2 min readA new official world record discipline just dropped. As of September 1, the road mile was welcomed into the fold by the World Athletics Council, and the winning times from this year’s U.S. Road Mile Championships have been submitted for world record ratification.
Sam Prakel’s 4:01.21 and Nikki Hiltz’s 4:27.97 have earned both athletes inaugural world record holder status, pending ratification, which includes doping control and shoe compliance.
According to World Athletics, official recognition of a world record in the road mile will require a performance of 3:50.00 or faster for men, and 4:19:00 or faster for women, run between January 1 and September 1, 2023. If the standard isn’t met, the fastest recorded record-eligible performances will be recognized as the world records.
Prakel and Hiltz’s winning times at the U.S. Road Mile Championships in Des Moines in April were the fastest eligible performances recorded during that timespan, so they’ve both got the title—for now. Both athletes had thrilling performances in the star-studded fields that toed the line in Iowa. Hiltz initially hadn’t even been sure they were going to compete, but ended up edging out Sinclaire Johnson by one second in their race, and on the men’s side, Prakel kicked ahead of Casey Comber and defending champion Vincent Ciattei with less than 200 meters to go, pumping his fist as he crossed the finish line.
Those were sweet, hard-won victories, but the mile just keeps getting faster, and there’s a strong likelihood that these inaugural records will be broken at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia, this October, where dozens of the world’s best middle-distance runners will gather to drop those times down.
The Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City, which will be contested on Sunday, is the next premier road mile on the calendar, but it’s not eligible for world records. Both Hiltz and Prakel are entered.
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
