19-Year-Old Emmanuel Wanyonyi Breaks World Record

Kenya's world 800m silver medalist Emmanuel Wanyonyi has broken the World Road Mile record.

Wanyonyi won the Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on Saturday, April 27 with a time of 3:54.5, subject to the usual ratification procedures by World Athletics.

Deciding to make his mile debut rather than race his specialist distance, the 19-year-old improved the previous world record of 3:56.13 set by USA’s Hobbs Kessler at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 in October, despite celebrating on his way to the tape.

Kessler was second on this occasion, chasing Wanyonyi over the finish line in 3:56.1, while South Africa’s Ryan Mphahlele was third in 3:56.4.

Graphic of Emmanuel Wanyonyi breaking the World Road Mile record. /WORLD ATHLETICS

On a busy day of racing in Herzogenaurach, the men’s mile followed a rare road 800m which was won by Canada’s Marco Arop, who beat Wanyonyi to the world title in Budapest last year. Arop clocked 1:45.

The road mile was officially recognized as a world record discipline in September 2023, which puts Wanyonyi's performance among great athletics achievements.

While the world record for the mile on track remains at 3:43.13, set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999, Wanyonyi's performance is a landmark for road racing.

Wanyonyi recently cruised to his third straight win at the Kip Keino Classic held at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Saturday, April 20, setting a world-leading time of 1:43.57 to claim top honour ahead of the Olympic trials.

African Games 800m champion Aron Kemei clocked a personal best of 1:44.10 while finishing second. Olympics silver medalist Ferguson Rotich finished third in a season’s best of 1:44.90. 

In 2023, Wanyonyi was nominated for the year's Rising Star Awards World Athletics Awards 2023. 

Meanwhile, Kenya's Agnes Ngetich threatened the women-only world record for 10km by running 30:03.

With that performance, the 23-year-old was just two seconds off the record set by the late Agnes Tirop at this event in 2021. In Herzogenaurach, athletes wore limited-edition kits in honour of Tirop.

In the women’s 5km, world U20 5000m champion Medina Eisa clocked a winning 14:38 – the fastest-ever women’s road 5km by a U20 athlete.

Kenya's Agnes Ngetich during a past race. /CAROL RADULL