As the track and field off-season rolls on, many athletes are taking time to unwind, travel or take on side quests before the 2025 indoor season kicks off. On Wednesday, U.S. 400m sprinter Matthew Boling decided to step out of his comfort zone and see if he could break six minutes in the mile.
“I’ve broken 10 seconds in the 100m, 20 for the 200m, and 45 in the 400m, but today I’m going to try breaking six minutes in the mile,” said Boling in an Instagram video.
The last time he ran a mile was in 2012, when he was in sixth grade, clocking a time of six minutes and 27 seconds. Not surprisingly, this week, Boling shattered that time, easily surpassing his six-minute goal and finishing in 5:21.
In a video documenting the challenge, the 24-year-old looked like a seasoned miler, pacing himself smoothly over the first few laps before unleashing a strong 72-second final lap. At one point, he asked his girlfriend and pacer, Sophia Baker, when to make his move—showing that sprinters are not familiar with the strategy behind distance running.
Baker, a former University of Georgia 3,000m steeplechaser, deserves just as much credit, as she not only kept up the pace with Boling, but also managed to do it while filming his effort.
A few of his followers are now requesting that he chase the five-minute mark, which would be impressive, given that he is a pure sprinter with a personal best of 19.92 seconds for 200m.
Boling is no stranger to high-level competition. He has represented the USA multiple times on the international stage, helping the men’s 4x400m team win gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. He followed it up with another gold at the 2024 World Relays in Nassau, Bahamas.
Boling gained national attention in 2019 when he broke the 10-second barrier for the 100m with a wind-aided 9.97 seconds, earning him a reputation as one of the brightest young U.S. sprint talents. Now, he’s adding a sub-six-minute mile to his list of achievements.
