Breaking 3:50

The 1986 Dream Mile, Bislett Stadium, Oslo, Norway: "Truly – this feels like flying. No pain – just effortless running."

By Jim Spivey

I gave myself one week to recover from flying over to London, and then picked up only one bag and flew to Oslo, Norway.

The Dream Mile is probably the...

He had the Time of His Life

In the season finale, Eamonn Coghlan lowered his indoor Mile world record to 3:49.78: "All I could think of was my coach Gerry Farnan and my father. I was saying, hey, this is for you guys."

By Craig Neff, Sports Illustrated

Eamonn Coghlan lay in his New Jersey hotel room early last Sunday...

Miles to Go Before They Sleep…

...and a promise to keep in Cleveland. Eamonn Coghlan and Steve Scott raced in San Diego, then flew all night to meet again

By Kenny Moore, Sports Illustrated

Eamonn Coghlan (3:50.6) and Steve Scott (3:51.8) are the two fastest indoor Milers in history. They hadn't met indoors for two years,...

Who’s the World’s Best Miler? Steve Scott Won’t Take Coe (or Ovett) for An Answer

“Steve’s greatest assets are his strength and resilience. He can run three days in a row and be as strong the third day as the first.”

By Joe Fares, People

As a freshman member of the Upland, Calif. high school track team, Steve Scott savored the pleasures of life in the slow lane. “I didn’t...

Coe on the Go

His latest Mile world record having lasted but a week, Sebastian Coe came racing back to regain it in Brussels

By Kenny Moore, Sports Illustrated

As the gun sounded to begin the Golden Mile in Brussels' Heizel Stadium last Friday night, August 28th, Tom Byers was caught off balance. He was in...

The Mile Has No Problem Surviving in a Metric Age

A record-breaking performance... would solidify the Mile's stature as one of sport's most exciting spectacles... Who would have got excited about the 4 minute 1600 anyway?

By Craig Masback, The New York Times

Steve Ovett stood with hands on hips in silent contemplation of the men's 200...

Ovett’s 3:49.25 Wins Oslo Mile as Seven Runners Better 3:51

''It's the best Mile the world's ever seen." - Steve Ovett

By Neil Amdur, New York Times

OSLO, Norway — The Mile moved to a new frontier tonight when seven runners shattered 3 minutes, 51 seconds, led by Steve Ovett's winning 3:49.25 and an American record 3:49.68 by Steve Scott, who was...

As We Join Our Show, Steve, Is, As Usual, Running

Can young Steve Scott, Miler and soap opera junkie, find happiness and success with a world record? You can bet he'd like to find out

By Kenny Moore, Sports Illustrated

Call it the Seven-Per-Cent Problem. A Miler running at 15 mph—or 4 minutes per Mile—spends a tenth of his energy just...

Right Omens for Eamonn

Having espied a portentous green bikini and donned his lucky singlet, Coghlan cleaved two seconds off his indoor Mile world record with a 3:50.6 clocking

By Kenny Moore, Sports Illustrated

Eamonn Coghlan is not a superstitious man. Yet he kept a constant eye out for omens last week in San...

The Golden Mile: The torch is passed

As Coe entered, the meet's athletes rose in a standing ovation. For the first time what he had done began to sink in, and he was moved.

By Kenny Moore, Sports Illustrated

The streams of talent and preparation and resolve that would converge in Oslo at twilight on July 17, 1979, arose in...