Britain’s Giles breaks men’s road mile world record

Britain’s Elliot Giles set a new road mile world record of three minutes 51.3 seconds as he won the New Balance KO Meile in Dusseldorf.

The Olympic 800m semi-finalist held off a strong challenge from US middle-distance runner Yared Nuguse, who took bronze in the men’s 1500m at the Paris Games.

Nuguse’s time of 3:51.9 was also well within the record of 3:56.13 set by his fellow American Hobbs Kessler at the 2023 World Road Running Championships in Riga.

Both men also eclipsed the mark of 3:54.6 which is pending ratification – recorded this year by Kenya’s Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

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The men’s one-mile track world record is 3:43.13, set by Morocco’s Hicham el Guerrouj in July 1999, with Giles’ best time on the track standing at 3:51.63.

The distance on the road was only recognised as an official world record event 12 months ago, however the event has a long and rich history.

Sydney Maree has held the men’s Fifth Avenue mile record in New York since 1981 with 3:47.6.

At the same US race, which is ineligible for record purposes, Josh Kerr ran 3:47.9 last year, while Britain’s Laura Muir, winner in 2022, hold the women’s record with 4:14.8.