Emsley Carr Mile

Emsley Carr Mile From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search The Emsley Carr Mile is an annual invitational athletics running event held in the United Kingdom over one mile for men. The race is now part of the London Grand Prix, and was won in 2010 by the Kenyan athlete Augustine Kiprono Choge.

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Winners
3 See also
4 Notes


History[edit]The race was inaugurated in 1953 by Sir William Carr in memory of his father Sir Emsley Carr, a former editor of the News of the World.[1][2] The event was created to encourage athletes to break the four-minute mile.[2] By the second time the race was run, Roger Bannister had already broken the world record on 6 May 1954 at the annual athletics event between the Amateur Athletics Association (AAA) and Oxford University at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford.[3] Bannister never did run in the Emsley Carr Mile.[2]

The winners of the race write their signatures in the pages of the Emsley Carr Trophy, a red Moroccan leather-bound book, now running into a second volume since 1980.[1][2] It contains a history of mile running since 1868 from around the world and also includes signatures of many of the world's leading milers, including Paavo Nurmi, Sydney Wooderson, John Landy, Gordon Pirie, and Roger Bannister.[4] The race has been won by ten Olympic champions, Kip Keino, Steve Ovett, Murray Halberg, John Walker, Sebastian Coe, Saïd Aouita, William Tanui, Vénuste Niyongabo, Haile Gebrselassie and Hicham El Guerrouj. It has also been won by seven athletes who have held the world record for the mile: Walker, Ovett, Coe, El Guerrouj, Filbert Bayi, Derek Ibbotson and Jim Ryun.[2]

Ken Wood, a former Sheffield athlete, won the Emsley Carr Mile a record four times.[5] The fastest time recorded for the event stands at 3:45.96 by El Guerrouj in 2000. It is the ninth fastest time ever recorded, and the fastest time recorded on British soil.[1]

In 1969 Sir William Carr decided not to continue sponsoring the race and the AAA took it over and continued until he died in 1977.[1] Since 1977, Emsley Carr's grandson, William, has continued with the tradition and has kept the book up to date and has provided a glass piece, presented to the winner by a member of the Carr family.[1]

Winners[edit]1953–1989 Year Winner Time Venue
1953 Gordon Pirie (GBR) 4:06.80 White City Stadium, London
1954 Ken Wood (GBR) 4:04.80
1955 Ken Wood (GBR) 4:05.40
1956 Derek Ibbotson (GBR) 3:59.40
1957 Ken Wood (GBR) 4:02.00
1958 Murray Halberg (NZL) 4:06.50
1959 Derek Ibbotson (GBR) 4:03.10
1960 László Tábori (USA) 4:00.30
1961 Ken Wood (GBR) 4:08.40
1962 Jim Beatty (USA) 3:56.52
1963 Bill Crothers (CAN) 4:06.50
1964 Witold Baran (POL) 3:56.04
1965 Alan Simpson (GBR) 4:04.11
1966 Kip Keino (KEN) 3:53.42
1967 Jim Ryun (USA) 3:56.02
1968 John Whetton (GBR) 3:58.56
1969 Francesco Arese (ITA) 3:57.80 Crystal Palace, London
1970 Ian Stewart (GBR) 3:57.40 Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh
1971 Peter Stewart (GBR) 4:00.40
1972 Peter Stewart (GBR) 3:55.30 Crystal Palace, London
1973 Frank Clement (GBR) 4:01.81
1974 Frank Clement (GBR) 3:57.44
1975 Filbert Bayi (TAN) 3:55.50
1976 David Moorcroft (GBR) 3:57.06
1977 Sebastian Coe (GBR) 3:57.67
1978 John Robson (GBR) 3:55.83
1979 Steve Ovett (GBR) 3:56.58 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
1980 Colin Reitz (GBR) 4:00.60 Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh
1981 Geoff Smith (GBR) 3:55.80 Cwmbran Stadium, Cwmbran
1982 David Moorcroft (GBR) 3:57.84 Crystal Palace, London
1983 Sebastian Coe (GBR) 4:03.37 Alexander Stadium, Birmingham
1984 Peter Elliott (GBR) 3:55.71 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
1985 Mark Rowland (GBR) 4:01.70 Morfa Stadium, Swansea
1986 Neil Horsfield (GBR) 3:57.03
1987 John Walker (NZL) 3:58.75 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
1988 Chris McGeorge (GBR) 4:07.07 Crystal Palace, London
1989 Saïd Aouita (MAR) 3:51.97 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
1990–present Year Winner Time Venue
1990 Peter Elliott (GBR) 3:55.51 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
1991 Peter Elliott (GBR) 3:52.10 Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield
1992 Steve Crabb (GBR) 3:58.76
1993 Philemon Hanneck (ZIM) 3:57.06 Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth
1994 Kevin McKay (GBR) 3:58.72 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
1995 Vénuste Niyongabo (BDI) 3:49.80 Crystal Palace, London
1996 William Tanui (KEN) 3:54.57 Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield
1997 Vénuste Niyongabo (BDI) 3:53.28
1998 Laban Rotich (KEN) 3:51.74
1999 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 3:52.39 Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
2000 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 3:45.96 Crystal Palace, London
2001 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 3:49.41
2002 Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) 3:50.86
2003 Paul Korir (KEN) 3:48.17
2004 Paul Korir (KEN) 3:49.84
2005 Michael East (GBR) 3:52.50 Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield
2006 Gabe Jennings (USA) 4:10.02 Alexander Stadium, Birmingham
2007 Jon Rankin (USA) 3:54.24 Stretford Stadium, Manchester
2008 Shedrack Kibet Korir (KEN) 3:54.68 Crystal Palace, London
2009 Bernard Lagat (USA) 3:52.71
2010 Augustine Choge (KEN) 3:50.14
2011 Leonel Manzano (USA) 3:51.21
2012 Silas Kiplagat (KEN) 3:52.44