The winning times from this year’s US Road Mile Championships – 4:27.97 for Nikki Hiltz and 4:01.21 for Sam Prakel – have been ratified as the inaugural world records for the road mile.
The road mile became an official world record discipline as of 1 September. As announced after the World Athletics Council Meeting in November 2022, official recognition of a world record would require a performance of at least 3:50.00 (men) or 4:19.00 (women) between 1 January and 1 September 2023. If they were not met, the fastest recorded record-eligible performances would be recognised as the world records.
As such, the winning times at the US Road Mile Championships in Des Moines on 25 April proved to be the fastest eligible performances within that time frame and they have now been ratified as the inaugural world records.
There will, however, be a strong chance of these records being broken at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on 1 October, where the road mile is being contested by dozens of the world’s best middle-distance runners as part of a programme that also features 5km and half marathon races.
Among those entered for the mile in Riga are Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who has broken three world records in the 1500m, mile and 5000m on the track in 2023, plus her compatriot Beatrice Chepkoech, Australia’s Jess Hull, Ethiopia’s Teddese Lemi, Kenya’s Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot and Prakel.
Credit: World Athletics
