List of American high school students who have run a four-minute mile

This is a list of American high school students who have run a four-minute mile since the feat was first accomplished in 1964.

The first person to run the mile (1,760 yards, or 1,609.344 metres) in under four minutes was Roger Bannister in 1954, in a time of 3:59.4. This barrier would not be broken by a high school student until 1964, when Jim Ryun ran the distance in a time of 3:59.0 at the Compton Relays. Ryun went on to set a national high school record of 3:55.3, which stood until 2001 when it was broken by Alan Webb. Thirty-five U.S. high school students have run the mile in less than four minutes since 1964. From 1964 to 2017, only ten boys ran a mile in under four minutes; between 2020 and 2025, twenty boys have broken the four-minute mark.

U.S. high school mile record holders Jim Ryun After setting the national high school record in the mile, Jim Ryun set the world record in 1966 and then again in 1967, when he ran 3:51.1. Ryun was 19 at the time, making him the youngest world record holder in the mile to date. His record stood for nine years. Ryun competed in the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympic games. He took silver in the men's 1500m at the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Alan Webb Alan Webb broke Ryun's 36-year old high school mile record (3:55.3), running 3:53.43 at the Prefontaine Classic in 2001. Webb also ran what was then an American record in the mile, in 2007, at 3:46.91. Despite finding success in high school and on the track, Webb had an inconsistent career that was riddled with injuries, such as achilles tendonitis and a stress fracture in his foot and tibia. Name Time Date Venue Location Jim Ryun 3:59.0 June 5, 1964 Compton Invitational Los Angeles, California Jim Ryun 3:58.3 May 15, 1965 KSHSAA Track and Field Championships Wichita, Kansas Jim Ryun 3:58.1 May 29, 1965 California Relays Modesto, California Jim Ryun 3:56.8 June 4, 1965 Compton Invitational Los Angeles, California Jim Ryun 3:55.3 June 27, 1965 AAU Track and Field Championships San Diego, California Tim Danielson 3:59.4 June 11, 1966 San Diego Invitational San Diego, California Marty Liquori 3:59.8 June 23, 1967 AAU Track and Field Championships Bakersfield, California Alan Webb 3:59.86 (indoors) January 20, 2001 New Balance Games New York City, New York Alan Webb 3:53.43 May 27, 2001 Prefontaine Classic Eugene, Oregon Lukas Verzbicas 3:59.71 June 11, 2011 Adidas Grand Prix New York City, New York Matthew Maton 3:59.38 May 8, 2015 Oregon Twilight Meet Eugene, Oregon Grant Fisher 3:59.38 June 4, 2015 Festival of Miles St. Louis, Missouri Drew Hunter 3:58.25 (indoors) February 6, 2016 Armory Track Invitational New York City, New York Drew Hunter 3:57.81 (indoors) February 20, 2016 NYRR Millrose Games New York City, New York Michael Slagowski 3:59.53 April 29, 2016 Jesuit Twilight Invitational Portland, Oregon Reed Brown 3:59.30 June 1, 2017 Festival of Miles St. Louis, Missouri Leo Daschbach 3:59.54 May 23, 2020 The Quarantine Clasico El Dorado Hills, California Hobbs Kessler 3:57.66 (indoors) February 7, 2021 American Track League Invitational Fayetteville, Arkansas Colin Sahlman3:58.81 (indoors)February 5, 2022Dr. Sander Invitational/Columbia ChallengeNew York City, New York Gary Martin3:57.98May 14, 2022Philadelphia Catholic League ChampionshipsSpringfield, Pennsylvania Colin Sahlman3:56.24May 28, 2022Prefontaine ClassicEugene, Oregon Gary Martin3:57.89June 2, 2022Festival of MilesSt. Louis, Missouri Connor Burns3:58.83June 2, 2022Festival of MilesSt. Louis, Missouri Rheinhardt Harrison3:59.33June 3, 2022Golden South Series #2Tarpon Springs, Florida Simeon Birnbaum3:59.51June 15, 2022Brooks PR InvitationalSeattle, Washington Connor Burns3:59.51 (indoors)February 26, 2023Last Chance Indoor National Qualifier at BUBoston, Massachusetts Rocky Hansen3:59.56April 30, 2023Virginia High Performance MeetCharlottesville, Virginia Simeon Birnbaum 3:57.53 June 1, 2023 Festival of Miles St. Louis, Missouri Rocky Hansen 3:58.24 June 1, 2023 Festival of Miles St. Louis, Missouri Tinoda Matsatsa 3:58.7 June 1, 2023 Festival of Miles St. Louis, Missouri Jackson Heidesch 3:59.08 June 1, 2023 Festival of Miles St. Louis, Missouri JoJo Jourdon3:59.87 (indoors)February 3, 2024New Balance Indoor Grand PrixBoston, Massachusetts Drew Griffith 3:57.72 May 30, 2024 Festival of Miles St. Louis, Missouri Drew Griffith 3:59.00 June 16, 2024 New Balance Nationals Outdoor Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Zachary Hillhouse 3:59.62 June 16, 2024 New Balance Nationals Outdoor Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaOwen Powell3:57.74 (indoors)February 15, 2025UW Husky ClassicSeattle, WashingtonOwen Powell3:56.66 (indoors)February 22, 2025Terrier DMR ChallengeBoston, MassachusettsJosiah Tostenson3:57.47 (indoors)February 22, 2025Terrier DMR ChallengeBoston, MassachusettsTayvon Kitchen3:59.61 (indoors)February 22, 2025Terrier DMR ChallengeBoston, MassachusettsTommy Latham3:59.79 March 28, 2025Marist MileBrookhaven, GeorgiaTJ Hansen3:59.02 May 24, 2025RunningLane Track ChampionshipsHuntsville, AlabamaCorbin Coombs3:59.23 May 24, 2025RunningLane Track ChampionshipsHuntsville, AlabamaQuentin Nauman3:58.65 June 5, 2025HOKA Festival of MilesSt. Louis, MOJosiah Tostenson3:59.00 June 5, 2025HOKA Festival of MilesSt. Louis, MONoah Bontrager3:59.48 (indoors)March 15, 2026New Balance Nationals IndoorBoston, MassachusettsJackson Spencer3:58.17April 24, 2026Jesuit Twilight RelaysPortland, OregonJackson Spencer 3:57.24June 4, 2026HOKA Festival of MilesSt. Louis, MOCarter Smith3:59.00June 4, 2026HOKA Festival of MilesSt. Louis, MOBrian Burns3:59.70June 4, 2026HOKA Festival of MilesSt. Louis, MODylan Rowell3:59.93 June 7, 2026Brooks PR InvitationalSeattle, Washington

Note: all of the above runners were high school seniors when they ran under four minutes for the mile except for Ryun in 1964, Burns and Birnbaum in 2022, and Nauman in 2025 who were juniors at the time.

References