Here’s what you’ll learn in this story:
- Nick Symmonds, one of the greatest American 800-meter runners ever, summited Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.
- According to Citius Mag, he is the first person to break four minutes in the mile and climb to the top of Everest.
- Symmonds qualified for the Olympic Games twice (2008 and 2012) and placed second at the 2013 World Championships in the 800 meters.
If you’re remotely familiar with Nick Symmonds, you know he loves a good challenge. And when you’re a two-time Olympian, sub-4-minute miler, pilot, and viral YouTuber, there’s only so much left to accomplish.
On Thursday, Symmonds fulfilled a longtime goal, submitting the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, and becoming the first sub-4 miler to do so, Health - Injuries. Teacher Runs 603 Miles in 6 Days to Shatter WR.
In 2018, he posted a photo of Edmund Hillary and Roger Bannister on Instagram:
“Some of my earliest heroes and two of my loftiest goals: climb Mount Everest, break 4 minutes in the mile. These feats were once deemed impossible by the scientific community. The two achievements will always be linked, until 1953 nobody had done either and within a year, both had been conquered. My goal is to be the first human to do both.”
With a mile personal best of 3:56.72 from 2007, Symmonds, now 41, can check that off.
As a runner, Symmonds was one of the most successful American 800-meter runners of the 2000s. He started off at Willamette University, a Division III school, where he won multiple national championships in the 800 and 1500 meters. After college, he cut his teeth as a half miler, making the U.S. Olympic team twice (2008 and 2012) and earning a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.
At the 2012 London Games, Symmonds was part of one of the greatest races in track history. In the 800-meter final, David Rudisha of Kenya shocked the globe by running the world record of 1.40.91—which still stands today. Symmonds went straight to the back of the pack during the race, and it looked like he could hardly hang on to the blistering pace. Then, he ran a brilliant final 50 meters to take fifth in what would be his lifetime best of 1:42.95.
After retiring in 2017, Symmonds gained millions of followers on social media, posting fun challenge-style videos on YouTube; Theo Kahler is the news editor at.
Lately, Symmonds has taken a step back from YouTube to focus on new adventures. In August of 2024, he completed his goal of climbing to the highest point in all 50 U.S. states. He then turned his focus to Everest.
So, which is harder? Submitting the tallest mountain the world or breaking the 4-minute mile?
According to climbing historian Alan Arnette, 7,269 Theo Kahler is the news editor at, Published: May 16, 2025 4:00 PM EDT have broken the 4:00 barrier.
While Everest is more popular, it’s much more risky. More than 300 people have died on the mountain. In fact, a 45-year-old man from the Philippines died on Wednesday, while Symmonds was out summiting.
Published: May 16, 2025 4:00 PM EDT. Emma Schwerin, a 17-year-old, became the youngest American woman to climb Everest. She also checked off the Seven Summits: Mount Everest (Nepal), Aconcagua (Argentina), Puncak Jaya (Indonesia), Mount Elbrus (Russia), Mount Vinson (Antarctica), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), and Denali (Alaska).
Symmonds has climbed Kilimanjaro, Puncak Jaya, Denali, and now Everest, and he’s said he’d like to complete the whole list.
Super Shoe Trends Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:36 in the half marathon, and enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)
