Published July 27, 2015 02:05PM
The Fastest American Women Of All Time
From running less than two laps to more than four, middle-distance runners are pretty quick—and these times prove it.
PHOTO: PhotoRun Alysia Montano and Brenda Martinez compete at the 2015 national outdoor championships 800 meters.
As of July 20, 2015
If you’ve ever wondered how fast you could run a mile, get on the track and try four laps at max effort. If you’ve ever wondered what American records look like at middle-distance events, here’s a list of the speediest ladies from 600m to 2 mile. Source: All-Time Athletics
600m (indoor)
- 1:23.59; Alysia Montaño, New York City 02/16/13
- 1:26.56; Delisa Walton-Floyd, Pocatello 03/14/81
- 1:26.56; Ajee’ Wilson, Boston 02/28/15
- 1:26.59; Alysia Montaño, Boston 03/01/15
- 1:26.73; Kendra Chambers, Boston 02/28/15
800m
- 1:56.40; Jearl Miles-Clark, Zürich 08/11/99
- 1:56.43; Jearl Miles-Clark, Zürich 08/12/98
- 1:56.78; Jearl Miles-Clark, Bruxelles 08/22/97
- 1:56.90; Mary Slaney, Bern 08/16/85
- 1:56.91; Kim Gallagher, Seoul 09/26/88
- 1:56.93; Jearl Miles-Clark, Zürich 08/13/97
- 1:57.04; Meredith Valmon, Atlanta 06/17/96
- 1:57.15; Jearl Miles-Clark, Stockholm 08/05/98
- 1:57.27; Jearl Miles-Clark, Athínai 08/23/04
- 1:57.34, Alysia Montaño, Monaco 07/22/10
- 1:57.37; Alysia Montaño, Eugene 06/01/12
- 1:57.39; Kim Gallagher, Seoul 09/25/88
- 1:57.40; Jearl Miles-Clark, Sevilla 08/24/99
- 1:57.48; Alysia Montaño, Daegu 09/04/11
- 1:57.51; Jearl Miles-Clark, Stockholm 07/30/99
- 1:57.60; Mary Slaney, Gateshead 07/31/83
- 1:57.63; Meredith Valmon, Stuttgart 08/15/93
- 1:57.67; Ajee’ Wilson, Monaco 07/18/14
- 1:57.68; Mary Slaney, Cork 07/09/85
- 1:57.75; Alysia Montaño, Saint-Denis 07/06/13
1,500m
- 3:57.12; Mary Slaney, Stockholm 07/26/83
- 3:57.22; Jennifer Simpson, Saint-Denis 07/05/14
- 3:57.24; Mary Slaney, Bruxelles 08/30/85
- 3:57.40; Suzy Favor Hamilton, Oslo 07/28/00
- 3:58.28; Jennifer Simpson, Eugene 05/31/14
- 3:58.43; Suzy Favor Hamilton, Monaco 08/08/98
- 3:58.92; Mary Slaney, Indianapolis 07/23/88
- 3:59.10; Suzy Favor Hamilton, Zürich 08/16/02
- 3:59.19; Mary Slaney, Eugene 06/04/84
- 3:59.31; Jennifer Simpson, Roma 06/04/15
- 3:59.38; Anna Willard, Zürich 08/28/09
- 3:59.40; Suzy Favor Hamilton, Berlin 09/06/02
- 3:59.43; Mary Slaney, Zürich 08/13/80
- 3:59.43; Suzy Favor Hamilton, Rieti 09/08/02
- 3:59.49; Shannon Rowbury, Saint-Denis 07/05/14
- 3:59.59; Christin Wurth-Thomas, Saint-Denis 07/16/10
- 3:59.80; Mary Slaney, Köln 08/28/83
- 3:59.84; Mary Slaney, Paris 07/13/85
- 3:59.90; Jennifer Simpson, Eugene 06/07/09
- 3:59.92; Jennifer Simpson, Zürich 08/28/14
1 mile
- 4:16.71; Mary Slaney, Zürich 08/21/85
- 4:18.08; Mary Slaney, Paris 07/09/82
- 4:19.18; Mary Slaney, Oslo 07/27/85
- 4:19.59; Mary Slaney, London 08/02/85
- 4:20.34; Shannon Rowbury, Rieti 09/07/08
- 4:20.93; Regina Jacobs, Uniondale 07/20/98
- 4:21.25; Mary Slaney, Eugene 07/02/88
- 4:21.46; Mary Slaney, Oslo 06/26/82
- 4:21.65; Mary Slaney, Westwood 05/15/83
- 4:21.68; Mary Slaney, Auckland 01/26/80
- 4:21.78; Ruth Wysocki, London 09/07/84
- 4:22.20; Regina Jacobs, Zürich 08/14/96
- 4:22.30; Mary Slaney, Burnaby 06/18/85
- 4:22.66; Mary Slaney, London 09/09/83
- 4:22.86; Mary Slaney, Malmö 08/08/88
- 4:22.92; Mary Slaney, Westwood 05/13/84
- 4:22.93; Suzy Favor Hamilton, Uniondale 07/20/98
- 4:23.2; Mary Slaney, Berkeley 06/12/82
- 4:23.35; Mary Slaney, Köln 09/08/91
- 4:23.49; Mary Slaney, Philadelphia 06/30/79
2 mile
- 9:20.25; Shannon Rowbury, Eugene 05/31/14
- 9:21.35; Amy Rudolph, Cork 06/27/98
- 9:35.05; Jordan Hasay, Eugene 05/31/14
- 9:35.89; Deena Kastor, Walnut 04/19/02
- 9:41.32; Kara Goucher, Carson 05/20/07
- 9:41.76; Gabriele Grunewald, Birmingham 08/24/14
- 9:42.51; Chelsea Reilly, Eugene 05/31/14
- 9:42.99; Nnenna Lynch, Cork 06/27/98
- 9:44.2; Francie Larrieu-Smith, San José 08/01/72
- 9:44.46; Laura Thweatt, Eugene 05/31/14
- 9:47.88; Amy Rudolph, Carson 05/20/07
- 9:49.09; Nicole Teter, Walnut 04/19/02
- 9:50.60; Priscilla Hein, Walnut 04/19/02
- 9:52.01#; Kim Mortensen, Thousand Oaks 05/24/96
- 9:54.61; Brie Felnagle, Eugene 05/31/14
- 9:57.26; Desiraye Osburn, Carson 05/20/07
- 9:59.07; Jennifer Rhines, Walnut 04/19/02
- 9:59.96; Anna Rohrer, Shoreline 06/20/15
- 10:00.90; Destiny Collins, Shoreline 06/20/15
- 10:01.08; Molly Huddle, Raleigh 06/14/02