Reggie McAfee: The First African-American Sub-Four Minute Miler

Reggie McAfee is one of the great heroes in all of sports. McAfee was the first Africa-American to break the 4-minute mile barrier in history. He did so on May 12th, 1973 by running 3 minutes 57.8 seconds. This was a big deal for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons being the first sub-4 minute mile ever run was just less than twenty years prior to McAfee’s run. The first sub-4 minute mile was run by the great Roger Bannister of Great Britain on May 6th, 1954 in a time of 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. 

Prior to his historic 1-mile run McAfee was Cincinnati’s greatest high school distance runner. He had personal bests of 4 minutes 8 seconds for 1-mile and 1 minute 52.5 seconds for 880 yards. He continued his brilliant running career at the University of North Carolina. It was during his career at UNC that McAfee first broke four minutes for the 1-mile distance.

When considering McAfee’s great achievements as a distance runner during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s it’s important to remember that African-American’s weren’t considered being capable at distance running. In an article from February 25th, 2001 in the Cincinnati Enquirer McAfee mentions, “Most everybody thought African Americans were sprinters. I just never bought into that.” I believe this way of thinking is still common even today. Near the end of his interview McAfee addresses this issue as to why a lot of kids don’t give distance running a try today. He stated, “Kids have too many choices. Their time is taken up by a lot of different things. Running is quite demanding. If you tell kids they have to run 5 or 6 miles every day, they might not make that choice.”

Over the past 5 decades McAfee and many other distance runners in the African-American community have been pioneers in the sport of distance running in America. They have not only paved a way for young African-American boys and girls to excel in a sport that is deeply unexplored by the African-American demographic today, they have also shown African-American’s of all ages a way to live a healthier life – just by lacing up a pair sneakers and jogging around the track more than once.

Resources for this post: Fay, John. Catching up with Reggie McAfee. Cincinnati Enquirer. FEB 25th, 2001.

The Sub-Four Minute Mile Barrier

My First Sub-Four Minute Mile

The first time I broke the four minute mile barrier for 1-mile was April 11th, 2005. It was and still is a very special day in my running career. Even though my personal best going into the competition was a few seconds outside of four minutes I had a strong feeling and faith that I would break the barrier that day. Here is the video of the race I posted on my YouTube channel and an article written by the Daily Bruin (UCLA's school newspaper) about the race.

Video: My First Sub-4 minute mile

Daily Bruin Article: http://www.dailybruin.com/articles/2005/4/11/m-track-miracle-mile/

First black high school kid to run a Sub-Four minute mile

In the video below I wonder if the kid running is the first black high school kid to run the mile under four minutes?

The truth is he's probably not the first. Furthermore, the achievement of a black high school kid running a sub-four minute mile in high school sports has yet to be achieved. Honestly, aside from the first name (Henry) of the runner mentioned in this Adidas commercial I don't know the identity of the kid running in what for me is a very inspirational commercial.

I think this commercial conveys a powerful message because it represents the idea of progress in an event (the 1-mile run) and a sport (middle and long distance running) that black Americans and most minorities in America have yet to fully take part in.

Personally, as a black or African-American distance runner I've always recognized the lack of participation of minorities in the sport of distance running in America. The majority of minorities with American citizenship whom I've had the honor to befriend and compete against were originally born and have spent a majority of their lives living outside the US. With this fact in mind I've always wondered where the minorities born and raised in America were; why there weren't more people who looked like me running.

There are many possible answers to this question, one possible answer being:

distance running is a sport, activity and way of life that's never been introduced or popularized in the black communities of America like football or basketball has been.

The lack of participation in and a lack of understanding of distance running amongst minorities has led and continues to keep buried a sport and tool I believe can uplift and revolutionize the landscape of black communities and the lives of minorities if it was introduced as a new traditional activity and way of living.

Is this the first black high school kid to run a sub-four minute mile? Probably not, but that doesn't mean some young boy just like him isn't waiting to be inspired by us, his peers, his neighbors and his relatives to become the first. Just look at the setting of this commercial: a community with no soft trails, no track and no peers to run along side him.

If Henry (the character in this commercial) can be inspired internally by a dream and externally inspired by peers to be the first I think its only right we help make this dream and dreams like it a reality in our own communities. If running, an act as simple as walking, could save your life and inspire the lives of others (a life just like Henry's) don't you think it's worth giving it a try?!

Youtube Video/Adidas Commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZekgUoo2boI