In the sport of running, there are few achievements as prestigious as running a sub-four minute mile. In history, less than 2,000 athletes have achieved the mark.
This past weekend, Jude Wheeler-Dee became one of the club’s newest , running a 3:58.53 in the event on Feb. 8 at the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational hosted by Boston University.
His performance placed him as the number one ranked 1,500 metre athlete in USPORTS this season. However, his performance wrote another chapter in his historic Queen’s career as the first and only Queen’s athlete to break the four-minute barrier in the mile.
For Wheeler-Dee, the question of whether he would break the four-minute barrier was less of a question of if, but when.
The mile isn’t an event that’s run often at the Canadian and world levels, however breaking a 1,500 metre Queen’s record that stood for 47 years only two weeks before, Wheeler-Dee wasn’t worried about his fitness going into the weekend.
“Going into it I was pretty confident I [could] break four in the mile. […] Running certain [1,500m] races in the summer where I ran like, 3:39 a couple of times, and then 3:40s that kind of like converts to a sub four-minute mile already. So, I hadn’t technically run a four-minute mile, but definitely knew that it was in the cards,” Wheeler-Dee said in an interview with The Journal.
Running as part of a world-class field, he placed 17th overall in the event, despite being the 99th fastest indoor time in the world this season. For some, it may have been discouraging to not come away with hardware, but Wheeler-Dee also recognized the benefits, specifically with breaking four minutes.
“It makes it easier, because I don’t have to worry about doing any of the work, […] I can just kind of turn off my brain and long as I’m attached to whatever group, I’ll be fine,” Wheeler-Dee added.
Now that barrier has been broken in the mile, Wheeler-Dee is happy to move on to his true goals this season, placing high and winning national championships.
“Every runner knows about the four-minute mile, and it’s definitely a thing in the sport. But for me, it’s just kind of one more step in the right direction, and it just lets me know that training is going well, and I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing,” Wheeler-Dee said.
Part of Wheeler-Dee’s resume is a 2023 1,000m USPORTS Championship. Reflecting on his fitness compared to his championship-winning year, he believes his training has elevated not only his own performance but also the level of competition around him.
“I’d like to think that I’m more fit this year. I have a couple more years of training than I did then, but I feel like everyone else is a lot fitter as well,” Wheeler-Dee added.
Though he recognizes his achievements as good tests, they mostly serve has signs of progress in-season as he continues his campaign for national championships.
“I know with time, [records are] going to be cooler and cooler, and something I’ll really value and appreciate. But right now, its tunnel vision,” Wheeler-Dee emphasized.
When asked what distances he had his eyes on, Wheeler Dee just had one word.
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