A highschool senior has damaged a monitor and subject document set in 1965 by operating a sub-4 minute mile throughout a highschool race, with out a pacer. Gary Martin has gotten extraordinarily near breaking this document throughout different monitor meets this yr, however on the Pennsylvania Catholic League Championship (PCL) on Monday, he lastly ran a mile in 3:57:98.
Martin, a senior at Archbishop Wooden Excessive Faculty, has dedicated to attend College of Virginia after he graduates. His highschool faculty celebrated the historic run on Twitter, writing: "Congratulations to Wooden's very personal Gary Martin on operating his mile in 3:57:98 on the PCL Observe & Area Championship!!! Gary, you might have labored so arduous to realize this objective, your Viking household could not be prouder."
The primary highschool pupil to run a sub-4 mile was Jim Ryun in 1964. After he set the document, he did it 5 extra occasions earlier than graduating. In 1965, his greatest time throughout a highschool race was a 3:58.3 mile.
His mile time wasn't beat till 2001, when excessive schooler Alan Webb ran a 3:53.43 mile at Nike's Prefontaine Traditional. Each Ryun and Webb went on to be Olympic athletes.
Whereas 14 highschool college students have run sub-4 minute miles, their races didn't have the identical circumstances as Ryun and Martin's. Different runners competed with pacers or "rabbits" to assist the sustain their velocity, or their races weren't excessive school-only.
Solely 5 highschool athletes have ran sub-4 minute miles throughout a excessive school-only competitors. And earlier than Martin, just one highschool athlete did it with out the assistance of a pacer. That was Ryun.
On Monday, Martin broke Ryun's highschool document – by lower than a second.
Earlier this yr, Martin ran 4:01 mile on the Penn Relays, and at 4:00 mile on the Explorers Invitation.
On Twitter, Martin shared a screenshot of a textual content he despatched his coach earlier than the meet: "Am I loopy for serious about making an attempt to interrupt 4 at PCL champs if the mile is sweet because the mile is first?"
His coach mentioned he was bodily prepared, and he might make it a race day resolution. Appears to be like like the selection was price it.