A History of Masters The Masters Mile M40 Updated 2022 May 30
The following article and historical research on this web page may be copied and shared with others. Referenced documents (newspapers, magazine, newsletters, books, programs, reports, and other external websites) follow under their own permission level.
Below: (1) Brief History, (2) Fred Norris, (3) M40 Mile Record Progressions, and (4) References and Resources:
(1) A Brief History of the Masters Mile (June 1966 to May 1970):
- June 11, 1966 San Diego’s David Pain and others organized the first “Masters Mile”, which was held in San Diego at the 2nd Annual San Diego Invitational (Balboa Stadium). **
- July 1966: “Seniors Newsletter” by Augie Escamilla started July 1966. **
- Jan 21, 1967: Jim Gorrell Sr (45) 4:53.3 indoor mile at LA Invit. (Jan 1968 LA Times) (Mar 1967 Long Distance Log)
- Feb 4, 1967: Jim Gorrell Sr (45) 4:53.6 indoor mile at San Diego Indoor Games (Mar 1967 Long Distance Log)
- May 14, 1967: Jim Gorrell Sr (45) 4:58 mile at Compton College (June 1967 Long Distance Log)
- June 2, 1967: Jim Gorrell Sr (45) 4:49.1 mile at the Compton-Coliseum Inv. (Nov 1967 Long Distance Log)
- June 4, 1967: Phil Clarke (40) 4:54.8 mile at Rose Bowl, Calif. (Nov 1967 Long Distance Log)
- June 10, 1967: Jim Gorrell Sr (45) 4:45.2 mile at San Diego Inv. (Nov 1967 Long Distance Log)
- July 1967 An Eastern Masters Mile was held. **
- July 16, 1967: Masters Mile at Eastern Washington State (Included age 30 and older) Winner (unknown age) Denny Driskill 4:59.8 (July 17, 1967 Spokane Chronicle)
- Jan 19, 1968: Jim Gorrell Sr (46) 4:52.9 indoor Masters Mile at LA Invit., Sports Area, Los Angeles (Jan 21, 1968 Van Nuys News)
- Jan 27, 1968: Browning Ross 4:45.0, James Hartshorne 4:48.9 for the indoor mile at Cornell Invit. (Jan 27, 1969 & Jan 29, 1969 Ithaca Journal, NY)
- May 1968: James Hartshorne (43 or 44) 4:41 mile at DC AAU Championship (Feb 13, 1969 Ithaca Journal, NY)
- June 2, 1968: A Masters Mile was scheduled at the Rose Bowl Invit.
- June 5, 1968: James Hartshorne (43 or 44) 4:43.2 mile at Danvers Kiwanis meet in MA (June 6, 1968 Ithaca Journal, NY)
- July 1, 1968: James Hartshorne (43 or 44) 4:49.5 mile at Toronto (July 2, 1968 Ithaca Journal, NY)
- July 19-21, 1968: 1st Masters Outdoor National Track and Field Championship (Results)
- Jan 11, 1969: Ted Vogel (43) 4:49.4 indoor mile (beating James Hartshorne (45) in same time) at the Mass K of C (Jan 12, 1969 Boston Globe) (Jan 13, 1969 Ithaca Journal, NY)
- Jan 25, 1969: Richard Packard (40) 4:45.9 indoor mile (beating James Hartshorne (45) at Cornell Invit. (Jan 27, 1969 Ithaca Journal, NY)
- 1969: Winter 1969: Indoor: Richard Packard (40) 4:45.9, Ray Gordon 4:52 at the Heptagonal Indoor Championship (April 15, 1969 Delaware County Daily Times)
- April 26, 1969: Richard Packard 4:43.4 (beat James Hartshorne 4:46.0) Masters Mile at the Penn Relays (Apr 28, 1969 Ithaca Journal, NY)
- May 18, 1969: 1st Dr Martin Luther King International Freedom Games (PA): “Masters Mile”: Outdoor: won by Richard Packard 4:43.6 (per 1970 Program; and May 19, 1969 Philadelphia Inquirer) (Additional information on the 1969 meet: 1969 “Open”: External Link)
- June 14, 1969: Bill Fitzgerald 4:30.3, Peter Mundle 4:30.4 Senior Mile at Orange County Invit, Westminster, Calif. (June 15, 1969 Independent Press-Telegram, Long Beach)
- July 1969: 2nd Masters Outdoor National Track and Field Championship (Results)
- 1970: East Coast Newsletter 1970 (Incl Jan 10 Mass. K of C; Jan 24 Cornell Invit.; Jan 31 Washington Armory; Feb 28 Heptagonal Championship)
- Jan 3, 1970: Bill Fitzgerald 4:35.2, Peter Mundle 4:35.7 indoor mile at the Examiner Games, Cow Palace. (External Link: partial: LA84 # 06, Feb 1970 NorCal, PDF: pg 8 of 12)
- Jan 24, 1970: 3rd Annual Philadelphia Track Classic (PA): “Masters Mile”: Indoor: Masters-Invitation race was won by Graham Parnell 4:39.8, Anthony Sapienza 4:46.0, Boo Morcom 5:16.3 (Meet Program and Jan 25, 1970 The Sunday Bulletin, PA) (and East Coast Newsletter 1970 )
- Jan 24, 1970: 3rd Annual Philadelphia Track Classic (PA): “Masters Mile”: Indoor: Masters-Open race was won by Browning Ross 4:55.8 (Jan 25, 1970 The Sunday Bulletin, PA)
- Feb 28, 1970: Masters Mile at Heptagonals at Barton Hall. Indoor. Graham Parnell 4:35.6 (masters meet record and east coast masters mile record) (Ithaca Journal Mar 2, 1970)
- April 24-25, 1970: Penn Relays included Masters Mile: won by Joseph Bessel 4:36.7 (1970 Masters Newsletter, PDF: pg 5 of 5)
- May 16, 1970: 2nd Dr Martin Luther King International Freedom Games (PA): “Masters Mile”: Outdoor: Joseph Bessel 4:35.8, Graham Parnell 4:38.8, Anthony Sapienza 4:42.7 (per 1970 Program, May 17, 1970 Philadelphia Inquirer; and East Coast Newsletter 1970 )
- A History of Masters Track and Field 1968 to 1971: (Link)
** = (Book “Masters Track and Field A History”; Leonard T. Olson)
- Legends Mile was held May 16, 1987 outdoor in Eugene, Oregon. The race included Sam Blair, Jim Hampton, Ray Hatton, Tom Heinonen, Damien Koch, Gerry Lindgren, Web Lodat, Mike Manley, Kenny Moore, Bob Schul, Tracy Smith, Bill Stewart, Al Swenson, Jim Ryan, and Vic Wolfe. The starter was Peter Snell. Future information can be found at: (NMN)
- 1988 Masters Mile: Scheduled Feb 1988 at Melrose Games. Scheduled Jim Ryan, Peter Snell, Frank Shorter and others. (Desert Sun, Feb 5, 1988)
(2) Fred Norris: Highlights of Fred Norris’ 1962 Season: (Link: Word)
(3) Below are (unofficial) World and American M40 Mile Record Progressions.
Please contact us with any corrections or updates needed (Please include source, date, and location).
jeff@shr1.org Indio, Calif., USA
(3a) Masters World Record Progression (M40 Masters Mile)
Mar 24, 1962: Fred Norris (40) (GBR) of McNeese State, Louisiana (college; a sophomore from England) ran a 4:27.6 mile at Louisiana. (Mar 25, 1962 Lake Charles America-Press, Louisiana newspaper) (Apr 1, 1962 Lake Charles America-Press, Louisiana newspaper)
1962: Fred Norris (40) (GBR) 4:21.9 mile running as a student at McNeese State, Louisiana (of the Gulf State Conference) during the 1962 season (school’s season best performances) (May 16, 1962 Lake Charles American-Press, LA) (need more information: source, date and location ?)
1962: Fred Norris (40) (GBR) 4:21.5 mile in Louisiana (SAR and SVTC) (need more information: source, date and location ?)
July 3, 1973: Laurie O’Hara (41) (GBR; Belgrave, England) 4:21.5 mile at All-Comers, Venice High School, Venice, Calif. (SAR) (SFVTC) (Jul 4, 1973 LA Times) (O’Hara later in the month set a pending record in the 5000 meter run)
Dec 3, 1977: Jim McDonald (NZ) (43) 4:18.5 mile at Christchurch (NMN) (SAR) (WAVA)
Jan 22, 1983: Bill Stewart (US) (40) 4:11.0 indoor mile at Michigan Relays (SAR) (NMN-1) (NMN-2)
(this mark was originally approved as a World Record by the US Indoor Records chair, but was later not recognized as WR. This was recognized as a AR) (NMN-3) Note: Bill Stewart’s commentary of the lost 1983 record (Mar 1993 NMN, PDF: pg 4 of 32)
Mar 5, 1985: Derek Vaughan (GBR) (40) 4:13.8 “pending-approval” mile at an “open meet”, Port Elizabeth, South Africa (NMN) (NMN-2) (NMN-3)
Note: For a brief period (1986 and 1995) The Masters World Record Chair (WAVA) did not include the Indoor Mile World Records in the indoor records provided to NMN. The magazine continued including indoor mile results in the articles and meet results during this period.
Jan 30, 1987: Tracy Smith (US) (41) 4:20.00 indoor mile at Millrose Games (NMN-1) (NMN-2) (Desert Sun newspaper, Jan 31, 1987)
Mar 15, 1987: Albin Swenson (US) (40) 4:18.5 indoor mile at Providence, RI (NMN)
Aug 1, 1987: Ron Bell (GBR) (40) 4:16.2 mile (NMN)
Aug 6, 1988: Ron Bell (GBR) (42) 4:12.58 mile at Orlando, Florida (NMN-1) (NMN-2) (Dec 1988 Veterans Athletics)
Dec 15, 1988: Tony Murray (Aus) 4:12.56 in Melbourne (NMN)
May 7, 1989: Wilson Waigwa (Ken) (40) 4:07.4 mile at Modesto Relays (NMN) (NMN-2)
June 3, 1989: Wilson Waigwa (Ken) (40) 4:05.39 mile at Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, OR (NMN-1) (NMN-2)
Feb 3, 1989: Ron Bell (GBR) (42) 4:17.88 indoor mile at Millrose Games (NMN-1) (NMN-2)
Feb 10, 1989: Mike Boit (Ken) (40) 4:15.48 indoor mile in NJ (Washington Post) (NMN-1) (NMN-2)
Feb 9, 1990: Dave Stewart (Can) (41) 4:15.47 indoor mile in NJ (Washington Post) (NMN) (Beating Waigwa and Boit) (Feb 4, 1991 Edmonton Journal)
Feb 1, 1991: Wilson Waigwa (Ken) (42) 4:13.05 indoor mile “pending approval” at Millrose, NY (NMN) (beating Dixon, Stewart, Popejoy and Dyce) in the Masters Mile (Feb 4, 1991 Edmonton Journal)
Jan 31, 1993: Eamonn Coghlan (IRL) (40) 4:08.49 indoor mile at Gainesville, FL (NMN-1) (External website) (NMN-2)
Feb 5, 1993: Eamonn Coghlan (IRL) (40) 4:05.95 indoor mile at Millrose Games in New York, NY (NMN-1) (NMN-2) (beating Popejoy)
Feb 26, 1993: Eamonn Coghlan (IRL) (40) 4:01.39 indoor mile at Madison Square Gardens, NY (SAR) (NMN)
June 19, 1993: David Moorcroft (GBR) (40) 4:02.53 in Belfast (NMN-1) (NMN-2)
Feb 20, 1994: Eamonn Coghlan (IRL) (41) 3:58.15 indoor mile at Harvard Univ indoor track, Cambridge, MA (Wiki) (NMN) (BBTM) First M40 to break the 4 minute barrier.
Aug 21, 2010: Vyacheslav Shabunin (Russia) (40) 4:01.62 at Joensuu, Finland (Lets Run posting) (External website) (6th place against “open”) (World Athletics)
June 2, 2012: Anthony Whitman (GBR) (40) 1st place in 3:58.79 mile at (Music City Distance Carnival) (Switfwick Invitational Mile) in Nashvill,e TN (Running Magazine) (All Time Athletics) (BBTM)
Feb 14, 2015: Bernard Lagat (US) (40) 3:54.91 indoor mile at New York, NY (Convention Report) (WMA Report) (Masters AR) (Rankings website: external link)
July 25, 2015: Bernard Lagat (US) (40) 3:57.91 mile at London (WMA Report) (Masters AR) (Rankings website: external link)
Current World Records: (WMA website ) (Wiki website) (Bring Back the Mile website)
(3b) Masters American Record Progression (M40 Masters Mile)
June 11, 1966: Jim Gorrell Sr (US) (44) “4:55.x” won the first “Masters Mile”, which was held at the 2nd Annual San Diego Invitational (Balboa Stadium). (Time of 4:47 reported by Book “Masters Track and Field A History”; Leonard T. Olson) (Time of 4:55.4 reported by the June 16, 1966 Los Angeles Times) (Time of 4:55.6 reported by San Bernardino Sun Jan 17, 1967) (Time of 4:55.4 reported by Mar 1967 Long Distance Log) (Time of 4:55.7 reported by July 1966 Long Distance Log) (need more information: correct time)
Jan 21, 1967: Jim Gorrell Sr (US) (45) (Apple Valley; Seniors Track Club) 4:53.3 indoor mile at LA Invitational “old timers mile” Gorrell’s 4:53.3 indoor mile was a new Masters Indoor M40 Record. (Jan 20, 1968 LA Times reporting on the 1967 meet) (Jan 22, 1967 Independent Star-News, Pasadena) (Jan 23, 1967 Independent, Long Beach & LA Times) (Mar 1967 Long Distance Log)
June 2, 1967: Jim Gorrell Sr (US) (45) 4:49.1 mile (senior mile meet record) at the Compton Coliseum Invite (As reported: Jun 8, 1969 Independent Press-Telegram, Long Beach) (Nov 1967 Long Distance Log)
June 10, 1967: Jim Gorrell Sr (US) (45) 4:45.2 mile at the 3rd annual San Diego Invitational (Balboa Stadium) (Jan 29, 1968 The Ithaca Journal, New York) (June 13, 1967 News-Pilot, San Pedro newspaper) The News-Pilot reports that this was “fastest senior mile in history.” [Editor note: WR by Fred Norris of GBR is faster, hence fastest American M40 plus Masters mile in history] (Sept 1967 Long Distance Log confirms the 4:45.2 mark being a record) (Nov 1967 Long Distance Log)
Jan 19, 1968: Jim Gorrell Sr (46) 4:52.9 indoor Masters Mile at LA Invit., Sports Area, Los Angeles (Jan 21, 1968 Van Nuys News)
Jan 27, 1968: Browning Ross (US; New Jersey) (43) 4:45.0 indoor mile, James Hartshorne 4:48.9 for the indoor mile at Cornell Invit. (Jan 29, 1968 Ashbury Park Press, NJ) (Jan 27 & 29, 1968 The Ithaca Journal, New York) at Cornell Invite. Ithaca Journal reports that this was “a new national Masters’ record.” (Jan 29, 1969 Ithaca Journal, NY)
Feb 3, 1968: Jim Gorrell Sr (US) (46) 4:43.1 indoor mile at 2nd Annual San Diego Indoor Games, Calif. (Book “Masters Track and Field A History”; Leonard T. Olson) (Feb 6, 1968 The San Bernardino County Sun newspaper)
May 1968: James Hartshorne (43 or 44) 4:41 mile at DC AAU Championship (Feb 13, 1969 Ithaca Journal, NY) [need more information: date ?]
June 5, 1968: James Hartshorne (43 or 44) 4:43.2 mile at Danvers Kiwanis meet in MA (June 6, 1968 Ithaca Journal, NY)
June 7, 1968: Pete Mundle (US) (40) 4:30.0, Jim Gorrell Sr (US) (46) 4:43.0 (both broke senior mile meet record of 4:49.1 by Gorrell, 1967) at the Compton-Coliseum Invite (Jun 8, 1969 Independent Press-Telegram, Long Beach & Valley Times, North Hollywood)
Prior to July 1968: Mile: Peter Mundle 4:39; Jim Gorrell Sr 4:40.1, per July 19, 1968 New-Press (Fort Meyers, FL) and Ithaca Journal. Story references AP news as its source. [ need more information: source, date and location ? ]
Jan 17, 1969: Senior Mile at Los Angeles Invitation: Indoor: P. Mundle 4:31.6, B. Fitzgerald 4:48.8, Kleinsasser 4:54.7 (Independent Press Telegram Long Beach Jan 18, 1969) (LA Times Jan 18, 1969)
Feb. 22, 1969: Peter Mundle (US) (40) 4:26.3 indoor mile at 3rd Annual San Diego Indoor Games, Calif. (1972 San Diego Indoor Games Program) (USMITT)
June 7, 1969: Bill Fitzgerald (US) (44) 4:28.0 mile at Compton-Coliseum Invite (SAR) (June 8, 1969 Independent Press Telegram) (Peter Mundle (41) was 2nd in 4:28.3)
May 12, 1972: Ray Hatton (US) (40) 4:26.0 mile. (Reference) (SAR)
Jan 12, 1973: Frank Pflaging (US) (40) 4:24.4 indoor mile at College Park, MD (SAR)
June 2, 1973: Wilbur Williams (40) (US) 4:24.3 mile (SAR) (USMITT) (Jul 4, 1973 LA Times) at Irvine, Calif.
May 4, 1974: Glynn Wood (40) (US) 4:24.3 mile (USMITT) at Quantico, VA.
July 18, 1975: Ray Hatton (US) (43) 4:24.0 mile at All-Comers meet at Eugene, OR (Reference) (SAR) (July 19, 1975 Desert Sun)
Unofficial mark: Jan 8, 1983: Bill Stewart (US) (40) 4:20 mile (NMN) (never ratified)
Jan 22, 1983: Bill Stewart (US) (40) 4:11.0 indoor mile at Michigan Relay (SAR) (NMN-1) (NMN-2)
(this mark was originally approved as a World Record by the US Indoor Records chair, but was later not recognized as WR. This was recognized as a AR) (NMN-3) Note: Bill Stewart’s commentary of the lost 1983 record (Mar 1993 NMN, PDF: pg 4 of 32)
June 25, 1983: Kirk Randall (US) (41) 4:23.1 “pending-approval” mile (NMN)
Jan 30, 1987: Tracy Smith (US) (41) 4:20.00 indoor mile at Millrose Games (NMN-1) (NMN-2) (Desert Sun newspaper, Jan 31, 1987)
Mar 15, 1987: Albin Swenson (US) (40) 4:18.5 indoor mile at Providence, RI (NMN)
May 16, 1987: Web Loudat (US) (40) 4:20.89 outdoor in Eugene, Oregon during the “Legends Mile” “pending-approval”
(NMN) (Sept 1988 National Masters News listed Loudat’s outdoor record being broken by Dyce August 1988)
Aug 6, 1988: Byron Dyce (US) (40) 4:13.78 mile (NMN) (Dec 1988 Veterans Athletics) at Orlando, Florida. Dyce had finished 2nd to Ron Bell who broke the WR.
Feb 10, 1989: Byron Dyce (US) (40) 4:16.39 indoor mile at E. Rutherford, NJ (NMN)
Apr 28, 1990: Larry Almberg (US) (43) 4:12.24 mile at Philadelphia, PA (NMN)
July 29, 1990: Larry Almberg (US) (43) 4:06.70 mile at New York Games (mark not ratified) (NMN-1) (NMN-2) (NMN-3) (External website) (beating Waigwa)
Feb 3, 1991: Larry Almberg (US) (M40) 4:16.0 indoor mile “pending approval” at George Mason Univ, Fairfax, VA (beating Waigwa, Popejoy, Stewart, Dyce, and Dixon) in the Masters Mile race (NMN) (Feb 4, 1991 Edmonton Journal)
Feb 8, 1991: Ken Popejoy (US) (40) 4:16.33 indoor mile at E Rutherford, NJ “pending approval” (NMN) (Feb 10, 1991 Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester)
Feb 23, 1991: Ken Popejoy (US) (40) 4:13.7 indoor mile “pending approval” (NMN-1) (NMN-2)
Feb 5, 1993: Ken Popejoy (US) (42) 4:14.59 indoor mile at Millrose Games, NY (SAR) (NMN) (placing behind Eamonn Coghlan’s WR)
May 22, 1993: Ken Popejoy (US) (42) 4:10.17 mile at New York Games (Columbia Univ, NY) (Masters Mile – outdoor) (NMN) (May 23, 1993 San Francisco Examiner)
Jan 15, 1994: Ken Popejoy (US) (42) 4:14.41 indoor mile at Illini T&F Classic (NMN-1) (NMN-2)
June 26, 1996: Steve Scott (US) (40) 4:10.43 mile at Eugene, OR (SAR)
June 8, 2002: Tony Young (US) (40) 4:09.61 mile at Seattle International Meet (NMN-1) (NMN-2)
June 14, 2003: Tony Young (US) (41) 4:07.25 mile at Seattle”pending approval” (External website)
Jan 31, 2004: Tony Young (US) (42) 4:07.14 indoor mile at Seattle (External website)
Feb 14, 2004: Tony Young (US) (42) 4:06.39 indoor mile at Seattle (External website)
Mar 5, 2005: Tony Young (US) (42) 4:05.51 indoor mile at Seattle (External website)
June 27, 2007: Jim Sorenson (US) (40) 4:05.27 mile at Bloomington, Indiana (External website-1) (External website-2) (2nd place behind “open” athlete) (Rankings website: external link)
July 6, 2007: Jim Sorenson (US) (40) 4:04.98 mile at Lisle, IL (Convention Report) (Wiki) (External website-1) (External website-2 PDF) (Rankings website: external link)
Feb 14, 2015: Bernard Lagat (US) (40) 3:54.91 indoor mile at Millrose Games, NY (Convention Report) (WMA Report) (Meet Results) (4th place behind open athletes) (Rankings website: external link)
July 25, 2015: Bernard Lagat (US) (40) 3:57.91 mile at London (WMA Report) (Masters AR) (Rankings website: external link)
Current American Records: (USATF website) (Bring Back the Mile website)
(4) References and Resources for Masters Records:
National Masters News 2007 to 2006: (Link)
USATF Masters West Region Meet Records (which includes the Mile): (Link)
Masters Club Records (such as the So Cal Club Records includes the Mile): (Link)
Masters Meet Records: (Link)
Masters “Single Age Records” 1972 to 2006: (Link)
Senior Games: (Link)
Masters Rankings Website (2006 to Present): (External Link)
Website “Bring Back the Mile”: (External Website)
Men’s Open Mile Record Progression: (External Link)
Long Distance Log; (external link)
BMC: (External Link: BMC)