500m bronze medalist and runner-up Yared Nuguse was also well under the previous WR, 3:54.6 by Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) in April, with his 3:51.9.
Kerr crushes 5th Avenue Mile record – September 8
At the 43rd New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, Olympic medalist and World champion Josh Kerr and two-time U.S. Olympian Karissa Schweizer handily won the professional races, breaking and tying the event records, respectively. The Scotsman captured his second consecutive title on famed 5th Avenue in a time of 3:44.3, smashing the event record of 3:47.52 set by Sydney Maree in the race’s first year in 1981. American Josh Hoey was the surprise runner-up in 3:48.9.
In her FAM debut, Schweizer also ran a dominant race, crossing the finish line in an event record tying time of 4:14.8 (also Laura Muir in 2022). Kenyan Dorcus Ewoi, also her event debut, finished second in 4:17.3.
Overall, 17 men went sub-4 and 15 women sub-4:30 . The world’s largest road Mile also had more than 8,800 finishers.
NOTE: Two of the USA's greatest Milers and Olympic & multi-World medalists, Jenny Simpson & Matthew Centrowitz, retired as professional runners. Thank you for the memories, Jenny & Matthew! Take a well-deserved bow.
MEMORIAM
On February 1, 2024, Michel Jazy of France passed away at age 87. The 1960 Olympic 1500m silver medalist set the Mile world record of 3:53.6 on June 9, 1965 in Rennes, France; at 28 years, 361 days, Jazy is the oldest man to set the outdoor Mile WR!
