Wanyonyi breaks world road mile record in flash, style
Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi established a new world road mile record in a flash after running in 3:54.5 at the Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach in Germany on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
The World 800m silver medallist decided to make his mile debut rather than race his specialist distance and went on to improve the previous world record of 3:56.13 set by USA’s Hobbs Kessler at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga in October 2023.
On this ocassion, Kessler was second chasing Wanyonyi over the finish line in 3:56.1, as Ryan Mphahlele of South Africa came in third in 3:56.4.
Meanwhile, the men’s mile followed a rare road 800m was won by Canada’s Marco Arop. The Canadian beat Wanyonyi to the world title in Budapest last year when he clocked 1:45.
Wanyonyi was at the front of a group that caught and then passed him, with 90 seconds on the clock.
Kessler moved through the field and drew level with Wanyonyi through 1200m, but Wanyonyi responded to the challenge, and when Kessler tried to pass him again, he glanced at his rival and kicked.
Wanyonyi, the 2021 world U20 800m champion who claimed the Diamond League title last year and received the men’s World Athletics Rising Star award for 2023, started his celebrations before crossing it in world record time.
“I feel so happy for today. It’s not easy, but I tried to push myself. My coach told me it was possible to break the world record," Wanyonyi said after the win.
Wanyonyi's is subject to the usual ratification procedure by World Athletics.
