A mile is exactly 1,609.344 meters. The 1600m, the distance most US high schools race, is four laps of a 400m track, which makes it 9.344 meters shorter than a mile.
On a standard track a mile is four laps plus 9.34 meters, and a 1600 run at even pace converts to a mile by multiplying by about 1.0058. Nine meters sounds like nothing. It's the reason four 60 second laps is not a 4 minute mile, and it's why you need the right split chart for the race you're actually running.
The mile, the 1600m and the 1500m side by side
Three distances get called "the mile", and they aren't the same race. The mile is 1,609.344 meters, which is 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet. A 1600 comes out to about 0.994 miles. The 1500m, the international "metric mile", is about 109 meters short of a mile, or 3 and 3/4 laps of a 400m track.
None of them are run in lanes. Everyone gets a standing start from a curved start line, so every runner starts the same distance from the finish. And all three are mostly aerobic: a 2001 study measured the 1500m, the closest event it tested, at about 84 percent aerobic.
How long is a mile in meters?
A mile is 1,760 yards, and a yard is defined as exactly 0.9144 meters, so a mile is exactly 1,609.344 meters. The 1600m is 9.344 meters shorter, about 0.58 percent. The 1500m, raced in college, pro and Olympic meets, is about 109 meters shorter, which is why people call it the metric mile.
It's also special in the record books. Since 1976 it has been the only non-metric distance World Athletics recognizes for world records.
Why high schools run the 1600
US high school track, run under NFHS rules, converted from yards to meters, and the change was finalized in the 1980 rule book. The old mile was four laps of a 440 yard track. Instead of switching to the international 1500m, high schools picked 1600 meters: four laps of a 400m track and the closest round metric distance to a real mile.
So a high school "mile" is almost always a 1600. It's 9.34 meters short, which at 5 minute pace is about 1.7 seconds of running.
How many laps is a mile?
A 1600 is exactly 4 laps of a 400m track. You start and finish at the same line.
A mile is 4 laps plus 9.34 meters. The mile start sits 9.34 meters behind the finish line, so the first time you cross the finish line you've only run 9.34 meters. That means your "lap" splits in a mile are really taken at about 409, 809 and 1,209 meters.
Indoors, on a 200m track, double it: a 1600 is 8 laps, and a mile is 8 laps plus 9.34 meters. That extra 9.34 meters is why a mile split chart and a 1600 split chart are not the same.
Mile splits: even pace chart
Even pace means every 400 meters takes the same time. The first split in a mile is a little longer because it covers 409.34 meters.
1600m splits: even pace chart
Look at the last column next time someone at practice argues about it. Four 60 second laps is a 4:00 1600, but at that same pace a full mile is 4:01.40. A true 4 minute mile needs laps of about 59.65.
Both charts are pure even pace, and real races rarely are. A 2021 study of middle distance world records found the men's mile records followed a fast, slower, slower, faster pattern. The women's mile records made a U shape: quick start, slower middle, fast finish. In those record runs the middle laps were the slowest, which is where most milers lose time.
The 4 minute mile
For years, 4 minutes was the barrier. Gunder Hägg of Sweden ran 4:01.4 in 1945, and that record stood for nearly nine years.
On May 6, 1954, at the Iffley Road track in Oxford, Roger Bannister ran 3:59.4 to become the first person to run a mile under 4 minutes. Training partners Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway paced him, an early milestone in the use of pacemakers. His record lasted 46 days. John Landy of Australia ran 3:57.9 in Turku, Finland, on June 21, 1954, and later that summer, at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, both men broke 4 minutes in the same race, with Bannister first in 3:58.8.
Ten years later, in 1964, Jim Ryun became the first high school runner under 4 minutes, running 3:59.0 at the Compton Invitational in Los Angeles.
No woman has broken 4 minutes in an official race. In June 2025 an exhibition attempt in Paris produced a 4:06.42 with male pacemakers, a time that isn't eligible as a record.
The men's record kept moving too. Hicham El Guerrouj's 3:43.13 from Rome in 1999 stood for 27 years, until Josh Kerr ran 3:42.66 in London on July 18, 2026.
Our Impossible poster crosses the "im" out of impossible. It's for every runner chasing a barrier that looked sacred until someone broke it.
Mile and 1600 records
The men's mile world record is 3:42.66, by Josh Kerr of Great Britain in London on July 18, 2026. The women's mile record is 4:07.64, by Faith Kipyegon of Kenya in Monaco on July 21, 2023.
In the 1500m, Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco still holds the men's record, 3:26.00, from Rome on July 14, 1998. Kipyegon holds the women's too: 3:48.68 in Eugene on July 5, 2025.
The 1600m has no world record, because World Athletics doesn't recognize the distance. It lives in high school record books.
How to run a faster mile
This is the general shape of mile training, not a plan. Work with your coach and build up gradually.
- Build the engine. The mile is mostly aerobic, so easy mileage and steady runs are the base everything else sits on.
- Train at threshold. Controlled tempo runs and cruise intervals raise the pace you can hold before fatigue piles up.
- Practice goal pace. Repeats of 200 to 400 meters at your goal lap time teach you what the pace feels like, so you stop guessing on race day.
- Keep some speed. Strides and short fast reps make goal pace feel easier and give you a kick to finish with. The 800 is the speed side of the mile; for the full picture of that event, read our breakdown of the 800m.
- Use the charts. Pick a row above, write your splits on your hand or give them to a teammate, and learn what each lap should feel like.
Common mile mistakes
- Going out too fast. Adrenaline makes the first lap feel easy. It's the most expensive lap to get wrong.
- Sleeping on the third lap. The middle of the race is where even pace turns into a slow split. Stay engaged and hold position.
- Mixing up mile and 1600 splits. Four 60 second laps is a 4:00 1600, not a 4:00 mile.
- Getting boxed in. After the start, the race isn't in lanes. Know where you want to be with 300 to go.
- Kicking too late. Decide before the race where your kick starts, and commit early enough to use all of your speed.
What to wear for the mile
The best mile gear is gear you never think about. Our running split shorts come in a 2.5 inch inseam (RD Split Shorts) and a 4 inch inseam (LD Split Shorts), and any 2 shorts get the 3rd free. For the wall, see our track and field posters and the Impossible poster.
Mile and 1600m FAQ
How long is a mile in meters?
Exactly 1,609.344 meters, or 1,760 yards.
Is a 1600 a mile?
No. The 1600m is 9.344 meters shorter than a mile. US high schools run it in place of the mile because it's exactly four laps of a 400m track.
How many laps is a mile?
Four laps of a 400m track plus 9.34 meters. A 1600 is exactly four laps. On a 200m indoor track, double both.
What is 4 minute mile pace?
About 59.65 seconds per 400 meters, or about 14.9 seconds per 100 meters. Four laps at exactly 60 seconds each gives you a 4:00 1600, which is only a 4:01.40 mile.
How do I convert a 1600 time to a mile time?
At even pace, multiply the 1600 time by 1.0058. A 5:00 1600 run at that pace for a full mile is about 5:01.75.
What is the mile world record?
The men's mile world record is 3:42.66 by Josh Kerr of Great Britain, set in London on July 18, 2026. The women's is 4:07.64 by Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, set in Monaco on July 21, 2023.
Who ran the first 4 minute mile?
Roger Bannister ran 3:59.4 in Oxford, England, on May 6, 1954. John Landy lowered the record to 3:57.9 just 46 days later.
