By David Monti, @d9monti | (c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved; used with permission
NEW YORK (08-Sep) — With perhaps a little push from a friendly north wind, Scotsman Josh Kerr of the Brooks Beasts Track Club broke one of the oldest and most significant records in American road running here today, running away with the 43rd edition of the New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile in a blistering 3:44.3. Kerr, the newly-crowned Olympic 1500m silver medalist who also won on Fifth Avenue last year, smashed Sydney Maree’s vaunted 1981 event record of 3:47.52 which had stood for 43 years.
“I said to the meet director beforehand, I took Sydnee Maree’s NCAA (1500m) record off him in… 2018 when I was running for the University of New Mexico,” Kerr told reporters. “I know how hard that was when that was the time. It was a nice, nostalgic moment trying to go after his record today. He’s one of the most successful 1500m runners in the world’s history. Those are the kind of times I’m going after.”
Kerr executed today’s race perfectly. He stayed to the outside during the first half allowing Eric Holt (Puma/Empire Track Club) lead the charge for the $1000 halfway prime. The first quarter, which is downhill, went past in about 57 seconds. Holt put in a surge at halfway, but his move was covered by Irishman Cathal Doyle (Concliffe Harriers) who out-leaned Holt for the prime. Kerr waited a few seconds, then surged away from the field.
“I’m fit and healthy,” said Kerr, who only finished fifth in the 1500m at the Zürich Diamond League meeting on Thursday night. “I was really looking forward to this race and it makes a big difference coming into these things.”
Hobbs Kessler (adidas) was the only athlete to give chase, but by the three-quarter mark (about 2:51) Kerr had a big lead and was still accelerating.
“I knew no one’s going to get better conditions than a tail wind and a sunny day in New York,” Kerr said.
Kessler, who finished fifth in the Paris Olympic 1500m, faded badly in the final quarter and would only finish ninth in 3:52.1. Josh Hoey (adidas), an 800m specialist who ran 1:43.80 in July, was the surprise runner-up in 3:48.9. Third went to Kenyan Amon Kemboi (Puma Elite Running) who clocked 3:49.3. Vince Ciattei (Under Armour/Dark Sky Distance) and Germany’s Robert Farken (On Running) rounded out the top five in 3:50.6 and 3:51.9, respectively.
Hoey, who had only run one road mile in his career, had never run the race before.
“I’ve come up (from the Philadelphia area) to watch it a bunch of times,” Hoey told Race Results Weekly. He continued: “When Kerr took it from the halfway point I knew it was going to be tough. I was ready to cover and really focused on those last 400 meters.”
Seventeen of the 19 men who competed broke four minutes. Doyle, who won the prime, finished eight in 3:52.2.
KARISSA SCHWEIZER TIES COURSE RECORD
Karissa Schweizer of the Nike Bowerman Track Club did not come into today’s race as the favorite to win. It was only her first time running on Fifth Avenue, and her entire season was focused on the 5000m and 10,000m where she achieved podium finishes at the USA Olympic Trials, and top ten finishes in both disciplines at the Paris Olympics.
But today the 28 year-old, who ran for the University of Missouri during her NCAA career, showed she has as much leg speed as anyone. Sticking close to the front in the first half, Schweizer got away from the main field at halfway when Kenya’s Susan Ejore (Under Armour/Dark Sky Distance) went for the halfway prime and compatriot Dorcas Ewoi (Puma Elite Running) came along for the ride. The trio dropped USA Olympian Whittni Morgan and glided along the pavement in the third quarter together. Schweizer was feeling confident.
“I feel like I’ve just been kind of getting momentum going as the season’s been actually ending,” Schweizer told reporters. “But, it’s been fun to just race and not have pressure coming into these races. Even like the night before I was like, oh, maybe I could even win this thing.”
The three protagonists looked to be well-matched in the final quarter. Ejore, who finished sixth in the Olympic 1500m, fell back near the three-quarter mark, but battled back and caught up again. Ewoi made a big move for the win with only about 250 yards to go getting ahead of Schweizer, but the 2016 NCAA cross country champion quickly retook the lead and managed to stay in front.
“I love the mid-distance, 1500 races, but I like them more as strength races,” Schweizer explained. “I know this one always goes fast, so I was really excited about that.”
Ewoi, who like Schweizer was making her Fifth Avenue debut, took second in 4:17.3, a time which would have won 38 previous editions of the race. She said she got confused about her position in the final quarter and was tired from running the first quarter too fast.
“I was out of energy,” lamented Ewoi.
Britain’s Melissa Courtney-Bryant (New Balance) took fourth in 4:19.9 and newly-minted pro Gracie Morris (Puma Elite Running) took a surprise fifth place in 4:20.4. Emily Mackay, the only 2024 USA 1500m Olympian on the women’s side to race here today, finished seventh in 4:22.1.
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With heats which began early in the morning, today’s race had a total of 8,807 finishers, according to New York Road Runners, the race founders and organizers. That was the largest total since the race record of 9276 was set in 2019. The oldest finisher was 91 year-old Eric Seiff of The Bronx who clocked 15:05.
