The Dream Mile may refer to the annual Diamond League race in Oslo at Bislett Stadium, or several historic individual races featuring top middle-distance runners.
Dream Mile (Bislett)
The Dream Mile is an annual mile race run at Bislett Stadium, Oslo as part of the Bislett Games, one of the meetings of the Diamond League athletics competition. This annual event was interrupted in 2004 for the rebuilding of Bislett Stadium, replacing a six-lane track with sharp bends and steep terraces with a conventional eight-lane track and seating. In 1980, the world mile record was set in this race by Steve Ovett, and in 1985 Steve Cram also set a new world mile record.
Numerous National records were set in the Bislett Dream Mile, including current records: Great Britain (Steve Cram), Spain (José Luis González), Qatar (Daham Najim Bashir), Australia (Craig Mottram), New Zealand (John Walker), Germany (Jens-Peter Herold), Somalia (Abdi Bile), Portugal (Isaac Nader), Ireland (Ray Flynn), Canada (Kevin Sullivan), Brazil (Hudson de Souza) and Saudi Arabia (Mohammed Shaween). The 2017 race was held as an under-20s competition.The Dream Mile, The end of an era? by J. Stuart Weir. RunBlogRun. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
Annual Men's Dream Mile Champions +YearAthleteCountryTime2025Isaac Nader3:48.252024Mile Not Held (Meet Had 1500m)20232022Jakob Ingebrigtsen3:46.462021Stewart McSweyn3:48.372020Meet Not Held (COVID-19 Pandemic)2019Marcin Lewandowski3:52.342018Elijah Manangoi3:56.952017Jakob Ingebrigtsen3:56.292016Asbel Kiprop3:51.482015Asbel Kiprop3:51.452014Ayanleh Souleiman3:49.492013Ayanleh Souleiman3:50.532012Asbel Kiprop3:49.222011Asbel Kiprop3:50.862010Asbel Kiprop3:49.562009Deresse Mekonnen3:48.952008Andrew Baddeley3:49.382007Adil Kaouch3:51.142006Alex Kipchirchir3:50.322005Daham Najim Bashir3:47.972004Not Held2003Not Held2002Hicham El Guerrouj3:50.122001Ali Saïdi-Sief3:48.232000Hicham El Guerrouj3:46.241999Not Held1998Not Held (Meet Had 1500m)1997Hicham El Guerrouj3:44.90 MR1996Noureddine Morceli3:48.151995Not Held (Meet Had 1500m)1994Vénuste Niyongabo3:48.941993Noureddine Morceli3:47.781992David Kibet3:52.321991Peter Elliott3:49.461990Joe Falcon3:49.311989Abdi Bile3:49.901988Steve Cram3:48.851987Steve Cram3:50.081986Steve Cram3:48.311985Steve Cram3:46.32 (WR*, MR*)1984Not Held (Meet Had 1500m)1983Steve Scott3:49.491982Steve Scott3:47.69 (MR*)1981Steve Ovett3:49.251980Steve Ovett3:48.8 (WR*, MR*)1979Sebastian Coe3:49.0 (WR*, MR*)1978Wilson Waigwa3:53.21977???1976John Walker3:55.5+1975???1974Knut Kvalheim3:56.2 *World Records (WRs) and Meet Records (MRs) denoted by an asterisk were significant performances that were former world and/or meet records in the mile at the time of their clocking. The current meet record (3:44.90, 1997), by Hicham El Guerrouj, is bolded.
Other "Dream Miles" The term "Dream Mile" is also used to describe several other major athletics events, notably the 1974 Commonwealth Games 1500 metres race ("metric mile") fought out between Filbert Bayi and John Walker in Christchurch, New Zealand. This was described by Duncan Mackay in The Observer as "...a race to rival the 'Miracle Mile' [taking] middle-distance running into a new era. To many it still remains the greatest 1,500m race ever." In this race, both of the first two runners broke the previous world record.
The current world record in the mile run was also set in a race where two athletes surpassed the previously standing world record—one might suggest it was a new record because the two had challenged each other to the finish. In Rome, 1999, Hicham El Guerrouj ran a time of 3:43.13 and Noah Ngeny finished at 3:43.40. This was the first time in over 40 years that two men had bettered the world record in the mile in the same race although this race was not called the "Dream Mile."
The first event called a "Dream Mile" was a match race between Jim Ryun and Marty Liquori on May 16, 1971. The event took place at the Martin Luther King International Freedom Games at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bob Hersh of Track & Field News wrote, "The build-up was probably the greatest for any single footrace since the historic 'Miracle Mile' at Vancouver, British Columbia in 1954."
Ryun, who was known for his kick, was the favorite. He had also run much faster than Villanova University's Liquori (3:51.1 to 3:57.2). The race went out slow, with both going 440 yards in the middle of the pack - slower than 61-seconds. Ryun took over at halfway (2:03.3). After the next turn, Liquori moved decisively. He passed the world record holder and led him through a lap in 56.7. In the last lap, Liquori would not surrender the lead. At the finish, Liquori prevailed as both clocked 3:54.6.sportsillustrated.cnn.com Sports Illustrated May 24, 1971
See also Mile run world record progression Four-minute mile Dicksonpokalen Bowerman Mile Emsley Carr Mile Wanamaker Mile
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