1600 meters

Middle-distance running event December 2024 1600 meters Gunder Hägg (right) defeats Arne Andersson with a world record time of 4:06.2 min in Gothenburg in 1942. GBR Josh Kerr 3:41.4 (2026) KEN Faith Kipyegon 4:06.20c (2023) 1600 meters is a middle distance track and field running event that is slightly shorter than the more common mile run, and 100 meters longer than the much more frequent 1500 m run. The 1600-meter event puts some of the best high school runners to the ultimate test, measuring their physical and mental capabilities. With more high school runners doing this event, their VO2 max and overall mood benefit. The 1600-meter races help runners have a lower resting heart rate, help build muscle, and benefit their body composition over a short period of time.2023-05-25 Joining the Run Streak? Here Are 15 Reasons Why We Love a 1-Mile Run https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a41986426/why-we-love-a-1-mile-run/ 2025-11-04 Runner's World en-US In World Athletics, events like the 1500 m and 3000 m are ran in a World Championship setting where in high school, they run the 1600 m and 3200 m, both just short of a full mile and 2 miles. It is a standardized event in track meets conducted by the NFHS in American high school competition, often being colloquially referred to as "the mile" or "the metric mile". When the organization went through metrication, finalized with their 1980 rule book, the 4 lap around a 440 yard, imperial-measured mile run, was replaced by the closest metric distance, 4 laps around a 400 meter track, or 8 laps around an indoor 200 meter track.https://bringbackthemile.com/history Search Mile History click + icon - Mile History Bring Back the Mile That decision is not without controversy.https://www.maxpreps.com/news/relhrsoiD0a-ChvdQlYhGA/track-debate--mile-or-1,600.htm Track debate: Mile or 1,600? - MaxPreps May 4, 2012 MaxPreps.com The race is 9.344 meters shorter, similarly to the 3200 meter run being 18.688 meters short of 2 miles. Other organizations have followed the lead of World Athletics and use the 1500 meters as the closest equivalent. While World Athletics does not recognize an official world record or world best in the 1600 meters, the mile run can be used as an approximation.Stats World Athletics World Athletics https://worldathletics.org/records/by-category/world-best-performances 2024-11-27 worldathletics.org American high school recordsReferences List of United States high school national records in track and field Note 1 The current male high school record holder in the 1600 m is Drew Griffith, who ran 3:57.08 against other high schoolers at the PIAA Class 3A Championships. Drew Griffith pushed himself to his limits against the best high school 1600-meter runners. Even Drew Griffiths, now a teammate in college, Ryan Pajak claimed the silver medal in this competitive 1600 m race. Opening up in a 58.04, Drew never lost the lead, going through the 800 m in 1:58.92. Eventually closing out his historic run with his last two laps in a time of 60.75 seconds and 57.98 seconds.Drew Jacqueline M Drew Michael E January 2010 The Identification of Ponzi Schemes https://doi.org/10.1080/10854668.2010.10854668 Griffith Law Review 19 1 51–70 10.1080/10854668.2010.10854668 1038-3441 Running through the finish line knowing he just ran a time that would go down in the history books. Griffith took the record from Alan Webb, who ran for South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia. Webb ran 3:59.51 at the Arcadia Invitational against high school athletes on April 14, 2001. Six weeks later, Webb ran a mile against seasoned international runners at the Prefontaine Classic, including world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco and the 2000 Summer Olympics' 1500 metres bronze medalist Bernard Lagat. Webb was timed in 3:51.83 for 1600 m (en route to the high school mile record in 3:53.43). Webb was technically still in high school at the time, but the NFHS only recognizes the race against other high school competitors. Several other high schoolers have run faster than Griffith's 3:57.08 1600 m, including Gary Martin (3:57.98 mile, 3:56.60 1600 m) in 2022 and Jim Ryun (3:58.3 mile, 3:56.92 1600 m) in 1965. All-time outdoor top high school boys' timesIn high-school only 1600 m races, and not en-route to the mile. May not be perfectly up to date. Note 2 + Sub-4:05 high school boys' 1600 m performersRecord Books https://www.nfhs.org/RecordBook/Record-book-result.aspx?CategoryId=1374TimeAthleteStateHigh SchoolDateMeetLocationRef. Reference3:57.08Drew GriffithPennsylvaniaButler24 May 2024PIAA ChampionshipsShippensburgButler's Drew Griffith breaks national 1,600-meter record at PIAA track championships https://tribhssn.triblive.com/butlers-drew-griffith-breaks-national-1600-meter-record-at-piaa-track-championships/ tribhssn.triblive.com Chris Harlan 24 May 2024 24 May 20243:59.51Alan WebbVirginiaReston South Lakes2001Arcadia InvitationalArcadia3:59.54Michael SlagowskiIdahoMeridian20164:00.28Grant FisherMichiganGrand Blanc20154:00.29German FernandezCaliforniaRiverbank20084:02.30Sam WorleyTexasComal Canyon20174:02.49Reed BrownTexasSouthlake Carroll20174:02.62Ryan HallCaliforniaBig Bear20014:03.00Austin MuddIndianaGreenwood Center Grove20114:03.22Paul VandergriftPennsylvaniaCnshhckn. Archbshp. Kndy.19874:03.59John QuadeWashingtonWoodinville19854:03.68Owen PowellWashingtonMercer Island29 May 2025WA State ChampionshipsTacomaMercer Island's Owen Powell sets records at WA track-and-field state meet https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/high-school/mercer-islands-owen-powell-sets-records-at-wa-track-and-field-state-meet/ The Seattle Times Shane Lantz 31 May 2025 13 June 20254:03.80John RobinsonTexasPasadena Dobie19804:03:27Steve MagnessTexasKlein Oak20034:04.00Michael StemberCaliforniaCarmichael Jesuit19954:04.09Matthew Centrowitz, Jr.MarylandAnnapolis Broadneck20074.04.49Luke PashNew JerseyRidgewood12 June 2024Meet of ChampionsPennsaukenRidgewood's Pash blasts boys 1,600-meter record at 2024 Meet of Champions https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2024/06/ridgewoods-pash-blasts-boys-1600-meter-record-at-2024-meet-of-champions.html nj.com Steven Bassin 12 June 2024 14 June 20244:04.70Gabe FendelIndianaHamilton Southeastern20174:04.91Tyler SainsburyIdahoRocky Mountain2023Pasco InvitationalPasco4:04.95A.J. AcostaCaliforniaOceanside El Camino20064:04.97Gabe JenningsWisconsinMadison East1997 The female record is less disputed, as Alexa Efraimson of Camas High School in Camas, Washington ran her 4:33.29 at the Washington State 4A Championships, exclusively against other high school girls, in 2014. In 2022, Sadie Engelhardt tied Efraimson's record. However, some high school girls have run faster than Efraimson, though this is not recognized by the NFHS, who only recognizes times in a 1600 m race against other high schoolers. First, on April 6, 2024, Engelhardt broke Efraimson's record by running 4:32.48, though this has not yet been ratified by the NFHS. Furthermore, Katelyn Tuohy ran a 4:32.28 1600 m en route to her 2018 outdoor high school mile record of 4:33.87. Tuohy's record has since been broken three times, which have not yet been ratified by the NFHS. First, on April 19, 2024, Sadie Engelhardt ran a 4:31.72 mile at the Mt. SAC Relays, which converts to a 4:30.14 1600 m. Next, on May 30, 2024, at the HOKA Festival of Miles, Allie Zealand ran a 4:30.38 mile which converts to a 4:28.81 1600 m against other high schoolers. Lastly, in the race after Zealand, against professionals, Engelhardt ran a 4:28.26 mile, which converts to a 4:26.70 1600 m.AthleticLIVE https://field.brrm.com/meets/29579 2024-07-08 field.brrm.com en Moving forward, Mary Cain's 2013 indoor high school mile record of 4:28.25 converts to a 4:26.69 1600 m, though the NFHS does not recognize this as the high school girls' 1600 m record. Finally, in 2022, Addy Wiley ran a 4:26.16 1600 m, which has not yet been ratified by NFHS. All-time outdoor top 20 high school girls' timesIn high-school only 1600 m races, and not en-route to the mile. May not be perfectly up to date. Note 2 + Top high school girls' 1600 m performersRecord Books https://www.nfhs.org/RecordBook/Record-book-result.aspx?CategoryId=1702TimeAthleteStateDate & Location4:32.48Sadie EngelhardtCalifornia(Ventura) at Arcadia, CA, 4-6, 20244:33.29Alexa EfraimsonWashington(Camas) at Tacoma, WA, 5-29, 20144:33.29Sadie EngelhardtCalifornia(Ventura) at Arcadia, CA, 4-10, 20224:33.82Christine BabcockCalifornia(Irvine Woodbridge) at Norwalk, CA, 20084:36.57Christine BabcockCalifornia(Irvine Woodbridge), 20084:37.07Taryn ParksPennsylvania(Greencastle), 20194:37.45Marlee StarliperPennsylvania(Dillsburg Northern York), 20194:38.15Alex KosinskiCalifornia(El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge), 20074:38.85Christine BabcockCalifornia(Irvine Woodbridge), 20074:39.13Jordan HasayCalifornia(San Luis Obispo Mission Prep), 20074:39.23Hannah MeierMichigan(Grosse Pointe South), 20134:39.33Amanda GehrichCalifornia(Tesoro), 20154:39.4Laura MatsonMichigan(Bloomfield Hills-Andover), 19854:39.88Marissa WilliamsCalifornia(Palisades), 20154:39.92Polly Anne PlumerCalifornia(Irvine University), 19824:40.88Cami ChapusCalifornia(Harvard-Westlake), 20114:41.08Kim GallagherPennsylvania(Fort Washington Upper Dublin), 19814:41.29Christine BabcockCalifornia(Irvine Woodbridge), 20064:41.29Brynn BrownTexas(Denton Guyer), 20214:42.10Annie St. GemeCalifornia(Newport. Beach Corona del Mar), 2006 Equivalent world bests Outdoor In his 3:42.66 mile world record, Josh Kerr split 3:41.4 for 1600 meters.2026-07-18 1 Mile Men Race Analysis PDF https://ath-wdl-archive.azureedge.net/2026/london/ATHM1MILE---DIAMOND---FNL-000100--_C77A_1.0.PDF 2026-07-22 en-US Diamond League https://web.archive.org/web/20260722211401/https://ath-wdl-archive.azureedge.net/2026/london/ATHM1MILE---DIAMOND---FNL-000100--_C77A_1.0.PDF 2026-07-22 live When converted down to 1600 m, Faith Kipyegon ran an equivalent of a 4:06.20 1600 m in her world record mile of 4:07.64 at the Herculis meeting in Monaco on July 21, 2023.Simiyu Wycliffe Charl Blignaut 2023-08-21 Faith Kipyegon: from walking to school in rural Kenya to setting world athletics alight https://doi.org/10.64628/aaj.utkvnp5na 2025-11-10 doi.org 10.64628/aaj.utkvnp5na subscription Indoor When converted down to 1600 m, Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran an equivalent of a 3:43.83 1600 m in his 2025 world record mile of 3:45.14 set at the Meeting Hatus De France Pas De Calais Trophee at the World Tour in Levin, France.Tysiac Ashley 2025-02-13 Jakob Ingebrigtsen Breaks Mile World Record At World Indoor Tour Liévin https://www.flotrack.org/articles/13697587-jakob-ingebrigtsen-breaks-mile-world-record-at-world-indoor-tour-lievin 2025-11-10 FloTrack en Likewise, when converted down to 1600 m, Genzebe Dibaba ran an equivalent of a 4:11.84 1600 m in her world record mile of 4:13.31 set at the Globen Galan Meeting in Stockholm, Sweden on February 17, 2016.Dutch Taylor 2016-02-17 Genzebe Dibaba Smashes Indoor Mile WR with 4:13.31! https://www.flotrack.org/articles/5049511-genzebe-dibaba-smashes-indoor-mile-wr-with-41331 2025-11-10 FloTrack en Relays 1600 meters is also the distance of the final leg of a distance medley relay, because it is an even 4 laps, where at 3.75 laps, the 1500 would require the start line or finish line to be moved. Whether or not you've heard of the 4 × 100 meter relay or the 4 × 400 meter relay, the DMR is unique because the 1600 meter is a distance within the relay among different distances. The 1600-meter is the longest part of the DMR, which in some ways makes it the most challenging. The DMR gives distance runners who don't have enough speed for the 4 × 400-meter relay or anything shorter a versatile relay in which they can still showcase their talents.Here's how the distance medley relay (DMR) works in track and field NCAA.com https://www.ncaa.com/news/trackfield-indoor-women/article/2024-12-05/heres-how-distance-medley-relay-dmr-works-track-and-field 2025-11-04 www.ncaa.com en With the range being from 400 meters to 1600 meters, these distances give the event so much excitement in a track meet. Another relay that is ran with consideration of the 1600 m is the 4 × mile relay. This relay is not ran at many meets but one is Penn Relays held at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. See also Sport of athletics 1500 metres Mile run 3200 meters Notes References Category:Events in track and field Category:Middle-distance running disciplines