A couple of months ago we reported on the Jim Ryun Festival of Miles, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Olympic silver medalist and politician Jim Ryun breaking the four minute mile – the first time a high school boy had achieved the feat. Well appropriately enough two competitors managed to break the four minute mile in San Diego – one of them for the very first time.

Both Eric Avila and A.J. Acosta managed to break the four minute mark in the elite men’s mile, with Avila breaking the tape in three minutes, 56.89 seconds – his first sub-four minute time. Acosta was less than a second behind him with three minutes, 57.05 seconds. Ryun himself was holding one end of the tape, adding to the significance of the moment. It was the first sub-four minute mile San Diego had seen since 1988.

Elsewhere in the festivities, Top-seed Maxwell Wilson set an impressive pace in the fifth and sixth grade boys race, clocking in five minutes and 3.42 seconds to break the tape more than 40 seconds ahead of his nearest rival. Tania Fischer and Tim Gore won the Masters Miles, with times of five minutes, 17.63 seconds and four minutes, 26.75 seconds. Sarah Brown won the women’s elite title with a time of four minutes, 33.42 seconds, coming in nearly 30 seconds ahead of Deena Kastor.

Congratulations to everyone who took part – especially to those who managed to break the four minute mile: they did Jim Ryun proud.