Santa Barbara City College, HOKA ONE ONE hosting elite middle distance runners in pursuit of county’s first sub-4 men’s mile on the track, first sub-4:30 women’s mile

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Seven male runners who have already broken 4 minutes in the mile are among the entries at 9 p.m. PDT Friday at Santa Barbara City College’s La Playa Stadium in California for the Santa Barbara Elite Miles event, sponsored by HOKA ONE ONE.

The goal is to produce the first sub-4 clocking on the track in the men’s mile in Santa Barbara County, located two-plus hours north of Los Angeles, as well as the first sub-4:30 effort in the women’s mile. Santa Barbara has produced 56 sub-4 efforts in the annual State Street Mile, but with its downhill course, it is ineligible for official mile records.

With a trio of South African athletes running sub-4 for the first time March 22, the world total stands at exactly 1,500 competitors who have achieved the feat indoors or outdoors, beginning with Sir Roger Bannister running 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds May 6, 1954.

Among that group are 514 Americans, including four individuals who achieved the feat Feb. 25 indoors at the Boston University Last Chance Meet.

Eric Avila, Graham Crawford, Jesse Garn, Travis Mahoney, Leo Manzano, Kyle Merber and Ford Palmer are among that elite list and are all entered in the marquee race, with Crawford the most recent addition to the club Aug. 5, 2016.

Former UC Santa Barbara star Shyan Vaziri, who ran 4:00.01 at UCLA’s Drake Stadium in April 2016, is also entered, along with former Bruins standout Austin O’Neil, who ran 4:00.19 in Feb. 2016 at the Dempsey Indoor facility in Seattle.

Daniel Estrada and Alexis Verdugo of Mexico are also looking to challenge the sub-4 mark. The fastest mile time run at La Playa Stadium is 4:01.31 by Jesse Strutzel in 2001.

South Africa’s Rantso Mokopane remains the world outdoor leader at 3:58.92. There were 55 athletes who ran sub-4 miles indoors from December to March, including 32 Americans.

In the women’s race, scheduled for 8:50 p.m. PDT, North Carolina State graduate Megan Mansy possesses perhaps the strongest mile credentials in an attempt to become the 75th American female athlete to run sub-4:30 indoors or outdoors.

Moye ran a mile personal-best 4:36.76 at last year’s Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Championships and has a top outdoor 1,500 time of 4:11.51.

Former Hampton standout Ce’Aira Brown has run 4:47.34 in the mile, but has a 1,500 personal best of 4:09.44.

Ayla Granados, a Chico State All-American and assistant coach at Holy Names, boasts a 4:35 road mile from March 18 in Newport Beach, along with a 1,500 personal best of 4:13.5.

Former Stanford standout Danielle Katz ran a 4:48.85 indoor mile in 2015, but has a 1,500 outdoor best of 4:22.38. Raquel Lambdin, an All-American at UC Davis, ran 4:43.47 for the indoor mile in 2016 and her fastest outdoor 1,500 remains 4:15.28 from 2015.

UC Santa Barbara senior Jenna Hinkle is the only collegiate athlete entered in the field. Although her mile PR is 4:54.60 from a season opener last year, Hinkle boasts a 1,500 personal best of 4:16.62 from last season.

The women’s collegiate outdoor mile record has stood since 1987 when Canadian Angela Chalmers ran 4:29.04 competing for Northern Arizona. The American collegiate outdoor record of 4:30.36 was set in 1981 by Oregon’s Leann Warren.

The world outdoor leader in the mile this season is Brigham Young’s Anna Camp at 4:44.13. Only eight female athletes ran under 4:30 for the indoor mile this year.

There will also be a Masters Mile, scheduled for 8:40 p.m. PDT, where Santa Barbara’s Aeron Arlin Genet, who ran at Cal Poly, will look to challenge the women’s 50-54 record of 5:15.55.

Before the miles take place, endurance runner Tyler Andrews has his sights set on breaking the 50K world record of 2:43:38 set in 1988 by South Africa’s Thompson Magawana. The American record is 2:52:47.5 set in 1981 by Barney Klecker.

Santa Barbara City College will also be hosting its annual Easter Open track and field meet in the afternoon.