Sifan Hassan Breaks the Women’s Mile World Record in Four Minutes, 12.33 Seconds

Sifan Hassan broke a world record that stood since 1996.

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Dutch distance runner Sifan Hassan broke the women's mile world record by running 4:12.33 in her win at the Monaco Diamond League on Friday evening.

The previous world record of 4:12.56 was set by Russia's Svetlana Masterkova in 1996. Hassan entered the day with a personal best of 4:14.30 from last year's London Diamond League meet and took almost two seconds off her time to break the record.

Hassan, 26, pulled away from the field shortly after the pacer stepped off the track after about 900 meters. She closed the final 800 meters in two minutes and four seconds. Great Britain's Laura Weightman finished in second in 4:17.60.

Race splits

64.26 for 400 meters

2:08.20 for 800 meters

Estimated at 3:55.4 for 1,500 meters (faster than her personal best of 3:55.93)

3:10.13 for 1200 meters

4:12.33 at the finish

Hassan is coached by the Nike Oregon Project's Alberto Salazar, who has been under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency since 2015 for allegedly abusing prescription medication and infusions to push the limits on anti-doping rules for his athletes to gain a performance-enhancing edge. In March, he coached Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha to the indoor mile world record of 3:47.01. Hassan started working with Salazar in 2016 but has never been the subject of any doping allegations and has never tested positive for any banned substance.

Hassan is a two-time world championship bronze medalist. She won gold in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Two years later, she followed those world indoor championship performances with a bronze in the 1,500 meters and silver in the 3,000 meters.

Hassan opened up her year by running a world record in the road 5K with a 14:44 in Monaco. Thursday's world record underscores her incredible range as an athlete that goes up to the half-marathon distance since she ran 65:45 to win the Berlin Half Marathon in April.