<P> In the sport of athletics , a four - minute mile means completing a mile run ( 1,760 yards , or 1,609.344 metres ) in less than four minutes . It was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister in 3 : 59.4 . The `` four - minute barrier '' has since been broken by over 1,400 male athletes , and is now the standard of all male professional middle distance runners . In the last 50 years the mile record has been lowered by almost 17 seconds , and currently stands at 3 : 43.13 . Running a mile in four minutes translates to a speed of 15 miles per hour ( 24.14 km / h , or 2 : 29.13 per kilometre , or 14.91 seconds per 100 metres ) . It also equals 22 feet per second ( 1,320 feet per minute ) . </P>
<P> In the sport of athletics , a four - minute mile means completing a mile run ( 1,760 yards , or 1,609.344 metres ) in less than four minutes . It was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister in 3 : 59.4 . The `` four - minute barrier '' has since been broken by over 1,400 male athletes , and is now the standard of all male professional middle distance runners . In the last 50 years the mile record has been lowered by almost 17 seconds , and currently stands at 3 : 43.13 . Running a mile in four minutes translates to a speed of 15 miles per hour ( 24.14 km / h , or 2 : 29.13 per kilometre , or 14.91 seconds per 100 metres ) . It also equals 22 feet per second ( 1,320 feet per minute ) . </P>
the first man to run a mile in 4 minutes
the first man to run a mile in 4 minutes
Roger Bannister
Roger Bannister