The Bowerman Mile line-up on the Prefontaine Basic on Saturday (Might 25) is being described as the best subject ever assembled for the traditional distance.
However who would win a fantasy race between the perfect milers in historical past?
On the latest Bannister Miles assembly in Oxford to have fun the seventieth anniversary of Roger Bannister’s first sub-four-minute mile, the present and long-standing world record-holder Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco described Bannister as his “religious father”.
Noureddine Morceli, who held the world document previous to El Guerrouj, was additionally in Oxford and the Algerian mentioned Bannister “opened the door” for subsequent generations of milers by exhibiting them “something was attainable”.
When the fiftieth anniversary of the Bannister mile happened in 2004, we ran a readers’ ballot in AW to search out the best supermilers in historical past and Seb Coe got here out prime with 89 factors forward of Herb Elliott (81) and El Guerrouj (60).
However that was 20 years in the past and through that point El GUerrouj’s stranglehold over the world data for 1500m and the mile has continued.
The interval has additionally seen the emergence of present Olympic champion and world indoor record-holder Jakob Ingebrigtsen plus world title-winning Brits Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman, all of whom conflict within the Bowerman Mile this weekend.
So, who’s your selection as the best miler in historical past?
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» Look out for an unique interview with El Guerrouj within the June concern of AW, which is out on Might 30
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