Jim Ryun, Wichita East HS, Wichita, KS
Ryun put himself in the record books when in 1964, as a high schooler, he broke the elusive 4:00 barrier for one mile. His 3:55.30 hs mark lasted almost 36 years before Alan Webb took it down, but Ryun was the pioneer. His five sub-4 efforts in high school are still the most out of any high school runners today. In 2003, ESPN.com named him “The best high school athlete ever."
Photo courtesy of Runner's World archives