JD Disturco, reporter
@JDDcourant
Running a mile under 5 minutes is perceived as the turning point in running careers. It signals growth and skill in a developing runner. Less than 0.01% of the population has run a mile in under 5 minutes.
The mile is the most-watched event in American track and field. Many tune in to watch all 1609 meters run by the best professional athletes in the world, all of whom run under 4 minutes.
When I first joined the track and field program, my best mile was 8 minutes and 41 seconds, which I thought was a decent time.
As I continued running and gained more passion for the sport, my time gradually decreased, going from 8 minutes and 41 seconds to 5 minutes and 50 seconds in a year.
I didn’t competitively race the mile until the end of my sophomore year. The mile was always the scariest event at track meets due to the skill level of the runners competing in it, and the mass of spectators it had. However, I tried the mile out, aiming for 5 minutes and 20 seconds or 80 seconds per lap.
The race was quick- I ran 5 minutes and 11 seconds, a respectable time, but I still wanted more. I raced the mile more and got my personal best to 5:09. But the season ended, and I moved on to cross-country training.
Over the Summer, I continued running, getting 320 miles in total. I went to a running camp with my teammates, which increased my passion for the sport. I started to do longer runs , up to 10 miles consistently. Little did I know how beneficial that would be for my running career as I dropped fast times in the cross country and could rep 5:20 miles.
I didn’t want to run the mile this past indoor track season because I focused on other events. But one day, my coach came up to me after practice. “JD, I’m gonna put you in the mile Saturday,” he said. I was nervous because I hadn’t raced this event in over eight months. However, I was determined to go under 5.
I stepped on the line for the mile 25 minutes after getting a Personal best of 2:56.49 in the 1000 meter. My legs were filled with lactic acid, and my body was tired.
The gun went off, and I strategically placed myself to run a 5-minute mile, but due to the extenuating circumstances I ran 5 minutes and 5 seconds, a Personal best, but not under 5.
The season came and went- I didn’t race any other miles. I ran the 1000 meter and qualified for the FCIAC championship meet instead, which was a huge personal accomplishment- The season was over, and I was still stuck with a pitiful 5:05 attached to my name.
In early March of this year, I got the opportunity to race at the armory, one of the best and the biggest indoor tracks in the world. The armory amassed over 4000 seats, all of whom would be watching me compete. I put aside my fears and worked harder to increase my speed, hoping to finally break the 5 minute barrier that eluded me for so long.
I was in the slower heat of the race, the fastest person having a PB of 4:49, something I wasn’t in shape to run. Regardless, I stepped on the line, ready to break 5. “Runners set,” said the announcer. All I felt was peace before the gun went off.
I inserted myself in front of the pack, staying comfortably between the people in front and behind me. I went through the first 409 meters in 72 seconds. I was way above pace and slowed myself down to conserve my energy. “This is not a 1k, JD,” I said to myself.
I crossed the half-mile mark in 2 minutes and 27 seconds, perfectly on pace to break 5. At this point in the race, I was eight seconds in front of the guys chasing me and five behind the guys I was chasing. I was left alone, stuck only with myself.
This part of the race was a blur. Everything around me was muffled. I could only hear the footsteps of myself thudding against the track.
It was peaceful, but the race wasn’t over.
With 400 meters left, I noticed I had fallen behind on pacing. Running alone had slowed me down. I thought about that elusive sub-5 barrier as the final 200 meters started. I needed to run that final lap in 35 seconds to break 5.
My mental game has always been on point. I had rarely ever slowed down mid-race due to losing motivation, but this was what I felt at this moment. I wanted to stop more than anything. However, I knew I was better than that. “30 seconds left JD come on!” I said to myself.
I sped up, swinging my arms up and down and pumping my legs into the ground. I gazed at the clock as it ticked in the upper 4 minutes. My heart raced as I stared down the clock, my eyes glued to the clicking time: 4:57, 4:58, and 4:59.
I crossed the line in 4 minutes and 59 seconds, nearly falling to the ground. I regained consciousness of my surroundings and got off the track, listening to the announcer. “In 4th place, we have John Disturco, with a personal best of 4 minutes and 59 seconds, a sub-five miller, excellent job,” he said.
I was happy, but not as much as I thought I would have been. I spent a lot of time thinking about why that was. Then I realized it was because my journey hadn’t ended. All the work I had spent going under 5 minutes wasn’t stopping, sub 5 wasn’t the end. Now that I was under 5 I had to keep going. I have more time to improve, and I’ll see where it takes me.
