PITTSBURGH (PTTP) – A University of Pittsburgh record that was held for 20 years has officially been shattered. Pitt senior Track and Field runner Luke Simpson has become the first ever Panther to run a mile in under four minutes, posting a time of 3:57.40, a full 3 seconds faster than the 4:00.16 mark set by Sam Bair in 2006, then tied by Finn Walsh in 2024.
Simpson is a Pittsburgh native born and raised, living in the area his entire life. He’s been a part of the Pitt track team his entire collegiate career, dating back to the 2021-22 season, but track wasn’t where his athletic career began. He began running around the age of 10 to supplement his soccer career, which he continued through his senior year of high school before switching to track full time at Pitt. Simpson has also embraced his role as a leader, mentioning his climb from the bottom of the roster all the way to the top, mentioning his belief that the most important part of that process was finding what worked and what didn’t in order to help the next generation grow.
Simpson and the Panthers are preparing for the upcoming outdoor portion of their spring season, and Simpson believes he is ready to be the first Pitt representative in the ACC Finals in some time. He described the ACC as the strongest and deepest distance conference in the country, yet is confident in both his and his teammates’ ability to make a splash and bring attention back to the Steel City.