It is the signature and concluding event of the Millrose Games, and is named in honor of department store owner Rodman Wanamaker.

[5] The Wanamaker Mile has been won by over 40 different men, including Glenn Cunningham, Kip Keino, Tony Waldrop, Filbert Bayi, Steve Scott, Noureddine Morceli, Bernard Lagat, Yared Nuguse, Matthew Centrowitz Jr., Marcus O'Sullivan, Ron Delany, and Eamonn Coghlan.

The Millrose Games were first held in a local armory in 1908, being organized by the employees of the Wanamaker Department Store's New York City branch.

In 1925, the last edition of the "Wanamaker 1.5 Mile Race" was won by "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi, the nine-time Olympic gold medalist from Finland.

[13] The Wanamaker was once held every year at 10:00 p.m., a tradition started by the legendary sports announcer Ted Husing.

[19] In 2019, Yomif Kejelcha won the Wanamaker in 3:48.46 to miss Hicham El Guerrouj's then-world record of 3:48.45 by just one hundredth of a second.

Kejelcha would later go on to shatter El Guerrouj's indoor mile world record by almost 1.5 seconds at the Bruce Lehane Invitational in Boston, with a time of 3:47.01.

[29] Mary Decker, Doina Melinte and Regina Jacobs are all tied for most Wanamaker victories on the women's side, with three wins each.