Two miles
The 2 mile is a historic running distance. Like the mile run, it is still contested at some invitational meets due its historical chronology in the United States and United Kingdom. It has been largely superseded by the 3000 m and 5000 m, and by the 3200 m in NFHS American high school competitions. The IAAF no longer keeps official world records for this distance; they are called world best instead.
The world best for men is 7:58.61 set by Kenyan Daniel Komen in Hechtel, Belgium on 19 July 1997. The women's record is 8:58.58, set by Ethiopian Meseret Defar in Brussels, Belgium on 14 September 2007.
All-time top 25
- i = indoor performance
- mx = mixed race
Men
- Correct as of July 2019.
| Rank | Result | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Place | Ref |
| 1 | 7:58.61 | Daniel Komen | Kenya | 19 July 1997 | Hechtel | |
| 2 | 8:01.08 | Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia | 31 May 1997 | Hengelo | |
| 3 | 8:03.40 i | Mo Farah | United Kingdom | 21 February 2015 | Birmingham | |
| 4 | 8:03.50 | Craig Mottram | Australia | 10 June 2007 | Eugene | |
| 5 | 8:04.35 i | Kenenisa Bekele | Ethiopia | 16 February 2008 | Birmingham | |
| 6 | 8:04.83 | Tariku Bekele | Ethiopia | 10 June 2007 | Eugene | |
| 7 | 8:06.48i | Paul Koech | Kenya | 16 February 2008 | Birmingham | |
| 8 | 8:06.61i | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco | 23 February 2003 | Liévin | |
| 9 | 8:07.07 | Matt Tegenkamp | United States | 10 June 2007 | Eugene | |
| 10 | 8:07.39i | Eliud Kipchoge | Kenya | 18 February 2012 | Birmingham | |
| 11 | 8:07.41 i | Galen Rupp | United States | 25 January 2014 | Boston | |
| 12 | 8:07.54 | Joshua Cheptegei | Uganda | 30 June 2019 | Stanford | |
| 13 | 8:07.59 | Paul Chelimo | United States | 30 June 2019 | Stanford | |
| 14 | 8:08.16i | Moses Kipsiro | Uganda | 18 February 2012 | Birmingham | |
| 15 | 8:08.39i | Markos Geneti | Ethiopia | 20 February 2004 | Birmingham | |
| 16 | 8:08.69 | Selemon Barega | Ethiopia | 30 June 2019 | Stanford | |
| 17 | 8:09.01 | Moses Kiptanui | Kenya | 30 July 1994 | Hechtel | |
| 18 | 8:09.49 i | Bernard Lagat | United States | 16 February 2013 | New York City | |
| 19 | 8:09.66i | Hailu Mekonnen | Ethiopia | 18 February 2001 | Birmingham | |
| 20 | 8:10 59 | Benjamin Limo | Kenya | 28 May 2006 | Eugene | |
| 21 | 8:10.78i | Arne Gabius | Germany | 18 February 2012 | Birmingham | |
| 22 | 8:10.98 | Khalid Boulami | Morocco | 6 July 1996 | Hechtel | |
| 23 | 8:11.33 i | Ben True | United States | 11 February 2017 | New York City | |
| 24 | 8:11.48 | Alan Webb | United States | 4 June 2005 | Eugene | |
| 25 | 8:11.56 i | Ryan Hill | United States | 11 February 2017 | New York City |
Women
- Correct as of May 2017.
| Rank | Result | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Place | Ref |
| 1 | 8:58.58 | Meseret Defar | Ethiopia | 14 September 2007 | Brussels | |
| 2 | 9:00.48i | Genzebe Dibaba | Ethiopia | 15 February 2014 | Birmingham | |
| 3 | 9:11.49 | Mercy Cherono | Kenya | 24 August 2014 | Birmingham | |
| 4 | 9:11.97 mx | Regina Jacobs | United States | 12 August 1999 | Los Gatos | |
| 5 | 9:12.23i | Tirunesh Dibaba | Ethiopia | 20 February 2010 | Birmingham | |
| 6 | 9:12.35i | Vivian Cheruiyot | Kenya | 20 February 2010 | Birmingham | |
| 7 | 9:12.59 | Viola Kibiwott | Kenya | 24 August 2014 | Birmingham | |
| 8 | 9:12.68i | Sentayehu Ejigu | Ethiopia | 20 February 2010 | Birmingham | |
| 9 | 9:12.90 | Irene Jelagat | Kenya | 24 August 2014 | Birmingham | |
| 10 | 9:13.85 | Mimi Belete | Bahrain | 31 May 2014 | Eugene | |
| 11 | 9:13.94i | Kim Smith | New Zealand | 26 January 2008 | Boston | |
| 12 | 9:14.09 | Priscah Cherono | Kenya | 14 September 2007 | Brussels | |
| 13 | 9:16.62 | Sylvia Kibet | Kenya | 14 September 2007 | Brussels | |
| 14 | 9:16.78 | Jennifer Simpson | United States | 27 April 2018 | Des Moines | |
| 15 | 9:16.95 | Betsy Saina | Kenya | 24 August 2014 | Birmingham | |
| 16 | 9:18.26 | Viola Kibiwott | Kenya | 14 September 2007 | Brussels | |
| 17 | 9:19.39i | Jessica Augusto | Portugal | 20 February 2010 | Birmingham | |
| 18 | 9:19.56 | Sonia O'Sullivan | Ireland | 27 June 1998 | Cork | |
| 19 | 9:20.25 | Shannon Rowbury | United States | 31 May 2014 | Eugene | |
| 20 | 9:20.81 | Alemitu Haroye | Ethiopia | 24 August 2014 | Birmingham | |
| 21 | 9:21.04i | Sally Kipyego | Kenya | 8 February 2014 | Boston | |
| 22 | 9:21.35 | Amy Rudolph | United States | 27 June 1998 | Cork | |
| 23 | 9:21.59i | Hiwot Ayalew | Ethiopia | 15 February 2014 | Birmingham | |
| 24 | 9:23.32 | Beleynesh Oljira | Ethiopia | 31 May 2014 | Eugene | |
| 25 | 9:23.52 | Susan Krumins | Netherlands | 24 August 2014 | Birmingham |
World Record Progression
Men
Outdoors
Indoors
Women
Outdoors
Indoors
High school boys progression
Note: this list only covers boys because the history of 2 mile running largely occurred before Title IX, before high school girls were allowed to compete, which occurred about the same time as conversion to metric distances.| TIME | ATHLETE | SCHOOL | CITY | DATE | PLACE |
| Gerry Lindgren | Rogers High School | Spokane, Washington | February 15, 1964 | Cow Palace, Daly City, California | |
| 8:57.8 | Mike Ryan | Wilcox High School | Santa Clara, California | 1965 | |
| 8:48.3 | Rick Riley | Ferris High School | Spokane, Washington | May 28, 1966 | Washington State Championships |
| 8:41.5 | Steve Prefontaine | Marshfield High School | Coos Bay, Oregon | April 25, 1969 | Corvallis Invitational, Corvallis, Oregon |
| 8:40.9 | Craig Virgin | Lebanon High School | Lebanon, Illinois | June 9, 1973 | International Prep Invitational, Prospect, Illinois |
| 8:36.3 | Jeff Nelson | Burbank High School | Burbank, California | May 6, 1979 | Pepsi Invitational, Westwood, Los Angeles, California |
| 8:34.23 | German Fernandez | Riverbank High School | Riverbank, California | June 20, 2008 | Nike Outdoor Nationals, Greensboro, North Carolina |
| 8:29.46 | Lukas Verzbicas | Carl Sandburg High School | Orland Hills, Illinois | June 4, 2011 | Prefontaine Classic, Eugene, Oregon |