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Wikipedia / Two miles

The 2 mile (3,520 yards, 10,560 feet, or 3,218.688 metres) is a historic running distance. Like the mile run, it is still contested at some invitational meets due its historical chronology in the United States and United Kingdom. It has been largely superseded by the 3000 m and 5000 m, and by the 3200 m in NFHS American high school competitions. The IAAF no longer keeps official world records for this distance; they are called world best instead.

The world best for men is 7:54.10 set by Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen on 9 June 2023 in Paris. Ingebrigtsen, along with previous world best holder Daniel Komen, are the only people to have run the distance in under 8 minutes, and thus covered two miles at an average sub-four-minute mile pace. The women's record is 8:58.58, set by Ethiopian Meseret Defar in Brussels on 14 September 2007.

Area bests

  • Updated 9 July 2026.

All-time top 25

  • Mx = mixed race

Men (outdoor)

  • Correct as of June 2023.

Notes

Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 8:07.46:

Women (outdoor)

  • Correct as of June 2025.

Notes

Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 9:14.55:

Men (indoor)

  • Correct as of February 2026.

Notes

Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 8:11.56:

Women (indoor)

  • Correct as of February 2024.

Notes

Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 9:13.94:

World Best Performance progression

Men

Outdoors

Indoors

Women

Outdoors

Indoors

US high school boys progression

Note: this list only covers boys because the history of 2 mile running largely occurred before Title IX, before high school girls were allowed to compete, which occurred about the same time as conversion to metric distances.

See also

Notes