# Emsley Carr Mile

The Emsley Carr Mile is an annual invitational athletics running event held in the United Kingdom over one mile for men. The race was won in 2024 by the Australian athlete Olli Hoare.

## History

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. The event was created to encourage athletes to break the four-minute mile. 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 the University of Oxford at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford. Bannister never did run in the Emsley Carr Mile.
The winners of the race sign the Emsley Carr Trophy, a red Moroccan leather-bound book, now running into a second volume since 1980. 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. The race has been won by eleven Olympic champions, Kip Keino, Steve Ovett, Murray Halberg, John Walker, Geoff Smith, Sebastian Coe, Saïd Aouita, William Tanui, Vénuste Niyongabo, Haile Gebrselassie, Asbel Kiprop, 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.
Ken Wood, a former Sheffield athlete, won the Emsley Carr Mile a record four times. 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 for the mile, and the fastest time recorded on British soil. El Guerrouj won the Emsley Carr Mile in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
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. 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.

## Winners

1953–1988 :
| Year | Winner | Time | Venue |
| 1953 | Gordon Pirie (GBR) | 4:06.80 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1954 | Ken Wood (GBR) | 4:04.80 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1955 | Ken Wood (GBR) | 4:05.40 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1956 | Derek Ibbotson (GBR) | 3:59.40 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1957 | Ken Wood (GBR) | 4:02.00 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1958 | Murray Halberg (NZL) | 4:06.50 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1959 | Derek Ibbotson (GBR) | 4:03.10 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1960 | László Tábori (USA) | 4:00.30 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1961 | Ken Wood (GBR) | 4:08.40 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1962 | Jim Beatty (USA) | 3:56.52 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1963 | Bill Crothers (CAN) | 4:06.50 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1964 | Witold Baran (POL) | 3:56.04 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1965 | Alan Simpson (GBR) | 4:04.11 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1966 | Kip Keino (KEN) | 3:53.42 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1967 | Jim Ryun (USA) | 3:56.02 | White City Stadium, London |
| 1968 | John Whetton (GBR) | 3:58.56 | White City Stadium, London |
| 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 | Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh |
| 1972 | Peter Stewart (GBR) | 3:55.30 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 1973 | Frank Clement (GBR) | 4:01.81 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 1974 | Frank Clement (GBR) | 3:57.44 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 1975 | Filbert Bayi (TAN) | 3:55.50 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 1976 | David Moorcroft (GBR) | 3:57.06 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 1977 | Sebastian Coe (GBR) | 3:57.67 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 1978 | John Robson (GBR) | 3:55.83 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 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 | Morfa Stadium, Swansea |
| 1987 | John Walker (NZL) | 3:58.75 | Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead |
| 1988 | Chris McGeorge (GBR) | 4:07.07 | Crystal Palace, London |
1989–present :
| Year | Winner | Time | Venue |
| 1989 | Saïd Aouita (MAR) | 3:51.97 | Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead |
| 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 | Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield |
| 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 | Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield |
| 1998 | Laban Rotich (KEN) | 3:51.74 | Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield |
| 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 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 2002 | Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) | 3:50.86 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 2003 | Paul Korir (KEN) | 3:48.17 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 2004 | Paul Korir (KEN) | 3:49.84 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 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 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 2010 | Augustine Choge (KEN) | 3:50.14 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 2011 | Leonel Manzano (USA) | 3:51.21 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 2012 | Silas Kiplagat (KEN) | 3:52.44 | Crystal Palace, London |
| 2013 | Augustine Choge (KEN) | 3:50.01 | Olympic Stadium, London |
| 2014 | Asbel Kiprop (KEN) | 3:51.89 | Alexander Stadium, Birmingham |
| 2015 | Asbel Kiprop (KEN) | 3:54.87 | Olympic Stadium, London |
| 2016 | Silas Kiplagat (KEN) | 3:53.04 | Olympic Stadium, London |
| 2017 | Jake Wightman (GBR) | 3:54.92 | Alexander Stadium, Birmingham |
| 2018 | Stewart McSweyn (AUS) | 3:54.60 | Alexander Stadium, Birmingham |
| 2019 | Samuel Tefera (ETH) | 3:49.45 | Olympic Stadium, London |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom |
| 2021 | Elliot Giles (GBR) | 3:52.49 | International Stadium, Gateshead |
| 2022 | Matthew Stonier (GBR) | 3:54.89 | Parliament Hill, London |
| 2023 | Adam Fogg (GBR) | 3:55.70 | Sportcity, Manchester |
| 2024 | Olli Hoare (AUS) | 3:49.03 | Olympic Stadium, London |