A Select Group: Only 40 men have gone sub-4 and sub-2:10

Two-time Olympic Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge fastest official Mile-marathon combined time; 11 Americans are members of rare club; Greg Meyer the first member

By Bring Back the Mile

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been updated from the original September 2014 article with 20 sub-4 / sub-2:10 club members.

With the fall marathon season in full swing, it is a good time to present an exclusive group of runners, blessed with speed & endurance, who have broken two respected benchmarks: 4 minutes for the Mile and 2 hours, 10 minutes for the marathon; a group so select that only 40 men are club members. Two-time Olympic Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya (above, credit: NN Running Team) has the fastest official combined times: 2:04:59.40 (3:50.40 Mile and 2:01:09 marathon, world record, Berlin 2022).

The United States with 11 men – Zouhair Talbi, Joe Klecker, Robert Miranda, Jacob Thomson, Ben Rosa, Brian Shrader, Martin Hehir, Galen Rupp, Alan Culpepper, Ken Martin and Greg Meyer – has the most members, who have achieved this noteworthy milestone; in 1983, Meyer became the first member overall of this unique club. Talbi owns the best / lowest U.S. combo of 2:07:44.50 (3:59.50 and 2:03:45), third overall. Kenya is second most with 10, and Ethiopia third with six men.

And only two men have done it in the same year: Robert Stefko (SVK), 1998, and Ben Rosa (USA), 2025.

Below are the known 40 sub-4 / sub-2:10 men in fastest Mile PR order as of April 20, 2026:

+ = en route to longer race; i = indoors

SOURCE: Peter Larsson (SWE) and Bring Back the Mile

Send updates for review to: milemaniac@bringbackthemile.com

Tags: zouhair talbi (1) , robert miranda (1) , martin hehir (2) , kenenisa bekele (1) , ken martin (2) , joe klecker (4) , jacob thomson (4) , haile gebrselassie (1) , greg meyer (1) , galen rupp (15) , eliud kipchoge (1) , edward cheserek (29) , brian shrader (1) , ben rosa (1) , bbtm news (204) , alan culpepper (4)