James Ronald Ryun is an American former Republican politician and Olympic track and field athlete, who at his peak was widely considered the world's top middle-distance runner. He won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and was the first high school athlete to run a mile in under four minutes. He is the last American to hold the world record in the mile run. Ryun later served in the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing Kansas's 2nd congressional district. Jim Ryun (United States) set the men's mile world record of 3:51.3 in Berkeley, Cal. on July 17, 1966. It stood 11 months, until Jim Ryun (2)'s 3:51.1 on June 23, 1967. Wiki link