fastest mile ever run in a marathon

I think one of the kenyans dropped a 4:15 or so mile on 5th ave. in the NYC marathon a few years back

I know ramala has run 4:24 and 4:18 on 5th ave. every year someone attacks the downhill there and everyone flies. As to just plan running it Baldini ran his last 2k of th olympic marathon in 5:24, so he was right around 4:20 for his last mile

Over the years, somebody must have dropped a sub-4:15 22nd mile at Boston, the downhill mile after Heartbreak.

Khannouchi closed in 4:11 in one of his WR races and 4:13 in the other I believe.

No, nobody has ever dropped a sub 4:15 or even close to it at the 22nd mile of Boston.

I thought the fastest miles in NYC are going up First. I recall that in one of Alberto Salazar's wins, Frank Shorter spoke about a fast mile on First to the effect that "if this were baseball, they'd be talking about that forever."

Kanpai Lagaaa wrote:

Khannouchi closed in 4:11 in one of his WR races and 4:13 in the other I believe.

Sorry but no he really didn't. He didn't break 4:20 either. I watched both of them

Hmmm, so we have no idea. Malmo?

Yes. The two posters above calling 4:15 miles at Fifth Avenue aren't familiar with NYC's course.

I have no idea what the fastest mile in a marathon is.

I remember one of the Americans in 2005 or 2004 talking about someone dropping a 4:24 or something at NY, but I don't remember much else about it.

I'm sure some nut has run sub 4:20 on that downhill 1st mile at Boston. Heck, I was no star by any means, tried to hold back even and still ran a 4:45; so you know some kook who wanted to be on TV or something, must have run some scorchers at Boston.

How about Salazar's final mile against Beardsley in Boston during their epic battle where Salazar was quoted later as saying he thought he was literally going to die? What was that split?

Faster than that wrote:

How about Salazar's final mile against Beardsley in Boston during their epic battle where Salazar was quoted later as saying he thought he was literally going to die? What was that split?

probably something like 5:00

I've been on the lead motorcyle in NYC the last several years. Hendrik Ramaala dropped a stunning 4:21 17th mile coming down and off the 59th St. Bridge in 2005. The fury of the blow staggered the field. Only 2005 Boston champion Rbt. Cheruiyot answered immediately, a man never to miss a call to action. Shortly thereafter MEB set sail knowing he couldn't let the defending champion get too much room.

In the end Paul Tergat threw a long tow line up to the three leaders, and over two plus miles pulled them back in. Cheruiyot wilted in the heat, and Meb achingly saw Ramaala and Tergat pull free past 25 miles.

THis was the great lean-at-the-tape finish with Tergat capping his career by finally prevailing in the narrowest of winning margins in NYC. But that 4:21 mile may well have been the fastest ever in the heart of a marathon. In 1990 Ibrahim Hussein led the field out at 4:24 for the first, downhill mile at Boston. That's the fastest mile I remember there.