Jim Ryun of Wichita, Kansas, became the first high school boy to run a sub-4:00 mile, breaking the barrier in 1964. For the next 51 years, only four additional high schoolers added their names to the prestigious shortlist. But since 2015—whether because of better coaches, improved shoe technology, or the rise of online training resources—the list has more than tripled.
At New Balance Nationals Outdoor on June 15, Drew Griffith and Zach Hillhouse dipped under the 4:00 barrier in the championship section of the mile. Griffith, who’s from Pennsylvania, won the race in 3:59.00—his second sub-4 performance after running 3:57.72 at the Hoka Festival of Miles on May 30. Hillhouse of Utah finished close behind in 3:59.62, over a 6-second personal best. Next year, Griffith will attend Notre Dame, and Hillhouse is signed to compete for BYU.
Multiple names on the high school sub-4:00 list went on to accomplish big things in their professional careers. Ryun broke multiple world records and earned an Olympic medal in the 1500 meters. Alan Webb of Reston, Virginia, owned the American mile record for 16 years and still has the high school mile record. Grant Fisher of Grand Blanc, Michigan, has broken American records in the outdoor 10,000-meters and 5,000-meters. Will any of the recent sub-4:00 performers reach similar heights? Only time will tell.
List of High School Sub-4:00 Miles
Jim Ryun — 3:59.00; June 5, 1964
Jim Ryun — 3:58.30; May 15, 1965
Jim Ryun — 3:58.10; May 29, 1965
Jim Ryun — 3:56.80; June 4, 1965
Jim Ryun — 3:55.30; June 27, 1965
Tim Danielson — 3:59.40;June 11, 1966
Marty Liquori — 3:59.80; June 23, 1967
Alan Webb — 3:59.86i; January 20, 2001
Alan Webb — 3:53.43; May 27, 2001
Lukas Verzbicas — 3:59.71; June 11, 2011
Matthew Maton — 3:59.38; May 8, 2015
Grant Fisher — 3:59.38; June 4, 2015
Drew Hunter — 3:58.25i; February 6, 2016
Drew Hunter — 3:57.81i; February 20, 2016
Michael Slagowski — 3:59.53; April 29, 2016
Drew Hunter — 3:58.86; May 28, 2016
Michael Slagowski — 3:59.78; May 28, 2016
Reed Brown — 3:59.30; June 1, 2017
Leo Daschbach — 3:59.54; May 23, 2020
Hobbs Kessler — 3:57.66i; February 7, 2021
Colin Sahlman — 3:58.81i; February 5, 2022
Gary Martin — 3:57.98; May 14, 2022
Colin Sahlman — 3:56.24; May 28, 2022
Gary Martin — 3:57.89; June 2, 2022
Connor Burns — 3:58.83; June 2, 2022
Rheinhardt Harrison — 3:59.33; June 3, 2022
Simeon Birnbaum — 3:59.51; June 15, 2022
Connor Burns — 3:59.11i; February 26, 2023
Rocky Hansen — 3:59.56; April 30, 2023
Simeon Birnbaum — 3:57.53; June 1, 2023
Rocky Hansen — 3:58.23; June 1, 2023
Tinoda Matsatsa — 3:58.70; June 1, 2023
Jackson Heidesch — 3:59.08; June 1, 2023
JoJo Jourdon — 3:59.87i; February 3, 2024
Drew Griffith — 3:57.72; May 30, 2024
Drew Griffith — 3:59.00; June 15, 2024
Zach Hillhouse — 3:59.62; June 15, 2024