Fastest Mile Run

Hicham El Guerrouj's 3:43.13 world record mile/Human Records & Feats

On July 7, 1999, Moroccan runner Hicham El Guerrouj ran a mile (1,609.34 meters) in 3 minutes 43.13 seconds in Rome, a world record that has stood for over 25 years. His average speed was 7.21 meters per second (about 26 km/h), sustained for nearly four minutes. The mile record holds a special place in athletics history: Roger Bannister's breaking of the 4-minute barrier in 1954 was considered one of the great achievements of the 20th century. El Guerrouj shattered that by nearly 17 seconds, suggesting that human legs still had a lot more to give than anyone expected.