The group of distance runners that have run sub-four-minute miles is indeed an exclusive group. As of Sunday, June 17, Dartmouth has its very own member of this club of outstanding distance runners.
Ben True '08 finished the mile run in less than four minutes on Sunday at the U.S.A. Track and Field New England championship held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., just squeaking by with a final time of 3 minutes, 59.99 seconds. True's finish, marking the first time in a Dartmouth runner has ever ran a mile in under four minutes, won the event at the meet.
"It is a very significant accomplishment, because even a non-track person appreciates how fast 3:59 is for a while," men's cross-country and track and field coach Barry Harwick '77 said.
"I have known all season that Ben was capable of running a sub-four-minute mile," Harwick added. "It was always just a question of getting in the right race."
The mile run at the USATF New England championship proved to be that race that Harwick had envisioned for his star runner True. With his finish, True shattered the former Dartmouth mile run record, which stood at 4:02.26 set by Sam Wilbur '94.
Harwick noted that a rabbit was in the lead at the half-mile marker with a time of 1:58.9 before True took the lead. His split of 2:59.9 at the three-quarters spot indicated that he was steady throughout the race, running off consistent splits that put him on pace for a stellar time.
Despite True's fast time, Georgetown University's Matt Deboie nearly caught True in the final stretch. However, True held strong and Deboie was forced to take second with a time of 4:00.27, which would have been the track record had it not been for True's superb run. No other runner in the event was within ten seconds of the two leaders.
Roger Bannister of England ran the first recorded sub-four-minute mile when he posted a 3:59.4 in 1954. The world record for the mile has since shifted down to 3:43.13 held by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, but running a mile under four minutes still remains an elusive accomplishment.
True is one of only an estimated three hundred Americans to have ever run a mile under the four-minute mark.
The weather conditions at the track were not ideal for a record-breaking run, but True pulled through nonetheless. Strong winds slowed runners throughout the day on the backstretch.
"There are not too many secrets in distance running," said Harwick. "Ben works hard year round. He is incredibly competitive, and he has a tremendous cardiovascular system."
The run is just one of True's many athletic achievements over his career at Dartmouth, which include seven trips to NCAA championships and numerous All-American recognition for his work on the cross-country, ski and track squads.
Harwick believes that True's latest trip to the NCAA Division I track and field championship meet from Wednesday, June 6, to Saturday, June 9, in Sacramento, Calif., may have been more impressive that the sub-four-minute mile.
True's time of 3:40.17 in the 1,500-meter race at the NCAA meet placed him eighth in the nation, earning him All-American honors. The time he clocked there set another school record in that distance, eclipsing his previous best of 3:42.00 at the NCAA East regional meet on Saturday, May 26, in Gainesville, Fla. True turned in a 3:42.68 in the 1,500 at the trials of the national championships.
"Ben's race in the 1500 at the NCAA meet, where he was an All-American, was actually a better performance," Harwick said.
The Dartmouth track season concluded around a month ago, but True has continued to compete in various meets since the team's season's end. In his last action with the team, True won the 800- meter race in 1:50.07 and helped the 800-meter relay team to third place at the outdoor New England track and field championship on Saturday, May 12, in Hanover.
At the Heptagonal track and field championships, the Ivy League championship meet, on Sunday, May 6, in Princeton, N.J., True retained his crown in the 1,500 with a dead sprint to the finish line to win with a time of 3:44.55. He added to that victory by also taking the 5000 in 14:14.85.
True is currently participating in the AT&T USATF Championship, held in Indianapolis, Ind., from Wednesday, June 20, to Sunday, June 24, where he is running in the 1,500.
The trials for the 1,500 begin on Friday, June 22, at 6:25 p.m. with the finals of the event scheduled for Sunday, June 24, at 2:40 p.m. According to Dartmouth's sports website, True is aiming for a time of 3:39 in the 1,500, a second better than his previous school-best time at the NCAA championship meet.
Following the meet, True will begin intensive training in Sun Valley, Idaho. True plans to take a break from his studies to continue training until the Spring term of 2008, when he will again compete for Dartmouth track.
With this training period, True hopes to best his current records and also qualify for the Olympic trials for the upcoming 2008 summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
