Sydney Maree's 3:47.52 -- Still the Fastest 5th Avenue Mile

It's been 31 years since Villanova's own Sydney Maree won the inaugural 5th Avenue Mile in 1981. Maree entered that race as the newly minted American Record Holder in the mile, having run 3:48.83, which was then the #3 time in history. And in the subsequent 31 runnings of the 5th Avenue Mile, no one has run it faster than Maree did on that day. As the video above shows, this race was packed with legendary milers, including: John Walker, Steve Cram, Steve Scott, Villanova's Eamonn Coghlan, Kenyan Mike Boit, Thomas Wessinghage, Craig Masback, Tom Byers, Ray Flynn, Villanova alum Ross Donohue, Vince Draddy, and Omer Khalifa of the Sudan. Not surprisingly, it took a freakishly fast 3:47.52 for Maree to win this race -- a time that has stood the test of three decades.