British runner clocks 3:51.3 to set new mark in Germany as Yared Nuguse finishes runner-up
Elliot Giles has enjoyed and sometimes endured a rollercoaster summer. After crashing to the ground in the closing stages of the 800m at the UK Championships in Manchester, he was overlooked for Olympic selection but then added to the squad after Jake Wightman pulled out with injury.
In Paris he was disappointed to exit in the semi-finals and vowed to step up more seriously to 1500m and the mile in 2025. With this goal in mind, his transition received an immediate boost on Sunday (Sept 1) when he set a world road mile record of 3:51.3 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Racing at the New Balance KÖ MEILE meeting, he improved the previous record of 3:54.6 set by Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya at the adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, earlier this year. Almost just as impressive was the fact he defeated Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Yared Nuguse as the American ran 3:51.9 in second.
The 30-year-old’s best on the track is 3:51.63, whereas he’s run 3:30.92 for 1500m and, at 800m, he broke Seb Coe’s longstanding UK indoor record with 1:43.63 in 2021.
Elliot Giles (Getty)
It must be added that world road mile records have been tumbling lately as it was only recognised as an official world record event exactly 12 months ago. With the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Latvia looming in autumn last year, World Athletics ratified marks set by Sam Prakl (4:01.21) and Nikki Hiltz (4:27.97) as the official world records.
However, the road mile generally has a rich and long history, with Sydney Maree, for example, having held the 5th Avenue Mile record in New York since 1981 with 3:47.6. The same race, which is ineligible for record purposes, also saw Josh Kerr run 3:47.9 there last year.
Hobbs Kessler beats Callum Elson and Sam Prakel (World Athletics)
In Latvia last October the inaugural road mile world titles were contested with Hobbs Kessler of the United States winning the men’s race with 3:56.13 ahead of Britain’s Callum Elson as Diribe Welteji and Freweyni Hailu out-sprinted an out-of-sorts Faith Kipyegon to win the women’s crown.
A downhill mile on Queen Street in Auckland in 1983 also saw Mike Boit of Kenya clocking 3:27.8 ahead of Steve Scott of the United States. Like the 5th Avenue Mile, though, it was ineligible for records.
READ MORE: Road mile history
Look out for more road mile races in coming weeks, too, with the 5th Avenue Mile, which like the Düsseldorf event is sponsored by New Balance, on September 8, plus the Vitality Westminster Mile on September 21 on The Mall in central London.
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