Mile World Record Progression:
Unlike the German Empire, who would later specialize in the short sprints and jumps, or the Swedish, Finnish and Japanese, who would specialize in the longer distances (Swedish marathoners would have a stranglehold on the event until the 1970s), the British and Americans took the middle distance events as their own.
4:14.4 - John Paul Jones - USA - 1913 (OTL)
4:13.2 - John Paul Jones - USA - 1914
4:12.1 - Rupert Prince - UK - 1914
4:11.7 - Rupert Prince - UK - 1915
4:10.8 - William Brown - USA - 1916
4:09.6 - Charles Muller - German Empire - 1918
4:08.4 - Ethan Laurent - France - 1919
4:08.1 - Charles Muller - German Empire - 1920
4:07.8 - Johnathan Sunsort - USA - 1921
4:06.4 - Jakob Hismann- German Empire - 1921
4:06.1 - Charlie Smith - UK - 1922
4:04.7 - Jakob Hismann - German Empire - 1923
4:02.2 - Louis Mathine - France - 1926
4:00.5 - Johan Larson - Sweden - 1929
3:59.9 - Erik Erikson - Sweden - 1929
3:57.2 - Johan Larrson - Sweden 1929
3:56.9 - Erik Erikson - Sweden - 1930
3:56.3 - Johan Larrson - Sweden - 1930
3:56.1 - Johan Larrson - Sweden - 1931
3:54.0 - Paul Smith - USA - 1934
3:53.7 - Paul Smith - USA - 1935
3:52.8 - Wayne Johnathas - UK - 1936
3:52.4 - Hiroshi Injina - Japanese Empire - 1938
3:51.6 - Wayne Johnathas - UK - 1939
3:49.4 -Oscar Thomas - UK - 1941
3:49.1 - Hiroshi Injina - Japanese Empire - 1941
3:48.3 - Oscar Thomas - UK - 1942
3:47.8 - Austin Howard - USA - 1943
3:47.2 - Austin Howard - USA - 1944
3:46.5 - George Smith - UK - 1945
Image: Austin Howard of the USA in the last 100 of the 1944 Summer Olympics in London
Unlike the German Empire, who would later specialize in the short sprints and jumps, or the Swedish, Finnish and Japanese, who would specialize in the longer distances (Swedish marathoners would have a stranglehold on the event until the 1970s), the British and Americans took the middle distance events as their own.
4:14.4 - John Paul Jones - USA - 1913 (OTL)
4:13.2 - John Paul Jones - USA - 1914
4:12.1 - Rupert Prince - UK - 1914
4:11.7 - Rupert Prince - UK - 1915
4:10.8 - William Brown - USA - 1916
4:09.6 - Charles Muller - German Empire - 1918
4:08.4 - Ethan Laurent - France - 1919
4:08.1 - Charles Muller - German Empire - 1920
4:07.8 - Johnathan Sunsort - USA - 1921
4:06.4 - Jakob Hismann- German Empire - 1921
4:06.1 - Charlie Smith - UK - 1922
4:04.7 - Jakob Hismann - German Empire - 1923
4:02.2 - Louis Mathine - France - 1926
4:00.5 - Johan Larson - Sweden - 1929
3:59.9 - Erik Erikson - Sweden - 1929
3:57.2 - Johan Larrson - Sweden 1929
3:56.9 - Erik Erikson - Sweden - 1930
3:56.3 - Johan Larrson - Sweden - 1930
3:56.1 - Johan Larrson - Sweden - 1931
3:54.0 - Paul Smith - USA - 1934
3:53.7 - Paul Smith - USA - 1935
3:52.8 - Wayne Johnathas - UK - 1936
3:52.4 - Hiroshi Injina - Japanese Empire - 1938
3:51.6 - Wayne Johnathas - UK - 1939
3:49.4 -Oscar Thomas - UK - 1941
3:49.1 - Hiroshi Injina - Japanese Empire - 1941
3:48.3 - Oscar Thomas - UK - 1942
3:47.8 - Austin Howard - USA - 1943
3:47.2 - Austin Howard - USA - 1944
3:46.5 - George Smith - UK - 1945
Image: Austin Howard of the USA in the last 100 of the 1944 Summer Olympics in London