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Lagat, Willis, Symmonds Headline Men’s Fifth Avenue Mile Field

Published by
DyeStatPRO.com   Sep 18th 2013, 6:01pm
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Event Page / Official Website
Start Time: 1:00pm EST

While the European racing season wrapped up two weeks ago in Brussels, Belgium, many of the top American distance runners conclude their 2013 racing seasons at New York City this Sunday at the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile presented by Nissan.

The annual showcase of middle distance talent once again has a strong contingent of talent, with a half dozen or so athletes capable of taking home the top prize of $5,000 and end of season bragging rights.

Leading the charge in the men’s field is veteran Bernard Lagat, who won the event in 2011 and finished a half second behind race winner Matt Centrowitz last year. Lagat is coming off of a monster 5,000m performance in Brussels, where he finished second in a season best time of 12:58.99. Lagat is perhaps the savviest middle distance runner in the world and he’ll position himself throughout the race to take home the win in the final stretch.

Lagat’s chief competition comes from World Championship 800m silver medalist Nick Symmonds. While the Eugene-based runner doesn’t have all that much experience racing on the roads, he’s running with more confidence than ever, having finally captured his elusive medal. He finished off his Diamond League season placing second in a season best time of 1:43.03 in Brussels, while winning the Zurich Diamond League 800m event the week before.

Not to be overlooked, New Zealand standout Nick Willis, who enters with the fastest 1,500m time of the 2013 season with his 3:32.57, won the Fifth Avenue mile in 2008 and is finishing his racing season running very strong. Willis is a terrific racer, and similar to Lagat, will certainly put himself in position to have a chance at victory in the final moments of the race.

Garrett Heath and Evan Jager both enter with momentum on their side, too. Heath, who won the USA 1 Mile Championship title earlier this season, upset Olympic medalists Asbel Kiprop and Leo Manzano at the Bupa Great North One Mile road race last week and could pull off the upset Sunday. Meanwhile, Jager is coming off his impressive fifth place World Championship performance in the steeplechase, which he followed up with a huge 5,000m personal best of 13:02.40 in Brussels.

Rounding out the field of leaders, U.S. Olympians Leo Manzano and Lopez Lomong certainly have the tools to challenge. Manzano, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist over 1,500m, is having a roller coaster of a season, but after a third place finish at the USA 1 Mile Championships earlier this season, and a strong performance at the Bupa Great North 1 Mile last weekend, he should be ready to roll.

Other top contenders include USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship 1,500m fourth place finisher Matt Elliott, IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championship 5,000m finalist Ryan Hill, veteran milers Will Leer, Craig Miller and David Torrance, along with World Championship steepler Daniel Huling, Mexican national record holder Pablo Solares and Australian Collis Birmingham.

It’s anyone’s race to take at the Fifth Avenue Mile this weekend and the impressive field should once again lead to a nail-biting finish.



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