Meet the College Student Who Ran a Sub-7:00 Mile in Firefighting Gear

On June 11, James Jasperson, a junior at Western Washington University and a volunteer firefighter, went on an especially difficult run: Dressed in full firefighter gear, as well as a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), he completed a mile around his home track in Washington in a time of 6:33.

The challenge, however, was no easy feat—even for Jasperson, who runs on the WWU cross-country and track teams.