3200 meters
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| Athletics 3200 meters | |
|---|---|
| World records | |
| Men | Norway Jakob Ingebrigtsen 7:51.35c (2023) |
| Women | Ethiopia Meseret Defar 8:55.45c (2007) |
3200 meters is an uncommon long middle-distance, or short long-distance, track and field running event that is 200 m longer than the much more common 3,000 metre run, and slightly shorter than the two mile run.
At exactly eight laps on a standard 400 m track, or sixteen laps around an indoor 200 m track, this event is typically run only in American high schools, along with the 1600 m. It is the longest standardized event in track meets conducted by the NFHS in American high school competition. It is colloquially called the "two-mile", despite the distance being 18.688 meters shorter.
In college, the typical runner of this event would convert to the 5,000-metre run, or potentially the 3,000-metre run during the indoor season.
While World Athletics does not recognize an official world record or world best in the 3200 meters, the two mile run can be used as an approximation.[1]
American high school records[note 1]
[edit | edit source]According to NFHS, the current male high school record holder in the 3200 m is Simeon Birnbaum of South Dakota, with a time of 8:34.10 in 2023.[2]
However, there have been faster high school 3200 m times en route to two miles. Aforementioned Simeon Birnbaum ran an 8:31.73 3200 m en route to two miles, also in 2023.[3] Even faster was Lukas Verzbicas, who ran an equivalent 8:26.50 3200 m en route to his high school two mile record of 8:29.46, in 2011, at the Prefontaine Classic.
Therefore, Birnbaum holds the record for the fastest 3200 m exclusively against other high schoolers and not en-route to two miles, while Verzbicas holds the record for fastest ever high school 3200 m (and two miles).
All-time outdoor top 13 high school boys' times (table credit: NFHS)[note 2]
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Likewise, the current official female high school record holder in the 3200 m is Katelyn Touhy of New York, with a time of 9:47.88 in 2018.[4]
However, in 2024, Elizabeth Leachman broke Touhy's record twice, first clocking 9:45.57 on February 1 and subsequently 9:43.74 on February 15. The NFHS has yet to ratify this record.[citation needed]
In 2020, en route to two miles, Dalias Frias ran a 9:47.27 equivalent 3200 m in her two mile high school record of 9:50.70, also faster than Touhy's record but still slower than Leachman's new records.[citation needed]
The fastest time ever recorded outdoors for a high school girl in the 3200 m only was by Brynn Brown in 2020, with a time of 9:39.91. However, this time was achieved with two male pacers, during an unofficial workout, on an uncertified course, and was not officially timed, nor officially measured.
Therefore, once ratified, Leachman's 9:43.74 will be the outdoor high school girls' 3200 m record.[citation needed]
However, on June 8, 2025, Jane Hedengren ran 9:17.75 for the two miles at the Brooks PR Invitational, which converts down to a 9:14.65 3200 m.[5] Since this 3200 m split was en route to two miles, it is not eligible to be an NFHS 3200 metre record.
If indoor tracks are considered, Mary Cain's 2013 9:38.68 two mile time converts down to a 9:35.32 3200 m, and is the therefore the fastest 3200 m split ever recorded for a high school girl.
All-time outdoor top 19 high school girls' times (table credit: NFHS)[note 2]
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Equivalent world bests
[edit | edit source]Outdoor
[edit | edit source]Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran a converted equivalent of a 7:51.35 3200 m in his 2023 world best of 7:54.10 in the two mile run.[6]
Meseret Defar ran a converted equivalent of an 8:55.46 3200 m in her 2007 world best of 8:58.58 in the two mile run.[6]
Indoor
[edit | edit source]Josh Kerr ran a converted equivalent of a 7:57.88 3200 m in his 2024 world best of 8:00.67 in the two mile run.[6]
Genzebe Dibaba ran a converted equivalent of an 8:57.35 3200 m in her 2014 world best of 9:00.48 in the two mile run.[6]
Relays
[edit | edit source]The term "3200 metre relay" usually refers to the 4x800 metre relay.
Notes
[edit | edit source]- ^ References List of United States high school national records in track and field
- ^ a b In high school-only 3200 m races, and not en route to two miles. May not be perfectly up-to-date.
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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- ^ 2025 Brooks PR Invitational Results - Girls 3200 en route
- ^ a b c d Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).