4 Minute Milers

     

    USATF Niagara Association Sub 4-Minute Milers

    On February 14, 2015 Steve Mangan, (Honeoye Falls Lima HS ‘10, Honeoye Falls, NY, Dartmouth College ’14) became only the 430th American runner to break four minutes in the one mile run. He also joined a select group of only 18 runners with ties to Central and Western NY who have broken the magic 4-minute barrier. Below is the list of the eighteen 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, MI May 26, 1973

    2. 58. Dick Buerkle (New York AC) 3:58.0 (1) Gainesville, FL June 04, 1973

    3. 69. Karl Thornton (Penn) 3:57.9* (4) Philadelphia, PA April 27, 1974

    4. 70. Bruce Fischer (UCTC) 3:58.5* (3) Wichita, KS June 01, 1974

    5. 89. Don Paige (Villanova) 3:58.10 (2) Westwood, CA May 07, 1978

    6. 97. Ross Donoghue (St John's) 3:58.0 (4) Piscataway NJ June 23, 1979

    7. 104. Mike Wyatt (Philly Pioneers) 3:58.0* (5) Philadelphia, PA May 18, 1980

    8. 177. Bill Rathbun (Boston AA) 3:59.94i* (4) Boston, MA February 16, 1991

    9. 199. Benny McIntosh (Asics) 3:58.25* (6) Eugene, OR June 04, 1994

    10. 207. Brad Sumner (NYAC) 3:59.11* (2) Philadelphia, PA April 29, 1995

    11. 230. Jonathon Riley (Stanford) 3:58.72i (2) Ames, IA February 06, 1999

    12. 312. Lopez Lomong (Nike) 3:53.97 (5) Eugene, OR June 08, 2008

    13. 331. Erik van Ingen (Binghamton) 3:59.58i (1) State College, PA January 30, 2010

    14. 345. Kyle Heath (unattached) 3:59.89i* (4) New York, NY March 05, 2010

    15. 368. Alex Hatz (Wisconsin) 3:58.61i* (1) Fayetteville, AK February 11, 2012

    16. 418 Jesse Garn (Binghamton) 3:59.37i* (1) Boston, MA March 2, 2014

    17. 429 Martin Herir (Syracuse) 3:59.81i* (4) State College, PA January 31, 2015

    18. 430 Steve Mangan (Boston AA) 3:58.24i* (4) Boston, MA February 14, 2015

     

    Chronological list: © Track & Field News, 2015

     

    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’s best mile time ever

    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 of Rochester area, 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. He is a former World record holder in the indoor mile (3:54.93 on 1/13/78 at State College, PA). He was a 2-time US Olympian at 5000m (’76 and ’80).

    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, Rochester Institute of Technology/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. Ran 3:43.18 for 1500m in HS.

    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. Has run best of 3:57.11 in February, 2011.

    14. Kyle Heath – (b. 08/24/1986) Victor HS’04, Victor, NY, Syracuse Univ. ’08.

    15. Alex Hatz – Fayetteville-Manlius HS ’10, Manlius, NY, Univ. Wisconsin ’14.

    16. Jesse Garn – Marcellus HS ’11, Marcellus, NY, Binghamton Univ. ’15.

    17. Martin Herir – Washingtonville HS ’11, Washingtonville, NY, Syracuse Univ. ’16.

    18. Steve Mangan – Honeoye Falls Lima HS ‘10, Honeoye Falls, NY, Dartmouth College ’14.

     

    Other notable performances:

     

    A. Chris Horton – McQuaid HS ’73, Rochester, NY, Brandeis Univ. ’77.

    4:09.0 HS mile (2nd place to Matt Centrowitz 4:08.4) at the Golden West Inv. in 1973 is still the Section V HS Boys Mile record (4:07.4c for 1600m); 1973 HS Rochester NY Diocesan and NY State Inter-Diocesan Mile Champion; 1973 HS Mile winner at International Prep Meet, Loucks Games, Eastern States; Second Place at Golden West Meet.

    Collegiate Career: Brandeis Univ., NCAA Division III All-American at Brandeis Univ., 1976 NCAA DIII 1500m National Champion Outdoor Track in 1976, 3:46.82.

    Competed in 1980 Olympic Trials 1500m, qualified with a 3:41.9 1500m in Eugene, OR, 1980 which converts to 3:59.7c for the Mile.

     

    B. Tom Tuori –Henninger HS ’83, Syracuse NY, Univ. Rochester ’87.

    1983 HS Section III Indoor and Outdoor Track Champion 3200 meters, CNYCL Cross Country Champion.

    Collegiate Career: Univ. of Rochester, 1987 NCAA D III 1500m National Champion Outdoor Track, 3:46.08. Earned All-America honors six times—four times in the 1500-meter run (three times outdoors, once indoors) and twice in cross country. University of Rochester Athletic Hall of Fame, 1987 Recipient of Louis Alexander Award. Post-Graduate: Qualified for 1988 US Olympic trials in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:41.56. Member of the Nike Boston team that won the 1987 United States Open Cross Country National Championship. Represented New York State in 1988 and 1989 "Ekiden" 5-Man Relay Races through the streets of New York City that included elite teams from all 50 states and 10 countries.

    Personal best of 3:41.56 for 1500m at 1987 New England TAC Championships which converts to 3:59.22c for the Mile.

     

    C. 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. Born in Washington, DC -- 22 October 1958.

     

    D. Mark Muggleton - Lewiston Porter HS ‘75, Edinboro/Arkansas ‘80

    3:40.8 for 1500m at Tri-Conference Championships in Austin, TX on 5/18/1979 which would be converted 3:58.5c for the Mile.

     

    E. Nick Wade - Cornell Univ. ’13, 3:59.998 Mile = official time of 4:00.00 on Feb. 9, 2013 in Geneva, OH.

     

     

     

    First ever 6 May 1954 Roger Bannister 3:59.4ht England

    First American 1 June 1957 Don Bowden 3:58.7ht Stockton, CA

    First 40+ 19 February 1994 Eamonn Coghlan 3:58.15fat Cambridge, MA

    First Niagara 26 May 1973 Charlie McMullen 3:59.7ht E. Lansing, MI

     

     

     

     

    For discussion purposes we are using 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

     

    Note:

    NCAA converts by multiplying 1500m time (in sec.) x 1.08 to get Mile equivalent (in sec.).

    Hand times should be converted to hand times and FAT should be converted to FAT.

     

     

    © 2015 Bill Quinlisk

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