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 has been part of the London Grand Prix since 2008, and was won in 2017 by the Scottish athlete Jake Wightman.

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 and Oxford University at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford. Bannister never did run in the Emsley Carr Mile.
on his way to winning the 2012 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, 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

YearWinnerTimeVenue
19534:06.80White City Stadium, London
19544:04.80White City Stadium, London
19554:05.40White City Stadium, London
19563:59.40White City Stadium, London
19574:02.00White City Stadium, London
19584:06.50White City Stadium, London
19594:03.10White City Stadium, London
19604:00.30White City Stadium, London
19614:08.40White City Stadium, London
19623:56.52White City Stadium, London
19634:06.50White City Stadium, London
19643:56.04White City Stadium, London
19654:04.11White City Stadium, London
19663:53.42White City Stadium, London
19673:56.02White City Stadium, London
19683:58.56White City Stadium, London
19693:57.80Crystal Palace, London
19703:57.40Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh
19714:00.40Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh
19723:55.30Crystal Palace, London
19734:01.81Crystal Palace, London
19743:57.44Crystal Palace, London
19753:55.50Crystal Palace, London
19763:57.06Crystal Palace, London
19773:57.67Crystal Palace, London
19783:55.83Crystal Palace, London
19793:56.58Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
19804:00.60Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh
19813:55.80Cwmbran Stadium, Cwmbran
19823:57.84Crystal Palace, London
19834:03.37Alexander Stadium, Birmingham
19843:55.71Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
19854:01.70Morfa Stadium, Swansea
19863:57.03Morfa Stadium, Swansea
19873:58.75Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
19884:07.07Crystal Palace, London
19893:51.97Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead

YearWinnerTimeVenue
19903:55.51Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
19913:52.10Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield
19923:58.76Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield
19933:57.06Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth
19943:58.72Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
19953:49.80Crystal Palace, London
19963:54.57Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield
19973:53.28Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield
19983:51.74Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield
19993:52.39Gateshead Stadium, Gateshead
20003:45.96Crystal Palace, London
20013:49.41Crystal Palace, London
20023:50.86Crystal Palace, London
20033:48.17Crystal Palace, London
20043:49.84Crystal Palace, London
20053:52.50Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield
20064:10.02Alexander Stadium, Birmingham
20073:54.24Stretford Stadium, Manchester
20083:54.68Crystal Palace, London
20093:52.71Crystal Palace, London
20103:50.14Crystal Palace, London
20113:51.21Crystal Palace, London
20123:52.44Crystal Palace, London
20133:50.01Olympic Stadium, London
20143:51.89Alexander Stadium, Birmingham
20153:54.87Olympic Stadium, London
20163:53.04Olympic Stadium, London
20173:54.92Alexander Stadium, Birmingham
20183:54.60Alexander Stadium, Birmingham
20193:49.45Olympic Stadium, London