4 Minute Milers PDF Print E-mail

USATF Niagara Association Sub 4-Minute Milers

On March 5, 2010, Kyle Heath (Victor HS, Syracuse Univ.), became only the 345th American runner to break four minutes in the one mile run. He also joined a select group of runners with ties to Central and Western NY who have broken the magic 4-minute barrier. Below is the list of the fourteen runners with ties to the USATF Niagara Association region who have broken four minutes in the one mile run:

1. 56. Charlie McMullen (Missouri) 3:59.7 (1) East Lansing May 26, 1973
2. 58. Dick Buerkle (New York AC) 3:58.0 (1) Gainesville June 04, 1973
3. 69. Karl Thornton (Penn) 3:57.9* (4) Philadelphia April 27, 1974
4. 70. Bruce Fischer (UCTC) 3:58.5* (3) Wichita June 01, 1974
5. 89. Don Paige (Villanova) 3:58.10 (2) Westwood May 07, 1978
6. 97. Ross Donoghue (St John's) 3:58.0 (4) Piscataway June 23, 1979
7. 104. Mike Wyatt (Philly Pioneers) 3:58.0* (5) Philadelphia May 18, 1980
8. 177. Bill Rathbun (Boston AA) 3:59.94i* (4) Boston February 16, 1991
9. 199. Benny McIntosh (Asics) 3:58.25* (6) Eugene June 04, 1994
10. 207. Brad Sumner (NYAC) 3:59.11* (2) Philadelphia April 29, 1995
11. 230. Jonathon Riley (Stanford) 3:58.72i (2) Ames February 06, 1999
12. 312. Lopez Lomong (Nike) 3:53.97 (5) Eugene June 08, 2008
13. 331. Erik van Ingen (Binghamton) 3:59.58i* (1) State College January 30, 2010
14. 345. Kyle Heath (unattached) 3:59.89i* (4) New York City March 05, 2010

Chronological list: © Track & Field News, 2010

Explanation: This is not a list of each runner's best mile time with the exception of the starred (*) runners. This list indicates the first time that each runner broke 4 minutes in the mile. The number preceding the runner's name indicates the chronological order in which the runner entered the list of Americans who have gone under 4 minutes in the one mile run. Charlie McMullen was the 56th American to break 4 minutes in the mile. The parentheses after the runner's name indicate the runner's school or club affiliation for that race. The column after the runner's official time lists their place in the race and the city where the race was held. Times in the hundredths are FAT. All others are hand times.

* = athlete never ran any faster in his career

i = mark made indoors.

The USATF Niagara Association territory includes Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca, and Binghamton, which represents the State of New York west of and including counties of Oswego, Onondaga, Cortland, and Broome.

Runner's Link to USATF Niagara Association region:

  1. Charlie McMullen – (1951-2003) Spencerport HS '69, Spencerport, NY, Univ. of Missouri '73.
    Lifetime resident, Special Education Teacher, Rochester, NY.
  2. Dick Buerkle – (b. 1947) Aquinas HS '66, Rochester NY, Villanova Univ. '70.
    1970's Resident, Spanish Teacher, Coach at Bishop Kearney HS in Rochester, NY.
  3. Karl Thornton – Binghamton HS '68, Binghamton, NY, Univ. of Pennsylvania '72.
  4. Bruce Fischer – East Providence HS '70, Providence, RI, Syracuse Univ. '74.
  5. Don Paige – Baldwinsville HS '75, Villanova Univ. '80.
  6. Ross Donoghue – Bishop Cunningham HS '76, Oswego NY, St John's/Villanova Univ.  '80.                     
  7. Mike Wyatt - St. Joe's, Buffalo, NY, RIT/Penn State Univ. '78,
  8. Bill Rathbun – Nottingham HS '86, Syracuse NY, Cornell Univ. '90, Albany Law '97.
    Syracuse Chargers Board of Directors 1992-2002.
  9. Benny McIntosh – Auburn HS '85, Univ. of Kentucky '89.
  10. Brad Sumner – McQuaid Jesuit HS '89 Rochester NY, Villanova Univ. '93,
  11. Jonathon Riley – Skaneateles HS until 1996 his Jr. year, Skaneateles, NY , Moved to Brookline, MA for Sr. year in HS, Stanford Univ. '02
  12. Lopez Lomong – Tully HS '04, Tully, NY, Northern Arizona Univ. "Lost Boy of Sudan" came to US in 10th grade.
  13. Erik Van Ingen – Marathon HS, '08, Marathon, NY, Binghamton Univ. '11, Binghamton, NY.
  14. Kyle Heath – (b. 08/24/1986) Victor HS'04, Victor, NY, Syracuse Univ. '08. Current resident Syracuse, NY.

Others:

  1. Chris Horton – McQuaid HS '73, Rochester, NY, Brandeis Univ. '77.
    3:41.9 for 1500m, Eugene, OR, 1980.
  1. Tom Tuori –Henninger HS '83, Syracuse NY, Univ. Rochester '87.
    3:41.56 for 1500m, 1987 New England TAC Championships.
  1. Chris Fox – Martinsville HS '77, Martinsville, WV, Auburn Univ. '83, XC/Track Coach Syracuse Univ., 2006-present.
    126. Chris Fox (Athletics West)          3:59.0i* (2) Johnson City January 15, 1983.

For discussion purposes we are used the following equivalent performances:
For 1500m: 3:42.22 = 3:59.99 for 1 Mile
For 1600m: 3:58.61 = 3:59.99 for 1 Mile
 

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