MGO-Nick-Willis: 20 years under 4:00
Michigan alumni and two time Olympic medalist Nick Willis just ran a 3:59.71 mile.
Why is this a big deal? Because it's his 20th consecutive year breaking 4:00, starting when he was a student at Michigan.
This is insane longevity and reliability. Most people get hurt (he has) or slow with age (he also has). But he is still world class.
January 30th, 2022 at 1:26 AM ^
This is nothing short of amaizing. To be that good for that long as an elite runner is unheard of, no matter the distance involved.
MGoNick indeed!
January 30th, 2022 at 10:53 AM ^
Agreed! Bravo, Nick. Amazing level of longevity and elite consistency.
January 30th, 2022 at 1:42 AM ^
That is awesome! If that is what you call getting slow with age - may we all get slow with age
January 30th, 2022 at 1:42 AM ^
This is much faster than I can run. Nick, I admire and resent you at the same time. Me and ibuprofen have become quite close.
January 30th, 2022 at 2:17 AM ^
super impressive...hard to stay that good at running with injuries and stuff that can happen with ligaments, and ankles and stuff.
January 30th, 2022 at 9:43 AM ^
Absolutely. There is some luck, and also smart training. But most people over a semi-pro to pro career half as long would have something like a bad respiratory infection and then pull a hammy in at least one season, preventing such a streak. It's remarkable.
January 30th, 2022 at 7:30 AM ^
So what you are saying is that if Nick and I started running together to someplace a mile away I’d only get there 6 minutes after him? That’s acceptable. He might not even really notice cuz he’s probably a little tired.
January 30th, 2022 at 8:44 AM ^
Or you and I would get a 6 minute head start and he’d beat us anyway.
January 30th, 2022 at 9:09 AM ^
ACT/SAT question: if you both started one mile apart and started running toward each other, how far would you get before he meets you?
January 30th, 2022 at 9:49 AM ^
25 mph relative to each other. When you meet the total distance must be 1 mile (1-x + x).
That means you'll meet at 2.4 minutes where the slower runner will have gone 0.4 miles and Willis will have gone 0.6 miles.
Follow up question, if a slower runner met with Willis at 0.3 and 0.7 miles, how fast was that runner going?
January 30th, 2022 at 10:16 AM ^
On the 0.3/0.7 miles: depends on much slower runner's pace is and not Nick's pace, assuming Nick's pace is the same no matter who he compares to.
The speed of a 4:00 mile is 15 mph. If one walks at 3 mph, that's 5x the difference. It's 5:1 ratio of the distance travelled in time. For every 1/10 mile walked by the slower person, the 4:00 miler can go a full half mile. I'm thinking they'd meet at .15 miles, it's too early for my brain to function so correct me if I'm wrong.
January 30th, 2022 at 9:51 AM ^
100 yards or so.
January 30th, 2022 at 8:29 AM ^
Congrats Nick!
With your God given talents and great coaching (Ron Warhurst), you've been able perform at this level for a very long time.
January 30th, 2022 at 8:43 AM ^
Amazing.
[EDIT] RobF put it better. It’s amaizing!
January 30th, 2022 at 8:56 AM ^
Interestingly the previous record for consecutive years running a sub 4 mile was also held by a Kiwi, John Walker at 18 years.
The oldest person to break a 4 minute mile was Eamonn Coughlin at the age of 41. Steve Scott holds the record for the most sub 4 minute miles at 136 (or 137 if you inclde his mile split in a 2000 meter race).
Overall, Nick Willis is tied for the 64th fastest mile ever, breaking the 3:50 barrier with a 3:49.83.
Not sure if this is true, but I believe the most people to ever break 3:50 in a single race occurred at the Prefontaine Classic with 6 sub 3:50 miles on May 31, 2014. The 9th place finisher in that race ranked 89th in the all time mile list at 3:50.7.
January 30th, 2022 at 9:10 AM ^
I can run that fast too ... for about 50 yards.
January 30th, 2022 at 12:18 PM ^
50 in 6.80 seconds or 40 yard time of 5.45. How many fakes out of 5?
(No way I could even sniff that time... to old and to much training running longer. So I'd get 6 fakes out of 5!)
January 30th, 2022 at 11:06 AM ^
Way to go Nick! Likely gets in some extra training chasing his grandchildren ?