Millrose announces Wanamaker mile fields with an open wild card slot

The 2023 Millrose Games recently announced its fields for the “signature event of the Millrose Games” with a new twist.

The men’s and women’s Wanamaker Mile fields each have one wild card entry, which will be awarded to the winners of the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge Mile on January 28.

Olympic 1500m silver medalist Laura Muir headlines the women’s Wanamaker race, having run a personal best of 4:14 at the 5th Avenue Mile in Manhattan this fall. That time is two seconds faster than Elle Purrier St. Pierre’s 2020 Wanamaker Mile record (which was also the second-fastest indoor mile in history).

“I have very fond memories of racing in the City, and I cannot wait to return and tackle the same distance indoors,” said Muir, who will race at the Millrose Games for her first time.

Other big names on the women’s side include Jemma Reekie of Britain, a 4:17 miler who finished fourth in the Tokyo Olympics 800m and U.S. 1500m champion Sinclaire Johnson

Ollie Hoare, the defending men’s Wanamaker champion from Australia (3:50.83), immortalized his Millrose win last year by chugging beer out of the elaborate Wanamaker Mile trophy during the post-meet show.

Hoare won the Commonwealth Games 1500m this year and said the Wanamaker mile is “one of my favorite mile races in the world.”

He faces a strong men’s field which includes U.S. 1500m champion Cole Hocker, World Championships 1500m 4th place-finisher Mario García and 3:49 indoor miler Johnny Gregorek. Gregorek is the only runner in the field who has run under 3:50 indoors.

The Dr. Sander Invitational women’s mile features Alicia Monson, who is already entered in the Millrose 3000m. If she wins the January race, she’ll be able to double in the mile and the 3000m at the Millrose Games. Colby Alexander and Eric Holt are headlining the men’s side of the field at Dr. Sander.

The full elite fields for the Wanamaker Mile include: