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Wanamaker Mile
Annual elite indoor mile race
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Annual elite indoor mile race
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| W: Elinor Purrier 4:16.41 (2024)}} | homepage | The Wanamaker Mile |
W: USA Elinor Purrier 4:16.41 (2024)}}|homepage=The Wanamaker Mile}}The Wanamaker Mile is a prestigious indoor mile race for elite middle distance runners held annually at the Millrose Games in New York City. Alongside Oslo's Dream Mile and Eugene's Bowerman Mile, the Wanamaker Mile is among the world's premier mile races. It is the signature and concluding event of the Millrose Games, and is named in honor of department store owner Rodman Wanamaker.
The race is a tradition for Irish runners: past Irish winners include Ronnie Delany (1956–1959), Eamonn Coghlan (1977, '79–'81, '83, '85 and '87), Marcus O'Sullivan (1986, '88–'90 and 1992), Niall Bruton (1994 and 1996), and Mark Carroll (2000). Ray Flynn, the Irish record holder in the mile and the current meeting director of the Millrose Games, has also competed in the Wanamaker Mile.
It was at the Millrose Games that Coghlan earned the nickname "Chairman of the Boards" (from the surface of the track being made of wooden boards). O'Sullivan has run 11 sub-four-minute miles in the Wanamaker.
The Wanamaker Mile has been won by over 40 different men, including Glenn Cunningham, Kip Keino, Tony Waldrop, Filbert Bayi, Steve Scott, Noureddine Morceli, Bernard Lagat, Yared Nuguse, Matthew Centrowitz Jr., Marcus O'Sullivan, Ron Delany, and Eamonn Coghlan.
History
The Millrose Games were first held in a local armory in 1908, being organized by the employees of Wanamaker's New York City department store. The employees formed the recreational Millrose Athletic Association. "Millrose" was the name of the country home of Rodman Wanamaker in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. When this local armory overflowed, the Millrose Games were moved to Madison Square Garden in 1914.
In 1915, the "Wanamaker 2 Mile Race" was held. From 1916 to 1925, the games' signature event was the 1.5 mile run. In 1925, the last edition of the "Wanamaker 1.5 Mile Race" was won by "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi, the nine-time Olympic gold medalist from Finland. In 1926, the race was shortened to one mile, and thus the Wanamaker Mile was born. The winner of the 1926 race was James J. Connolly, who had represented the United States at the 1920 and 1924 Olympics.
In the 1929 Wanamaker, American athlete Ray Conger became the first and only athlete to defeat and upset "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi in the mile. Although Conger was modest about his win, he would be known as "the man who beat Nurmi" for decades.
The first time the Wanamaker Mile was won in a sub-four minute time was by American athlete Tony Waldrop in 1974, in 3:59.7. The first women's race for the Wanamaker Mile was held in 1982, and was won by Mary Decker.
The Wanamaker Mile was once held every year at 10:00 p.m., a tradition started by the legendary sports announcer Ted Husing. Husing would broadcast the race live on radio during the nightly news. In 2002, the mile was moved to 9 p.m. to accommodate television coverage.
Madison Square Garden, which possessed a 146-meter track, was the venue for the race from 1914 until 2012, when it was moved to The Armory in Upper Manhattan, a much faster 200-meter mondo track. Accompanying this venue change, the Millrose Games and therefore the Wanamaker Mile shifted from a Friday evening format to an all-day Saturday format. By 2018, the start time had been moved to late afternoon when it was nationally televised live on NBC.
In the 2023 Wanamaker Mile, Yared Nuguse ran an American record time of 3:47.38, missing Kejelcha's 3:47.01 mark by .37 seconds. In 2024, Nuguse defended his Wanamaker Mile title, in a time of 3:47.83, but did not run faster than he did in 2023. The 2024 edition of the Wanamaker Mile at the 116th Millrose Games was held on Super Bowl Sunday (February 11), at 2:42 pm (women) and 2:53 pm (men).
In the 2025 Wanamaker Mile, Nuguse broke Kejelcha's world record of 3:47.01, clocking a new world record of 3:46.63. Finishing behind Nuguse was Hobbs Kessler in 3:46.90, also under the previous record. Cameron Myers set a world under-20 record and Australian record of 3:47.48, while Azeddine Habz set a French record of 3:47.56, and Andrew Coscoran set an Irish record of 3:49.26. Nuguse's world record lasted for 5 days, until Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran 3:45.14 in Liévin, France.
Sponsors
The sponsors of the Wanamaker Mile have varied over the years, with the NYRR often supporting the race. In 2023, the Rudin family sponsored the event in the 115th Millrose Games.
Records
In 2010, Bernard Lagat surpassed Eamonn Coghlan's record of seven Wanamaker Mile victories with his eighth victory. Prior to Coghlan, Glenn Cunningham was among the first men to dominate the event, winning six out of seven Wanamaker Miles from 1933 to 1939.
Mary Decker, Doina Melinte and Regina Jacobs are all tied for most Wanamaker victories on the women's side, with three wins each.
The current men's event record in the Wanamaker Mile is held by American athlete Yared Nuguse, who ran a world record time of 3:46.63 in the 2025 Wanamaker Mile, improving Yomif Kejelcha's 2019 indoor mile world record of 3:47.01 by 0.38 seconds.
The current women's event record in the Wanamaker Mile was set in 2024 by American athlete Elinor Purrier, with a time of 4:16.41, also the American record. Purrier had eclipsed her previous 2020 American record time of 4:16.85 during this race.
Annual champions
Key:
Meet record (bolded) 1500 meter race (women only)
Men
| Year | Athlete | Country | Time | Ref | Armory Era | Meet cancelled due to COVID-19 | Madison Square Garden Era | Wanamaker 1.5-Mile | Wanamaker 2-Mile | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Yared Nuguse | United States | 3:46.63 | title=Nuguse and Fisher break world indoor records in New York | url=https://worldathletics.org/news/report/millrose-games-2025-new-york-world-record-fisher | website=World Athletics}} | ||||||
| 2024 | Yared Nuguse | United States | 3:47.83 | |||||||||
| 2023 | Yared Nuguse | United States | 3:47.38 | title=Running Past - Wanamaker Mile Champions List | url=http://www.runningpast.com/wanamaker_mile.htm | access-date=2024-01-21 | website=www.runningpast.com}} | |||||
| 2022 | Ollie Hoare | Australia | 3:50.83 | |||||||||
| 2021 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | Chris O'Hare | Great Britain | 3:55.61 | |||||||||
| 2019 | Yomif Kejelcha | Ethiopia | 3:48.46 | |||||||||
| 2018 | Chris O'Hare | Great Britain | 3:54.14 | |||||||||
| 2017 | Eric Jenkins | United States | 3:53.23 | |||||||||
| 2016 | Matt Centrowitz Jr. | United States | 3:50.63 | |||||||||
| 2015 | Matt Centrowitz Jr. | United States | 3:51.35 | |||||||||
| 2014 | Will Leer | United States | 3:52.47 | |||||||||
| 2013 | Lopez Lomong | United States | 3:51.21 | |||||||||
| 2012 | Matt Centrowitz Jr. | United States | 3:53.92 | |||||||||
| 2011 | Deresse Mekonnen | Ethiopia | 3:58.58 | |||||||||
| 2010 | Bernard Lagat | United States | 3:56.34 | |||||||||
| 2009 | Bernard Lagat | United States | 3:58.44 | |||||||||
| 2008 | Bernard Lagat | United States | 3:57.91 | |||||||||
| 2007 | Bernard Lagat | United States | 3:54.26 | |||||||||
| 2006 | Bernard Lagat | United States | 3:56.85 | |||||||||
| 2005 | Bernard Lagat | United States | 3:52.87 | |||||||||
| 2004 | Hudson De Souza | Brazil | 4:02.93 | |||||||||
| 2003 | Bernard Lagat | Kenya | 4:00.36 | |||||||||
| 2002 | Laban Rotich | Kenya | 3:57.04 | |||||||||
| 2001 | Bernard Lagat | Kenya | 3:58.26 | |||||||||
| 2000 | Mark Carroll | Ireland | 3:58.19 | |||||||||
| 1999 | William Tanui | Kenya | 3:59.24 | |||||||||
| 1998 | Laban Rotich | Kenya | 3:55.69 | |||||||||
| 1997 | Isaac Viciosa | Spain | 3:59.34 | |||||||||
| 1996 | Niall Bruton | Ireland | 4:00.58 | |||||||||
| 1995 | Graham Hood | Canada | 3:57.08 | |||||||||
| 1994 | Niall Bruton | Ireland | 3:58.71 | |||||||||
| 1993 | Noureddine Morceli | Algeria | 3:55.06 | |||||||||
| 1992 | Marcus O’Sullivan | Ireland | 4:00.65 | |||||||||
| 1991 | Noureddine Morceli | Algeria | 3:53.50 | |||||||||
| 1990 | Marcus O’Sullivan | Ireland | 3:59.35 | |||||||||
| 1989 | Marcus O’Sullivan | Ireland | 3:54.27 | |||||||||
| 1988 | Marcus O’Sullivan | Ireland | 3:56.89 | |||||||||
| 1987 | Eamonn Coghlan | Ireland | 3:55.91 | |||||||||
| 1986 | Marcus O'Sullivan | Ireland | 3:56.05 | |||||||||
| 1985 | Eamonn Coghlan | Ireland | 3:53.82 | |||||||||
| 1984 | Steve Scott | United States | 3:59.38 | |||||||||
| 1983 | Eamonn Coghlan | Ireland | 3:54.40 | |||||||||
| 1982 | Steve Scott | United States | 3:55.37 | |||||||||
| 1981 | Eamonn Coghlan | Ireland | 3:53.0 | |||||||||
| 1980 | Eamonn Coghlan | Ireland | 3:58.2 | |||||||||
| 1979 | Eamonn Coghlan | Ireland | 3:55.0 | |||||||||
| 1978 | Dick Buerkle | United States | 3.58.4 | |||||||||
| 1977 | Eamonn Coghlan | Ireland | 4.00.2 | |||||||||
| 1976 | Paul Cummings | United States | 3.57.6 | |||||||||
| 1975 | Filbert Bayi | Tanzania | 3:59.3 | |||||||||
| 1974 | Tony Waldrop | United States | 3:59.7 | |||||||||
| 1973 | Henryk Szordykowski | Poland | 4:04.4 | |||||||||
| 1972 | John Mason | United States | 4:03.2 | |||||||||
| 1971 | Marty Liquori | United States | 4:00.6 | |||||||||
| 1970 | Marty Liquori | United States | 4:02.6 | |||||||||
| 1969 | Marty Liquori | United States | 4:00.8 | |||||||||
| 1968 | Preston Davis | United States | 4:03.9 | |||||||||
| 1967 | Dave Patrick | United States | 4:03.7 | |||||||||
| 1966 | Kipchoge Keino | Kenya | 4:03.9 | |||||||||
| 1965 | John Whetton | England | 4:05.4 | |||||||||
| 1964 | Tom O'Hara | United States | 4:00.6 | |||||||||
| 1963 | Tom O'Hara | United States | 4:01.5 | |||||||||
| 1962 | Peter Close | United States | 4:08.6 | |||||||||
| 1961 | Istvan Rozsavolgyi | Hungary | 4:06.0 | |||||||||
| 1960 | James Grelle | United States | 4:06.4 | |||||||||
| 1959 | Ron Delany | Ireland | 4:06.5 | |||||||||
| 1958 | Ron Delany | Ireland | 4:04.6 | |||||||||
| 1957 | Ron Delany | Ireland | 4:06.7 | |||||||||
| 1956 | Ron Delany | Ireland | 4:09.5 | |||||||||
| 1955 | Gunnar Nielsen | Denmark | 4:03.6 | |||||||||
| 1954 | Josy Barthel | Luxembourg | 4:07.5 | |||||||||
| 1953 | Fred Dwyer | United States | 4:08.2 | |||||||||
| 1952 | Don A. Gehrmann | United States | 4:11.2 | |||||||||
| 1951 | Don A. Gehrmann | United States | 4:07.5 | |||||||||
| 1950 | Don A. Gehrmann | United States | 4:09.3 | |||||||||
| 1949 | Don A. Gehrmann | United States | 4:09.5 | |||||||||
| 1948 | Gilbert Dodds | United States | 4:05.3 | |||||||||
| 1947 | Gilbert Dodds | United States | 4:09.2 | |||||||||
| 1946 | Leslie MacMitchell | United States | 4:19.0 | |||||||||
| 1945 | James Rafferty | United States | 4:13.1 | |||||||||
| 1944 | Gilbert Dodds | United States | 4:10.6 | |||||||||
| 1943 | Earl Mitchell | United States | 4:08.6 | |||||||||
| 1942 | Leslie MacMitchell | United States | 4:11.3 | |||||||||
| 1941 | Walter J. Mehl | United States | 4:13.6 | |||||||||
| 1940 | Charles H. Fenske | United States | 4:07.4 | |||||||||
| 1939 | Glenn Cunningham | United States | 4:13.0 | |||||||||
| 1938 | Glenn Cunningham | United States | 4:11.0 | |||||||||
| 1937 | Glenn Cunningham | United States | 4:14.4 | |||||||||
| 1936 | Joseph R. Mangan | United States | 4:11.0 | |||||||||
| 1935 | Glenn Cunningham | United States | 4:11.0 | |||||||||
| 1934 | Glenn Cunningham | United States | 4:11.2 | |||||||||
| 1933 | Glenn Cunningham | United States | 4:13.0 | |||||||||
| 1932 | Gene Venzke | United States | 4:11.2 | |||||||||
| 1931 | Ray Conger | United States | 4:13.6 | |||||||||
| 1930 | Ray Conger | United States | 4:21.8 | |||||||||
| 1929 | Ray Conger | United States | 4:17.4 | |||||||||
| 1928 | Lloyd Hahn | United States | 4:18.6 | |||||||||
| 1927 | Lloyd Hahn | United States | 4:15.6 | |||||||||
| 1926 | James J. Connolly | United States | 4:17.2 | |||||||||
| 1925 | Paavo Nurmi | Finland | 6:39.4 | |||||||||
| 1924 | Joie W. Ray | United States | 6:48.8 | |||||||||
| 1923 | Joie W. Ray | United States | 6:41.8 | |||||||||
| 1922 | Joie W. Ray | United States | 6:42.8 | |||||||||
| 1921 | Harold C. Cutbill | United States | 6:55.6 | |||||||||
| 1920 | Joie W. Ray | United States | 6:52.2 | |||||||||
| 1919 | Joie W. Ray | United States | 6:51.0 | |||||||||
| 1918 | Joie W. Ray | United States | 6:57.8 | |||||||||
| 1917 | Joie W. Ray | United States | 6:45.0 | |||||||||
| 1916 | John W. Overton | United States | 6:53.0 | |||||||||
| 1915 | Sydney Leslie | 9:20{{Fraction | 3 | 5}} |
Women
| Year | Athlete | Country | Time | Ref | Armory Era | Meet cancelled due to COVID-19 | Madison Square Garden Era | Not Held |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Georgia Bell | Great Britain | 4:23.25 | |||||
| 2024 | Elinor St. Pierre | United States | 4:16.41 | |||||
| 2023 | Laura Muir | Great Britain | 4:20.15 | |||||
| 2022 | Elinor St. Pierre | United States | 4:19.30 | |||||
| 2021 | ||||||||
| 2020 | Elinor Purrier | United States | 4:16.85 | |||||
| 2019 | Konstanze Klosterhalfen | Germany | 4:19.98 | |||||
| 2018 | Colleen Quigley | United States | 4:30.05 | |||||
| 2017 | Sifan Hassan | Netherlands | 4:19.89 | |||||
| 2016 | Shannon Rowbury | United States | 4:24.39 | |||||
| 2015 | Shannon Rowbury | United States | 4:24.32 | |||||
| 2014 | Mary Cain | United States | 4:27.73 | |||||
| 2013 | Sheila Reid | Canada | 4:27.02 | |||||
| 2012 | Jenny Simpson | United States | 4:07.27 | |||||
| 2011 | Sara Hall | United States | 4:15.35 | |||||
| 2010 | Hannah England | Great Britain | 4:31.48 | |||||
| 2009 | Kara Goucher | United States | 4:33.19 | |||||
| 2008 | Kara Goucher | United States | 4:36.03 | |||||
| 2007 | ||||||||
| 2006 | Carmen Douma-Hussar | Canada | 4:35.64 | |||||
| 2005 | Carmen Douma-Hussar | Canada | 4:32.47 | |||||
| 2004 | Carmen Douma-Hussar | Canada | 4:16.78 | |||||
| 2003 | Elena Iagar | Romania | 4:36.08 | |||||
| 2002 | Regina Jacobs | United States | 4:34.60 | |||||
| 2001 | Regina Jacobs | United States | 4:42.15 | |||||
| 2000 | Regina Jacobs | United States | 4:24.04 | |||||
| 1999 | Regina Jacobs | United States | 4:31.65 | |||||
| 1998 | Suzy Hamilton | United States | 4:30.91 | |||||
| 1997 | Mary Decker | United States | 4:26.67 | |||||
| 1996 | Kathy Franey | United States | 4:36.46 | |||||
| 1995 | Angela Chalmers | Canada | 4:31.66 | |||||
| 1994 | Hassiba Boulmerka | Algeria | 4:30.01 | |||||
| 1993 | Shelly Steely | United States | 4:32.27 | |||||
| 1992 | Doina Melinte | Romania | 4:30.03 | |||||
| 1991 | Doina Melinte | Romania | 4:33.81 | |||||
| 1990 | Doina Melinte | Romania | 4:31.40 | |||||
| 1989 | Paula Ivan | Romania | 4:23.72 | |||||
| 1988 | Doina Melinte | Romania | 4:21.45 | |||||
| 1987 | Lynn Williams | Canada | 4:36.71 | |||||
| 1986 | Wendy Sly | Great Britain | 4:28.58 | |||||
| 1985 | Mary Decker | United States | 4:22.10 | |||||
| 1984 | Cindy Bremser | United States | 4:35.81 | |||||
| 1983 | Mary Decker | United States | 4:25.27 | |||||
| 1982 | Mary Decker | United States | 4:21.47 | |||||
| 1981 | Maggie Keyes | United States | 4:14.9 | |||||
| 1980 | Mary Decker | United States | 4:00.8 | |||||
| 1979 | Francie Larrieu | United States | 4:15.0 | |||||
| 1978 | Jan Merrill | United States | 4:19.7 | |||||
| 1977 | Francie Larrieu | United States | 4:15.8 | |||||
| 1976 | Jan Merrill | United States | 4:15.2 |
References
References
- "The Wanamaker Mile – Champions List". runningpast.com.
- Cobley, John. "Racing Past-The Wanamaker Mile: More than 50 years of History".
- (February 14, 2014). "Wanamaker Mile Still Goes the Distance". The Wall Street Journal.
- (February 3, 2002). "ATHLETICS Caulfield pipped in New York". The Irish Independent.
- "2024 Millrose Games Meet Brochure".
- "The Wanamaker Mile".
- "The Day - Google News Archive Search".
- (December 24, 1942). "Ray Conger Named Coach; Noted Track Star to Direct the Teams at Penn State".
- Raevuori, Antero. (1997). "Paavo Nurmi: juoksijain kuningas". Söderström.
- Risjord, Norman K.. (February 2000). "Clark, George Rogers (19 November 1752–13 February 1818), revolutionary war general and "conqueror of the Northwest"". Oxford University Press.
- Litsky, Frank. (January 8, 2002). "An Earlier Start Time For the Wanamaker Mile". The New York Times.
- (February 8, 2012). "From Good Times at the Garden to a New Era at the Armory". The New York Times.
- "Millrose Games to expand to 'all day' Saturday program, move to The Armory".
- "Track & Field".
- "Kejelcha breaks world indoor mile record with 3:47.01 in Boston {{!}} REPORT {{!}} World Athletics".
- Metzler, Brian. (2023-02-13). "The Famous Millrose Games Delivers Speed, Records, and the Wanamaker Mile".
- "Results".
- "Schedule".
- "Results".
- LetsRun.com. (2025-02-14). "Full Race Video of Jakob Ingebrigtsen's 3:45.14 World Record in the Mile".
- "The Wanamaker Mile".
- Parker, Kevin. (2023-01-05). "The Rudin Family to Sponsor the Wanamaker Miles at the 115th Millrose Games".
- (January 30, 2010). "Bernard Lagat wins eighth career Wanamaker Mile to set mark at Millrose Games at Garden". New York Daily News.
- "Results".
- "Nuguse and Fisher break world indoor records in New York".
- "Results".
- "Running Past - Wanamaker Mile Champions List".
- (1975-07-26). "Harold Cutbill, 77, Runner Known as 'Flying Parson'". The New York Times.
- "Results".
- "DyeStat.com - News - NYRR Women's Wanamaker Mile Past Winners".
- "Maggie KEYES {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics".
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