Emsley Carr Mile

The Emsley Carr Mile is an annual invitational athletics running event held in the United Kingdom over one mile for men. The race was won in 2024 by the Australian athlete Olli Hoare.

Emsley Carr Mile
Augustine Choge (second right) on his way to winning the 2013 Emsley Carr Mile held at the Olympic Stadium, London.
Location	Various locations in the United Kingdom
Event type	Track
Distance	1 Mile race
Established	1953
Participants	By invitation

History

The race was inaugurated in 1953 by Sir William Carr in memory of his father Sir Emsley Carr, a former editor of the News of the World.^[1][2] The event was created to encourage athletes to break the four-minute mile.^[2] By the second time the race was run, Roger Bannister had already broken the world record on 6 May 1954 at the annual athletics event between the Amateur Athletics Association (AAA) and the University of Oxford at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford.^[3] Bannister never did run in the Emsley Carr Mile.^[2]

Silas Kiplagat (second right) on his way to winning the 2012 Emsley Carr Mile

The winners of the race sign the Emsley Carr Trophy, a red Moroccan leather-bound book, now running into a second volume since 1980.^[1][2] It contains a history of mile running since 1868 from around the world and also includes signatures of many of the world's leading milers, including Paavo Nurmi, Sydney Wooderson, John Landy, Gordon Pirie, and Roger Bannister.^[4] The race has been won by eleven Olympic champions, Kip Keino, Steve Ovett, Murray Halberg, John Walker, Geoff Smith, Sebastian Coe, Saïd Aouita, William Tanui, Vénuste Niyongabo, Haile Gebrselassie, Asbel Kiprop, and Hicham El Guerrouj. It has also been won by seven athletes who have held the world record for the mile: Walker, Ovett, Coe, El Guerrouj, Filbert Bayi, Derek Ibbotson and Jim Ryun.^[2]

Ken Wood, a former Sheffield athlete, won the Emsley Carr Mile a record four times.^[5] The fastest time recorded for the event stands at 3:45.96 by El Guerrouj in 2000. It is the ninth fastest time ever recorded for the mile, and the fastest time recorded on British soil.^[1] El Guerrouj won the Emsley Carr Mile in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

In 1969 Sir William Carr decided not to continue sponsoring the race and the AAA took it over and continued until he died in 1977.^[1] Since 1977, Emsley Carr's grandson, William, has continued with the tradition and has kept the book up to date and has provided a glass piece, presented to the winner by a member of the Carr family.^[1]

Winners

1953–1988 Year Winner Time Venue 1953  Gordon Pirie (GBR) 4:06.80 White City Stadium, London 1954  Ken Wood (GBR) 4:04.80 1955  Ken Wood (GBR) 4:05.40 1956  Derek Ibbotson (GBR) 3:59.40 1957  Ken Wood (GBR) 4:02.00 1958  Murray Halberg (NZL) 4:06.50 1959  Derek Ibbotson (GBR) 4:03.10 1960  László Tábori (USA) 4:00.30 1961  Ken Wood (GBR) 4:08.40 1962  Jim Beatty (USA) 3:56.52 1963  Bill Crothers (CAN) 4:06.50 1964  Witold Baran (POL) 3:56.04 1965  Alan Simpson (GBR) 4:04.11 1966  Kip Keino (KEN) 3:53.42 1967  Jim Ryun (USA) 3:56.02 1968  John Whetton (GBR) 3:58.56 1969  Francesco Arese (ITA) 3:57.80 Crystal Palace, London 1970  Ian Stewart (GBR) 3:57.40 Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh 1971  Peter Stewart (GBR) 4:00.40 1972  Peter Stewart (GBR) 3:55.30 Crystal Palace, London 1973  Frank Clement (GBR) 4:01.81 1974  Frank Clement (GBR) 3:57.44 1975  Filbert Bayi (TAN) 3:55.50 1976  David Moorcroft (GBR) 3:57.06 1977  Sebastian Coe (GBR) 3:57.67 1978  John Robson (GBR) 3:55.83 1979  Steve Ovett (GBR) 3:56.58 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead 1980  Colin Reitz (GBR) 4:00.60 Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh 1981  Geoff Smith (GBR) 3:55.80 Cwmbran Stadium, Cwmbran 1982  David Moorcroft (GBR) 3:57.84 Crystal Palace, London 1983  Sebastian Coe (GBR) 4:03.37 Alexander Stadium, Birmingham 1984  Peter Elliott (GBR) 3:55.71 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead 1985  Mark Rowland (GBR) 4:01.70 Morfa Stadium, Swansea 1986  Neil Horsfield (GBR) 3:57.03 1987  John Walker (NZL) 3:58.75 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead 1988  Chris McGeorge (GBR) 4:07.07 Crystal Palace, London

1989–present Year Winner Time Venue 1989  Saïd Aouita (MAR) 3:51.97 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead 1990  Peter Elliott (GBR) 3:55.51 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead 1991  Peter Elliott (GBR) 3:52.10 Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield 1992  Steve Crabb (GBR) 3:58.76 1993  Philemon Hanneck (ZIM) 3:57.06 Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth 1994  Kevin McKay (GBR) 3:58.72 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead 1995  Vénuste Niyongabo (BDI) 3:49.80 Crystal Palace, London 1996  William Tanui (KEN) 3:54.57 Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield 1997  Vénuste Niyongabo (BDI) 3:53.28 1998  Laban Rotich (KEN) 3:51.74 1999  Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 3:52.39 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead 2000  Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 3:45.96 Crystal Palace, London 2001  Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 3:49.41 2002  Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 3:50.86 2003  Paul Korir (KEN) 3:48.17 2004  Paul Korir (KEN) 3:49.84 2005  Michael East (GBR) 3:52.50 Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield 2006  Gabe Jennings (USA) 4:10.02 Alexander Stadium, Birmingham 2007  Jon Rankin (USA) 3:54.24 Stretford Stadium, Manchester[6] 2008  Shedrack Kibet Korir (KEN) 3:54.68 Crystal Palace, London 2009  Bernard Lagat (USA) 3:52.71 2010  Augustine Choge (KEN) 3:50.14 2011  Leonel Manzano (USA) 3:51.21 2012  Silas Kiplagat (KEN) 3:52.44 2013  Augustine Choge (KEN) 3:50.01 Olympic Stadium, London[7] 2014  Asbel Kiprop (KEN) 3:51.89 Alexander Stadium, Birmingham[8] 2015  Asbel Kiprop (KEN) 3:54.87 Olympic Stadium, London 2016  Silas Kiplagat (KEN) 3:53.04 2017  Jake Wightman (GBR) 3:54.92[9] Alexander Stadium, Birmingham 2018  Stewart McSweyn (AUS) 3:54.60[10] 2019  Samuel Tefera (ETH) 3:49.45[11] Olympic Stadium, London 2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom 2021  Elliot Giles (GBR) 3:52.49 International Stadium, Gateshead 2022  Matthew Stonier (GBR) 3:54.89[12] Parliament Hill, London 2023  Adam Fogg (GBR) 3:55.70[13] Sportcity, Manchester 2024  Olli Hoare (AUS) 3:49.03[14] Olympic Stadium, London

See also

• Mile run world record progression
• Four-minute mile
• Dicksonpokalen
• Dream Mile
• Bowerman Mile
• Wanamaker Mile

References

1. MacKay, Duncan (7 August 2003). "Miling milestone brings out the stars". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
2. Turnbull, Simon (8 August 2003). "Athletics: Chirchir brothers add to nostalgia of Emsley milestone". The Independent. London. Retrieved 18 October 2009.^{[dead link‍]}
3. Powell, David (7 August 2003). "Emsley Carr Mile stands test of time". Times Online. Times Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 18 October 2009.^{[dead link‍]}(subscription required)
4. "Emsley Carr Mile". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
5. Davies, Catriona (12 April 2004). "Did another runner pip Sir Roger?". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
6. "A record breaker". Manchester Evening News. MEN Media. 16 August 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
7. Turnbull, Simon (28 July 2013). "Young British milers start to build on the Olympic legacy". The Independent. London. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
8. "Kiprop Makes Statement at Emsley Carr Mile". Bring Back the Mile. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
9. "Mo Farah ends domestic track career at Müller Grand Prix". Athletics Weekly. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
10. "Birmingham Programme 2018 & Results". Diamond League. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
11. "Samuel Tefera captures Emsley Carr Mile crown". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
12. "Judd has the world in her hands at Highgate". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
13. "Sportcity Grand Prix – 27 May 2023 – Results and Report". British Milers Club. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
14. "Nina Kennedy among three Australians to fine-tune for Olympics with wins in London". The Guardian. 21 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.

List of winners

• Butler, Mark, Emsley Carr Mile Association of Road Racing Statisticians, 5 October 2006; Retrieved 23 January 2011

External links

• Media related to Emsley Carr Mile at Wikimedia Commons