The bell rang with one lap to go on the hydraulically banked 200-meter track in the Junior Boys Invitational Mile at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston. The clock read 3:30.78. The pair needed a 29.21-second or faster final 200-meters to break 4-minutes and even faster if they were going to break the 2-year-old U.S. High School indoor record of 3:57.66.
Last year Hansen came up just short of joining Burns and four other U.S. high school runners in breaking the magical 4-minute barrier in the mile in 2022 (boosting the total to 17 all-time), running 4:00.76. There aren't many feats, marks, numbers, or stats in track and field and American sports that are as fascinating and captivating as those around attempting and running a sub-4-minute mile.
In Boston, Hansen hit the backstretch and pulled up alongside then past Burns. Hansen kept pushing as he raced around the final turn and down the homestretch. Hansen crossed the finish in 4:01.11 for the win. Burns claimed 2nd in 4:03.08. Burns' future University of Oregon teammate and South Dakota high school senior Simeon Birnbaum was 3rd in 4:05.29.
The race was one of 25 on the day at the sparkling new facility in Massachusetts. Most of the events were full of professionals, while a few were for masters athletes, youth, and juniors (under-20).