Four-minute mile

High school (ages 12+)
Sports & Games

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/four-minute-mile

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the distance of race?1 mile (1.609 kilometers)
2. What is the threshold time?4 minutes
3. What is the four‑minute mile?It is a race where a runner covers one mile in less than four minutes. It was once thought to be impossible.
4. Why was the four‑minute mile considered impossible before 1954?People believed the body couldn’t keep the speed needed for that long, so it was seen as a psychological barrier.

Psychological Barrier: A mental limitation or belief that prevents an individual from achieving a goal.
Physiological Limits: The maximum capabilities of the human body's systems.
Aerobic Capacity: The maximum rate at which the body can use oxygen during exercise.
Lactate Threshold: The point at which lactic acid builds up in the blood faster than it can be removed.