It has been a showcase for promising young American talent: like Shannon Rowbury’s incredible 4:20.34 debut mile in 2008 and the awe-inspiring performance of a young Alan Webb, whose 3:46.91 is still the eighth fastest of all time, and the fastest ever run by an American.
The mile has been the battle-ground for great rivalries in our sport, such as that of Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett. Mary Decker-Slaney has the Amercian record with her 4:16.71, while Russia’s Svetlana Masterkova set the world record with her 4:12.56. Only a handful of women have ever gone below that barrier. Long before the marathon became the barometer for running greatness, the mile, like space travel, redefined the boundaries of human achievement when Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute barrier. For women, the 4-minute equivalent might be 4:20. While my big dream running goal might not impress anyone around the office water cooler, it’s more intense than a marathon and it requires just as much bravery: one fast mile. The marathon, however, is not on my bucket list. It’s a lofty aspiration, a great topic of conversations at cocktail parties, and well worth its place on the bucket list. Part One - Forget Marathons: I'm Racing the Mileįor many runners, especially those adult-onset runners who catch the running bug later in life, it’s all about the marathon.
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