1600 Meters: An Overview
1600 meters is a middle-distance track and field running event that is slightly shorter than the more common mile run and 100 meters longer than the more frequent 1500m run.
This distance is standardized in track meets organized by the NFHS during American high school competitions and is often referred to colloquially as “the mile”.
Following the organization’s transition to metric measurements, finalized in the 1980 rule book, the traditional 4 laps around a 440 yard imperial-measured mile run was replaced by the closest metric equivalent: 4 laps around a 400 meter track or 8 laps around a 200-meter indoor track. This decision sparked some controversy, as the race is actually 9.344 meters shorter than a mile, similar to how the 3200 meter run falls short by 18.688 meters compared to 2 miles. Other organizations, following World Athletics, typically use the 1500 meters as their standard distance.
While World Athletics does not maintain an official world record or world best for the 1600 meters, times from the mile run can serve as approximate benchmarks.
American High School Records
The current male high school record holder for the 1600m is Drew Griffith, who recorded a time of 3:57.08 at the PIAA Class 3A Championships. Griffith took the record from Alan Webb, who set a time of 3:59.51 while competing at the Arcadia Invitational on April 14, 2001. Shortly after, Webb raced against elite international competitors at the Prefontaine Classic, clocking a time of 3:51.83 for 1600m, which contributed to his high school mile record of 3:53.43. It’s worth noting that while Webb was still enrolled in high school, the NFHS recognizes only races against fellow high school athletes.
Several competitors have recorded times faster than Griffith’s 3:57.08, including Gary Martin (3:57.98 mile, 3:56.60 1600m) in 2022 and Jim Ryun (3:58.3 mile, 3:56.92 1600m) in 1965.
All-Time Outdoor Top 20 High School Boys’ Times
The female record is less disputed, with Alexa Efraimson of Camas High School in Washington setting a time of 4:33.29 at the Washington State 4A Championships in 2014. In 2022, Sadie Engelhardt matched Efraimson’s record.
However, some high school girls have posted faster times than Efraimson’s, which the NFHS does not recognize. Notably, on April 6, 2024, Engelhardt broke Efraimson’s record with a time of 4:32.48, pending ratification by the NFHS.
Additionally, Katelyn Tuohy recorded a 4:32.28 1600m en route to her outdoor high school mile record of 4:33.87 in 2018. This record has since been surpassed three times, although these have not been ratified by the NFHS.
- On April 19, 2024, Engelhardt ran a 4:31.72 mile at the Mt. SAC Relays, converting to a 4:30.14 1600m.
- On May 30, 2024, at the HOKA Festival of Miles, Allie Zealand ran a 4:30.38 mile, converting to a 4:28.81 1600m.
- Following Zealand’s race, Engelhardt raced against professionals, achieving a 4:28.26 mile, converting to a 4:26.70 1600m.
Furthermore, Mary Cain‘s 2013 indoor high school mile record of 4:28.25 translates to a 4:26.69 1600m, although this is not recognized by the NFHS. Finally, in 2022, Addy Wiley achieved a 4:26.16 1600m time, pending ratification from NFHS.
All-Time Outdoor Top 20 High School Girls’ Times
Equivalent World Bests
Outdoor
When converted, Hicham El Guerrouj‘s world record mile time of 3:43.13 in 1999 equates to a 3:41.84 1600m. Similarly, Faith Kipyegon‘s world record mile of 4:07.64 in 2023 converts to a 4:06.20 1600m.
Indoor
For indoor records, Yomif Kejelcha achieved a world record mile time of 3:47.01 in 2019, which converts to an equivalent 3:45.69 1600m. Likewise, Genzebe Dibaba set a world record mile of 4:13.31 in 2016, translating to a 4:11.84 1600m.
Relays
The 1600 meters also serves as the final leg of a distance medley relay, comprising 4 laps, as the 1500 meters requires adjustments to start or finish lines.
When referring to the term “1600 meter relay“, it typically denotes the 4×400 meter relay, although the 2-2-4-8 configuration in the sprint medley relay also totals 1600 meters.