Kentucky Native Breaks the World Record in the Indoor Mile

It has been 71 years since Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile. Since the milestone in human evolution, athletes have tested our limits on the track. A Kentucky man has set a new standard.

Louisville native Yared Naguse set a new record for the indoor mile at the Millrose Games in New York. Naguse was clocked at 3:46.63 in his third straight Wanamaker Mile victory.

“It’s absolutely insane,” Nuguse told NBC Sports after his record run. “I haven’t had a world record yet in my career, and I’ve always really wanted one just because I felt like, especially in the mile, I was good enough for it.”

It’s absolutely insane to watch this man move. I don’t know if I could keep up with him on a bicycle. It’s even crazier just how close his opponents are. Hobbs Kessler actually broke the old record, but finished second. Naguse had to stretch to hit the tape and bring home the world record.

Yared Nuguse ends the night with a WORLD RECORD in the Wanamaker Mile. 🙌

The first Wanamaker Mile world record in seven years!

📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/ivhhcCw7Rw

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 8, 2025

Naguse broke a 5-year-old record that was previously held by Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha. The Louisville native was the American record holder for the last two years before finally setting this new mark. According to Runners World, he will receive a $25,000 bonus for rewriting the record books.

Unfortunately, the internet tells me this is not the fastest mile in human history. One would presume that the indoor record is the overall record. After all, it should be easier to run faster in controlled conditions. That’s not the case. In 1999, Hicham el Guerrouj of Algeria ran an outdoor mile in 3:43.13. That’s still standing 26 years later, but Naguse is right on his heels. His fastest outdoor time is 3:43.97 and ranks fourth all-time.

Naguse is a product of Manual High School who won broke NCAA records at Notre Dame. He qualified for the 2020 Olympics, but was sidelined by an injury. In his Olympic debut in Paris, he secured a bronze medal in the 1500 meters. Last summer he also took home a silver medal from the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

The World’s Greatest called Kentucky home. We’re pretty close to also claiming the fastest man in the world. He’s a second away from shattering that mark in the mile and frankly, my brain can’t comprehend that possibility.

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