Two miles explained
The 2 mile (10,560 feet or 3,218.688 metres) is a historic running distance. Like the mile run, it is still contested at some invitational meets due its historical chronology in the United States and United Kingdom. It has been largely superseded by the 3000 m (approximately 1.864 miles) and 5000 m, and by the 3200 m in NFHS American high school competitions (18.688m short of 2 miles). The IAAF no longer keeps official world records for this distance; they are called world best instead.
The world best for men is 7:54.10 set by Jakob Ingebrigtsen on 9 June 2023 in Paris. The women's record is 8:58.58, set by Ethiopian Meseret Defar in Brussels, Belgium on 14 September 2007. Ingebrigtsen, along with previous record holder Daniel Komen, are the only people to have run the distance in under 8 minutes, and thus run two miles at a four-minute mile pace.
All-time top 25
Men (outdoor)
Notes
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 8:07.46:
Women (outdoor)
- Correct as of May 2022.[4]
Notes
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 9:14.55:
Men (indoor)
- Correct as of February 2024.
Women (indoor)
- Correct as of February 2024.
Notes
Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 9:13.94:
World Best Performance Progression
Men
Outdoors
TIME | ATHLETE | DATE | PLACE |
---|
9:17.0 | | 1903-09-12 | London, United Kingdom |
9:08.4 | | 1904-06-11 | Glasgow, United Kingdom |
9:08.4 | | 1925-06-23 | Kramfors, Sweden |
9:01.4 | | 1926-09-12 | Berlin, Germany |
8:59.6 | | 1931-06-24 | Helsinki, Finland |
8:58.4 | | 1936-06-13 | Princeton, USA |
8:57.4 | | 1936-09-24 | Stockholm, Sweden |
8:56.0 | | 1937-09-30 | Budapest, Hungary |
8:53.2 | | 1939-06-07 | Helsinki, Finland |
8:47.8 | | 1942-06-03 | Stockholm, Sweden |
8:46.4 | | 1944-06-25 | Östersund, Sweden |
8:42.8 | | 1944-08-04 | Stockholm, Sweden |
8:40.4 | | 1952-08-26 | Paris, France |
8:33.4 | | 1955-05-30 | London, United Kingdom |
8:32.0 | | 1958-08-07 | Dublin, Ireland |
8:30.0 | | 1961-06-07 | Jyväskylä, Finland |
8:29.8 | | 1962-06-08 | Los Angeles, USA |
8:29.6 | | 1963-06-06 | Paris, France |
8:26.4 | | 1964-08-29 | Los Angeles, USA |
8:22.6 | | 1965-06-23 | Melun, France |
8:19.8 | | 1967-07-27 | Västerås, Sweden |
8:19.6 | | 1968-08-24 | London, United Kingdom |
8:17.8 | | 1971-08-21 | Edinburgh, United Kingdom |
8:14.0 | | 1972-08-14 | Stockholm, Sweden |
8:13.8 | | 1973-08-27 | London, United Kingdom |
8:13.51 | | 1978-09-15 | London, United Kingdom |
8:13.45 | | 1987-05-28 | Turin, Italy |
8:12.17 | | 1993-06-30 | Hechtel, Belgium |
8:09.01 | | 1994-06-30 | Hechtel, Belgium |
8:07.46 | | 1995-05-27 | Kerkrade, Netherlands |
8:03.54 | | 1996-07-14 | Lappeenranta, Finland |
8:01.08 | | 1997-05-31 | Hengelo, Netherlands |
7:58.61 | | 1997-07-19 | Hechtel, Belgium |
7:54.10 | | 2023-06-09 | Paris, France | |
Indoors
TIME | ATHLETE | DATE | PLACE |
---|
8:09.66 | | 2000-02-20 | Birmingham, United Kingdom |
8:04.69 | | 2003-02-21 | Birmingham, United Kingdom |
8:04.35 | | 2008-02-16 | Birmingham, United Kingdom |
8:03.40 | | 2015-02-21 | Birmingham, United Kingdom |
8:00.67 | | 2024-02-11 | New York City, United States | |
Women
Outdoors
Indoors
TIME | ATHLETE | DATE | PLACE |
---|
9:28.15 | | 1986-02-20 | New York City, USA |
9:23.38 | | 2002-01-27 | Boston, USA |
9:10.50 | | 2008-01-26 | Boston, USA |
9:06.26 | | 2009-02-26 | Prague, Czech Republic |
9:00.48 | | 2014-02-15 | Birmingham, United Kingdom | |
US high school boys progression
Note: this list only covers boys because the history of 2 mile running largely occurred before Title IX, before high school girls were allowed to compete, which occurred about the same time as conversion to metric distances.[20]
TIME | ATHLETE | SCHOOL | CITY | DATE | PLACE |
---|
(8:40.0i) | Gerry Lindgren | Rogers High School | Spokane, Washington | February 15, 1964 | Cow Palace, Daly City, California[21] |
8:57.8 | Mike Ryan | Wilcox High School | Santa Clara, California | 1965 | |
8:48.3 | Rick Riley | Ferris High School | Spokane, Washington | May 28, 1966 | Washington State Championships[22] |
8:41.5 | Steve Prefontaine | Marshfield High School | Coos Bay, Oregon | April 25, 1969 | Corvallis Invitational, Corvallis, Oregon |
8:40.9 | Craig Virgin | Lebanon High School | Lebanon, Illinois | June 9, 1973 | International Prep Invitational, Prospect, Illinois |
8:36.3 | Jeff Nelson | Burbank High School | Burbank, California | May 6, 1979 | Pepsi Invitational, Westwood, Los Angeles, California |
8:34.23 | German Fernandez | Riverbank High School | Riverbank, California | June 20, 2008 | Nike Outdoor Nationals, Greensboro, North Carolina video |
8:29.46 | Lukas Verzbicas | Carl Sandburg High School | Orland Hills, Illinois | June 4, 2011 | Prefontaine Classic, Eugene, Oregon video | |
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Kipyegon, Girma and Ingebrigtsen make history in Paris. World Athletics. Jon Mulkeen. 9 June 2023. 10 June 2023.
- News: Brian Russell . 1 July 2019 . Hassan takes historic 3000m victory in Stanford – IAAF Diamond League . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190701072917/https://www.iaaf.org/news/report/prefontaine-classic-stanford-2019-diamond-lea4 . 1 July 2019 . 20 July 2019 . IAAF.
- Web site: 9 June 2023 . Two Miles Results . 10 June 2023 . sportresult.com.
- Web site: 21 May 2017 . All-time men's best Two miles . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150627073929/http://www.alltime-athletics.com/m2milesok.htm . 27 June 2015. 13 February 2024 . alltime-athletics.com.
- News: Mahuchikh and Taye triumph on opening night in Eugene. World Athletics. Cathal Dennehy. 28 May 2022. 10 June 2022.
- News: Mike Rowbottom . 21 August 2021 . No world record but Hassan claims clear win in Eugene . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210822142853/https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/diamond-league/news/eugene-distance-night-hassan-report . 22 August 2021 . 27 August 2021 . World Athletics.
- Web site: 20 May 2007 . Defar breaks world record in two miles . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180429025140/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-carson-defar-idUSL2039239320070520 . 29 April 2018 . 3 May 2018 . Reuters.
- Web site: 17 April 2018 . U.S. ALL-TIME LIST — WOMEN . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190401215229/https://trackandfieldnews.com/tfn-lists/u-s-all-time-list-women/ . 1 April 2019 . 3 May 2018 . Track and Field News.
- Web site: 28 May 2022 . 2 Miles Results . 10 June 2022 . World Athletics.
- Web site: Singh . Nancy . 11 February 2024 . Josh Kerr Shatters 9-Year Record to Beat American Record Holder on New York . 11 February 2024 . EssentiallySports.
- Web site: 11 February 2024 . Two Miles Result . 11 February 2024 . World Athletics.
- Web site: 11 February 2024 . Two Miles Result . 11 February 2024 . World Athletics.
- Web site: 11 February 2024 . Two Miles Result . 11 February 2024 . World Athletics.
- Web site: 16 February 2013 . Two Miles Results . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130220003303/http://branchsportstech.com/2013_Meets/indoor/02-16-millrose/Results39-1.htm . 20 February 2013 . 14 February 2017 . www.branchsportstech.com.
- Web site: 11 February 2024 . Two Miles Result . 11 February 2024 . World Athletics.
- Web site: 11 February 2024 . Two Miles Result . 11 February 2024 . World Athletics.
- Web site: 11 February 2024 . Two Miles Result . 11 February 2024 . World Athletics.
- News: Taylor Dutch . 14 February 2021 . Three American Records and 10 National Records Fall at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210226143457/https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a35499064/new-balance-indoor-grand-prix-results/ . 26 February 2021 . 23 February 2021 . runnersworld.com.
- Web site: 11 February 2024 . Two Miles Result . 11 February 2024 . World Athletics.
- Web site: Archived copy . 23 April 2013 . 14 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120314220709/http://www.cs.uml.edu/~phoffman/nats/gods.htm . live .
- Web site: Track & Field News – The Bible Of The Sport Since 1948. www.trackandfieldnews.com. 12 April 2018. 15 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170215194739/http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php?id=557&option=com_content. live.
- Web site: Running_Shots_25. runningentertainment.com. 12 April 2018. 1 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180301215514/http://www.runningentertainment.com/runningshots25.html. live.