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The fastest time ever set by a runner in a middle-distance track and field competition is for the mile run.
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The official agency in charge of maintaining the records is World Athletics.
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With a time of 3:43.13, Hicham El Guerrouj currently holds the men's record, while Sifan Hassan has the women's record with a time of 4:12.33.
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The IAAF has only recognised the mile as a non-metric distance for records since 1976.
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However, the term "mile" nearly always refers to a distance of 1,500 metres in international contests like the Olympics.
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Which, despite the fact that four 'complete' laps on a 400 metre track are equivalent to 1,600 metres, is 109.344 metres shorter than an imperial mile.
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Since the first accurately measured running tracks were constructed in 1850, exact times for the mile ran (1.609344 km) have been kept track of.
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During the 17th century, footmen were regularly competing in foot races in England, with their masters placing bets on the outcome.
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By the 19th century, "pedestrianism," as it was known, had reached a peak in popularity, and the best performances were documented by experts.
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