Australian Olympic champion Herb Elliott, the youngest runner in 1958 to break the four-minute mile barrier, has disagreed with the theory that the improvement in world records over middle distances has arisen through better techniques, diets and medical improvements.

"The single biggest change in middle distance running from the 1,500 metres to the 10,000 has been the track surface," he said. "When we moved from cinders at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, it probably was responsible in my distance for an improvement immediately of four to five seconds."

Elliott went on to say that he believed a three-and-a-half minute mile will be achieved in the near future. That equates to over 13 seconds faster than the current record of 3 minutes 43.13 seconds held by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj.