The phenomenal world mile record set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome on Wednesday once again had track statisticians digging into their books for comparisons. For example, since the IAAF first ratified the mile record in 1913, it's only been improved 32 times and by 23 different athletes.

El Guerrouj's time of three minutes 43.13 seconds is now a 16-second advancement on the first sub-four minute mile time of Roger Bannister (3:59.4) set at Iffley Road in Oxford 45 years ago. Had they been racing together, Bannister wouldn't have been into the home straight by the time El Guerrouj had finished. At the half-way stage (passed by El Guerrouj in 1:51.58), Bannister would have been nine seconds adrift.

Time-wise, that's an average of just over one second for every three years since Bannister's mark. It took nine different men to lower the mark under 3:50 but so far only five men have made advancements into 3:40 territory. Now the 3:40 barrier is truly beckoning.