2008 World Indoor Champs: Inside the Men's 3K

Story by Eric

The 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships were exciting on several fronts, with athletes mentioned in previous stories on this site gaining more than their fair share of headlines both here and in other international press.

Today's meet reflection looks at the men's 3.000m, and one particular athlete's struggle to gain solid footing on his own. He's chased titles, shadows and respect for far too long. His victory in Valencia may have pushed him over the top, and provided him his own stature and name in a sport littered with stars, and in a family where one man has won world cross country titles, junior cross country titles, world championships, an Olympic gold medal, and has set world records indoors and outdoors.

That man, though only 19, is known as Tariku Bekele, and he may become the first one thinks of when the surname Bekele is said if he can carry his momentum forward and challenge the rest of the world outdoors like he did indoors this season, when, at the week-end, he knocked off the 2007 World Champion at the steeplechase (Paul Koech), and a 3.48 miler in Australian Craig Mottram among others in Spain.

Sit back, take down some notes, and learn as much as you can from this rich information digested from the men's 3.000m race.

Men's 3.000M

Tariku Bekele had long been in his brother's shadows since the start of his career on the youth and junior levels, and had also been overshadowed this season when Kenenisa broke countryman and mentor Haile Gebrselassie's world indoor record in the 2-mile, running 8.04,35 in Birmingham.

It didn't matter that the younger sibling had chased his elder brother out of the national junior ranks at the 3.000m outdoors, his brother's mark was one which set a world standard, whilst Tariku Bekele's was a national one.

Nor did it matter that he had played pace-maker to several world record attempts Kenenisa Bekele made at 5.000m, Tariku Bekele's name did not stand next to any world records as did his brother's.

Finally, as 3.000m races go, the best Kenenisa Bekele had accomplished at a major championship as a junior was winning the 1999 World Youth Games silver medallist. Tariku Bekele, running in his brother's long, extended shadow, also captured a silver medal, collecting his hardware four years later in Sherbrooke.

Tariku Bekele's victory in Valencia changed a bit of luck for the young star, however, and provided him with several distinctions to go along with the $40.000 he pocketed for his victory.

Key observations from the race:

• Though Tariku Bekele was unable to claim the fastest mark in the family indoors at 3.000m - he trails his brother by 0,58 seconds, he was able to step into new territory this winter by running the fastest time in the world this season (7.31,09) in Stuttgart, and by running faster on paper than his brother, Kenenisa Bekele - a multiple world-indoor and outdoor record holder - though Kenenisa Bekeke's 3.000m time during his record 2-mile was "worth" more than his absolute best of 7.30,51.
• And, equally important to Tariku Bekele was that he able to win a major championship - something which had eluded the "other Bekele" on previous occasion as he played second-fiddle to his older brother.
• Tariku Bekele, by winning the World Indoor Championships at the ripe old age of 21 years, 48 days, became the youngest male indoor titlest of the previous 12 men who'd claimed the world crown at 3.000m, and brought to five the number of titles Ethiopian men have won at this distance indoors.
• Gebrselassie won three titles (1997, 1999 and 2003), and Kenenisa Bekele's victory in 2006 brought back the bragging rights to Ethiopia following Bernard Lagat's 2004 victory. The Bekele brothers have made it two-straight for their country, and two-consecutive for their family.
• Though Gebrselassie found previous success indoors during his career, winning back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1999, no athlete this century has defended their title in the five races contested through last week-end. This has been due to none of the previous defenders (Hicham El Guerrouj, Gebrselassie, Lagat and Kenenisa Bekele) showing up to contest the next championship.
• Kenenisa Bekele had the previous distinction of being the youngest gold medallist when he, at the age of 23 years 272 days, placed first in the 3.000m two years ago in Moscow, running 7.39,32.
• Tariku Bekele set a record of note in that same race by becoming the youngest finalist at 19 years 50 days, by placing sixth in 7.47,67. Tariku now has layed claim to being both the youngest finalist of the 147 men who have made it to the start line as well as the youngest gold medallist.
• Together, Kenenisa Bekele (2006) and Tariku Bekele (2008) have now become the only brothers to win a championship, and the only family members to have won back-to-back men's 3.000m titles.
• Tariku Bekele is the only athlete to have run the closest non-winning time relative to his victory, with a mere 0,56 seconds between his previous performance in Moscow and his winning time in Valencia.
• Kenenisa Bekele, who has the current world indoor records at 2.000m (4.49,99), 2-mile (8.04,59) and 5.000m (12.49.60), has the fastest finishing 1.500m of the dynamic duo, closing out his masterfully-crafted race in Moscow with a 1.500m split of 3.36,5 to Tariku Bekele's 3.40 run at the week-end.
• Tariku Bekele has family honours in the 3.000m outdoors, however, owning Ethiopia's national junior record at 7.29,11 set two years ago in Rieti. Kenenisa Bekele held the previous honour by running 7.30,67 five years earlier in Bruxelles.
• Tariku Bekele's final 1.000m, covered in a hand-timed 2.22,5, however, is the fastest-ever recorded in a finishing kick, with brother Kenenisa's 2.23,33 the previous fastest in a much longer kick. El Guerrouj, who won the 2001 title (7.37,74) in Lisboa, closed out his race in 2.24,76.
• Tariku Bekele, who ran 8.04,83 in the 2-mile outdoors last season, and has a 12.53,81 best at 5.000m, benefitted from a slow opening kilometre of 2.48,58 followed by a 5.25,71 at the 2.000m mark; his first-half split was appromiately 4.08.
• Bekele's victory is closest in measurement to Saïd Aouita's 1989 title in Budapest, with the former 1.500m, mile, 2.000m, 3.000m and 5.000m world-record holder's race splitting 5.24,02 at the 2.000m mark (Frank O'Mara) and Aouita finishing with a 7.47,94 (4.02,5/3.46,4). Bekele finished with approximate splits of 4.07/3.40.
• Seven of the 13 champions have been 1.500m/mile specialists (two of them world record-holders at both distances, and one has been an NCAA 1.500m champion (O'Mara). However, three of the past four champions have now been longer-distance specialists who have demonstrated better endurance and sustained longer kicks than their counterparts have been able to muster.
• El Guerrouj (7.37,74) and O'Mara (7.41,14) are the only mile specialists who have a top-five winning time in the indoor championships.
• Tariku Bekele may separate himself from his brother if he is able to defend his title in two years when the nation of Qatar hosts the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Then again, in an Olympic year as this one, his brother may add to his legendary status by taking his second-consecutive 10.000m title, leaving Tariku Bekele in further want of his own identity.

IAAF World Indoor Championships
Winners:

1985: ..... 7.57,63 (João Campos)
1987: ..... 8.03,32 (Frank O'Mara)
1989: ..... 7.47,94 (Saïd Aouita)
1991: ..... 7.41,14 (Frank O'Mara)
1993: ..... 7.50,26 (Gennaro Di Napoli)
1995: ..... 7.50,89 (Gennaro Di Napoli)
1997: ..... 7.34,71 (Haile Gebrselassie)
1999: ..... 7.53,57 (Haile Gebrselassie)
2001: ..... 7.37,74 (Hicham El Guerrouj)
2003: ..... 7.40,97 (Haile Gebrselassie)
2004: ..... 7.56,34 (Bernard Lagat)
2006: ..... 7.39,32 (Kenenisa Bekele)
2008: ..... 7.47,28 (Tariku Bekele)

Photo Credit: BBC Athletics

IAAF World Championships: Soboleva Crushes WR

Story written by Eric.

Russia's Yelena Soboleva established her second world record at 1.500m this indoor season, running 3 minutes 57,71 seconds to win her first World Indoor title at the IAAF Championships in Valencia.

Soboleva, who finished second two years ago to teammate Yuliya Fomenko, out-sprinted her rival with a powerful kick the final 100m over the 200m track, and won going-away, taking off 0,34 seconds from the record she set at the Russian Indoor National Championships two weeks ago.

Soboleva, 25, ran to the front of the race during the first 100m, and was followed by Bahrain's Maryam Jamal and Fomenko early in the race. Soboleva ran a controlled 30,95 split at the 200m mark and continued running what appeared to be content and effortless through at first-lap split of 63,26.

There was no change in the top-3 order until the 600m mark, reached in 1.35,66, with Fomenko taking over pacing duties.

Fomenko and and Soboleva towed the field through a very respectable 2.07,89 to drag Jamal and Ethiopian Geleta Burka with them in a front pack of four.

Fomenko reached the 1.000m mark just under 2.40, splitting 2.39,90 off of a 32,01 segment from the 800m mark. Soboleva continued to look content to bide her time in second as they passed the clock with 400m remaining in an incredible 2.55 on the clock.

Fomenko continued her excellent running and attempted to take the kick out of her teammate, hitting the 1.200m split in 3.11,53 (31,63), and then surged very hard to attempt to deflate Soboleva's 1.56 800m speed.

Soboleva didn't relent, however, and took the lead at 1.300m (3.27). Soboleva's move was a decisive one, and she took the field through a 3.42,27 for 1.400m (30,74 split).

Needing to run just under 16,00 to break the world record, Soboleva ran 15,44 over the final turn and straight to finish in world-record time.

Fomenko finished second in a new personal best time of 3.59,41, with Burka third in an African record time of 3.59,75. Jamal, the 2007 IAAF World Outdoor champion, finished without a medal, but could be content with setting a new personal best of 3.59,79.

Four women in all finished with new national records. Soboleva earned a bonus of $50.000 for setting a world record, and pocketed $40.000 for the victory.

Soboleva's was the only world record set at the championships, which concluded this evening.

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IAAF World Indoor Championships

Women's 1.500m Final

1, Yelena Soboleva, RUS, 3.57,71 (WR); 2, Yuliya Fomenka, RUS, 3.59,41 (PB); 3, Gelete Burka, ETH, 3.59,75 (AR); 4, Maryam Yusuf Jamal, BRN, 3.59,79 (AR); 5, Daniela Yordanova , BUL, 4.04,19 (NR); 6, Liliana Popescu, ROM, 4.07,61; 7, Bouchra Ghézielle, FRA, 4.08,66; 8, Siham Hilali MAR 4.15,54; Sonja Roman, SLO, DNF

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KAKI CAPS SENSATIONAL DEBUT WITH VICTORY

Abubaker Kaki entered the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships with exactly three races under his belt: an 800m in Leipzig which netted him the second-fastest time of the year (1.46,06), and two 1.000m races - the first which nabbed the 18-year-old the world junior record in Stockholm (2.15,77).

Kaki tripled his lifetime total of indoor races in Valencia, and did not disappoint in his attack on a truly stellar field, winning a stunning race against South African Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, 1.44,81 to 1.44,91.

Mulaudzi was the 2004 world indoor champion and Olympic silver medallist behind Yuriy Borzakovskiy in Athens, and had possessed the most experience and the highest credentials of the contestants in the final.

Though Mulaudzi was only able to equal his standing set two years ago in Moscow, he did set a new national record tonight in the process.

Bronze medallist Yusuf Saad Kamal of Burundi (1.45,26) and fourth-placer Dmitrijs Milkevics (1.45,72), who had the third-fastest time in the world entering the final (1.46,09), also set national records in a race won with the third-fastest time ever run in the World Indoor Championships.

The field was so deep that fifth-placer, Russian Dmitry Bogdanov (1.45,76) and American Nick Symmonds (1.46,48), who had looked very strong in his heat and semi-final races, set personal records in what was truly one of the highlights of the evening behind Soboleva's world record run mentioned above.

Symmonds' time was only 0,01 of a second from equalling the best mark for sixth place in the championships.

Kaki stated prior to the opening race that he wouldn't underestimate his competitors, but the strong Sudanese took the lead from the gun and split 24,92 - 51,26 the first two laps before Mulaudzi gave chase.

Entering the final lap, Kaki split 1.18,28 at the 600m mark, and all eyes in the stadium were on the fast-kicking Mulaudzi as he prepared to overtake his junior runner. Mulaudzi pushed Kaki hard down the backstretch, and it appeared that Kaki would not find the strength to hold off Mulaudzi, who has a 1.42,89 outdoor best.

Kaki came off the final turn with his arms pumping hard, his neck strained and his eyes on the finish line as Mulaudzi, running to his right in lane two, came up even with him, and attempted to overtake him with the remaining metres to the finish line in sight.

Malaudzi was unable to negotiate a better finishing spurt than Kaki, however, and the 18-year-old claimed his sixth victory in as many races this indoor season, running the second-fastest world junior time in history behind Borzakovskiy's 1.44,35 -- and the fastest time in the world since 2004.

Kaki's superlative mixture of strength and speed will make it very challenging for anyone to match strides with him as he takes a break, rests and prepares to translate his new-found talents to the outdoor oval.

Kaki shouldn't have too difficult a time with that, however, as he ran a solo 1.43 800m in November to fly under the radar nearly two months following the conclusion to the normal Grand Prix season.

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IAAF World Indoor Championships

Men's 800m Final

1, Abubaker Kaki, SUD, 1.44,81 (WL); 2, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, RSA, 1.44,91 (NR); 3, Yusuf Saad Kamel, BRN, 1.45,26 (AR); 4 Dmitrijs Milkevics, LAT, 1.45,72 (NR); 5 Dmitriy Bogdanov, RUS, 1.45,76 (PB); 6 Nick Symmonds, USA, 1.46,48 (PB)

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TARIKU BEKELE (7.48,23) STEPS OUT OF SHADOWS

The men's 3.000m featured a stunning field which included Australian Craig Mottram, Kenya's Paul Koech and Ethiopians Tariku Bekele -- the 2008 world indoor leader at this distance, and teammate Abreham Cherkos, who holds the world youth best for the outdoor 3.000m (7.32,37), and the 5.000m (12.54,19), and who also set the World Junior record at this distance (7.38,03) in Stuttgart on 2-February.

Mottram, who holds a 3.48 mile best and set a national record in the 3.000m last month with a 7.34,50, and Koech, the 2007 World Outdoor Champion in the steeplechase, were expected to be Bekele's biggest challengers.

All seemed to play into the kickers' race the first kilometre, covered in 2.48,58 - a pace which Ethiopian women's winner, Meseret Defar, could have managed without difficulty.

Koech, who ran 8.06,48 over two miles in finishing second to Bekele's older brother, Kenenisa, in Birmingham on 16-February, took over the pacing charge to lead the field through a sub-par 5.25,71 (2.42,88 pace) - but one which surprisingly begun stringing out the field a bit as Bekele began to position himself for a long drive home to the finish.

Bekele made a terrific move with three laps remaining, and inflicted a great deal of hurt on the kickers in the race, covering his final 1.000m in 2.22,5 and finishing off his final 1.500m in 3.40 - a pace which would have kept him in contention in the open 1.500m race contested the prior evening!

Bekele's winning time of 7.48,23 wasn't the fastest winning time in history, but his closing 1.500m segment was six seconds faster than was Saïd Aouita's 3.46,4 in his 1989 victory (7.47,94) in Budapest.

Koech, who fought valiantly to hold off Cherkos, finished with the silver medal, running 7.49,05, with Cherkos nabbing the bronze (7.49,96).

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IAAF World Indoor Championships

Men's 3.000m Final

1, Tariku Bekele, ETH, 7.48,23; 2, Paul Koech, KEN, 7.49,05; 3, Abrehem Cherkos, ETH, 7.49,96; 4, Edwin Soi, KEN, 7.51,60; 5, Craig Mottram, AUS, 7.52,42; 6, Mohammed Farah, GB, 7.55,08; 7, Ali Maatoui, MAR, 7.58,93; 8, Sergio Sanchez, ESP, 7.59,74 (PB); 9, James C'Kurui, QAT, 8.00,44; 10, Kamal Boulahfane, ALG, 8.04,73; 11, Jonathan Riley, USA, 8.05,59; 12, Arne Gabius, GER, 8.11,21.

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In other developments, Russia's Evgeniy Lukyanenko raised his world-lead up to 5,90m in winning the pole vault, holding back American Brad Walker (5,85 PB), the reigning world indoor and outdoor champion.

Phillips Idowu finally lived up to his promise in the triple jump, setting the Spanish crowd ablaze with astonishment with a second-round leap of 17,75m - the 2008 world lead, and only eight centimetres behind Christian Olsson's world record.

Canadian sprinter Tyler Christopher ran an excellent final 50m to take the victory from Sweden's Johan Wissman, who led at the gun in 21,10 seconds. Christopher made a big move down the stretch to run the fastest time in the world this season, 45,67. Wissman finished with the silver in an indoor personal best of 46,04 .

Maria Mutola was denied an eighth world indoor title when Australia's Tamsyn Lewis sprinted past the field and surprised leader Tetiana Petlyuk to win in 2.02,57 - the slowest winning time in meet history. Mutola won her first indoor title in 1993, running 1.57,55 in Toronto, and defeating Russian Svetlana Masterkova and American Joetta Clark in the process.

Mutola is retiring at the end of the outdoor season.

(The women's high jump will be featured in a separate report on Monday).

Foto Credits: IAAF.org

Mottram (8.03,50) Wins Pre 2-Mile Classic

Story written by EPelle

Australian Craig Mottram, a 2007 IAAF World Championships 5.000m gold medal hope, won the Prefontaine Classic Grand Prix 2-mile yesterday evening - smashing nearly nine seconds off his previous personal best and Australian record, and in the process, clocking the sixth-fastest time ever in the distance, 8.03,50.

Mottram entered the meet after suffering a slight setback at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York last week (results link), finishing third in the mile (3.54,54 SB) to Americans Alan Webb (3.52,94) and Bernard Lagat (3.53,88), but bounced back in superb fashion in the 12-strong field Sunday, covering his mile splits in 4.04,0 and 3.59,5.

"It's a win and it is better than last week and better than three weeks ago and I will be a lot better in two months. I was strong today. I will take the fast time but it doesn't mean much come August; I will have to beat five or six more of them," he told the Register-Guard.

Mottram handed Ethiopia's Tariku Bekele (8.04,83) a spirited defeat in front of a standing-room only crowd at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field, which let out a loud roar when third-place finisher, American Matt Tegenkamp, crossed the line in 8.07,07 - setting an American record by sheering more than four seconds off of the two-year-old record national standard set at the 2005 Pre Classic. Free video of the race can be found here courtesy of NBC.

Bekele, who is the younger brother of 5.000m and 10.000m world-record holder Kenenisa Bekele, holds 7.29,11 3.000m and 12.53,81 5.000m personal bests - both Ethiopian national junior records, is 0-5 lifetime against Mottram. They've clashed twice at 5.000m (13.03,37-13.12,49 in Bislett in 2004; 13.32,96 - 13.34,76 at the 2005 World Championships), and the young Ethiopian has also been unsuccessful at beating Mottram indoors at the 2-mile distance, with Mottram winning the 2005 BIG Boston indoor Games in 8.26,54 to Bekele's 4th-place 8.27,56. Mottram also defeated the younger Bekele in their only 3.000m clash as well, with Mottram finishing third in the 2005 Zürich Weltklasse in 7.38,03 to Bekele's ninth-place 7.43,47.

Webb set the previous American record in finishing 2nd in the 2005 Pre Classic 2-mile to Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, 8.07,68 to 8.11,48, but managed only a ninth-place finish (8.23,97) on Sunday.

Mottram lingered back in the middle of the pack for the first 1.320 yards of the eight-lap race right in front of Webb, but made a decisive move up behind Bekele and the two pace-makers in the race to hit a very good first mile split at a desirable pace (rabbits were asked to split 4.03).

Bekele and Mottram held tempo and command of the race, and made decisive moves at the beginning of the final lap, but Tegenkamp, who began making a long charge with three laps remaining - running just ahead of American Dathan Ritzenhein (8.11,74) - had launched into his own extended kick with 300m remaining.

Mottram passed Bekele on the backstraight with approximately 250m remaining and held a comfortable lead heading into the homestretch - where he began waiving to the crowd with 40m remaining. Neither Bekele nor Tegenkamp were able to gain on Mottram following his explosive kick.

Mottram, whose previous best was established in a victory over Kenya's Boniface Songok - 8.11,27 to 8.12,86 - at the 2005 Norwich Union Grand Prix in Sheffield, England (results link), holds seven track and road national Australian records, and appears to be in excellent form heading to the world championships to be contested in August in Osaka, Japan, where he is one of the favourites.

Mottram's 2-mile time equates to a 7.27,69 3.000m according to Track & Field News, with Bekele's new personal best equating to a 7.29,85, followed by Tegenkamp netting a 7.31,0 equivalent.

"It's too early to get too wound up about the world championships just yet," Mottram said to Australia's Herald Sun newspaper.

Indeed, the European season has not yet kicked off (the Oslo Golden League Meet is first on tap this Friday), yet Mottram is in excellent position heading into what promises to be an exciting year for the 2005 bronze medalist at 5.000m, and 2006 Commonwealth Games champion.

The world two-mile record - 7.58,61 - was set by Kenya's Daniel Komen in Hechtel, Belgium in 1998. Komen, the only man who has broken the eight-minute barrier, twice achieved the mark, with his second-best effort - 7.58,91 - set in a 1998 blow-out in Sydney, Australia. The only other person on the all-time in front of Mottram is Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie, the outer-worldly two-time Olympic and nine-time World Champion (indoors, outdoors, road), who ran 8.01,08 in Hengelo in 1997, and followed that effort up with great performances at Hengelo (8.01,86) and London (8.01,72) two seasons later.

Mottram is traveling back to his London base camp in preparation for his first European Circuit race on 27-June in Ostrava Golden Spike meeting, where he will contest the Emil Zatopek Memorial 5.000m (meet site), a favourite stop for early-season fast times and excellent racing. Kenya's Stephen Cherono holds the meet record in the event, running 12.48,81 there in 2003.

Mottram holds a lifetime best of 12.55,76 in the 5.000m, and has broken the magical 13.00-minute barrier a total of three times (12.56,13, 12.58,19).

The top-10 2-mile times outdoors:

1. Daniel Komen (KEN) 1997 7.58,61
2. Daniel Komen (KEN) 1998 7.58,91
3. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 1997 8.01,08
4. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 1999 8.01,72
5. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 1999 8.01,86
6. Craig Mottram (AUS) 2007 8.03,50
7. Daniel Komen (ETH) 1996 8.03,54
8. Tariku Bekele (ETH) 2007 8.04,53
9. Matt Tegenkamp (USA) 2007 8.07,07
10. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 1995 8.07,46

Mottram's Personal Best Track Times:

• 1.500m: 3.33,97
• Mile: 3.48,98 (3.54,81 indoors)
  
• 2.000m: 4.50,76
  
• 3.000m: 7.32,19 (7.39,24 indoors)
  
• 2-Mile: 8.03,50 (8.26,54 indoors)
  
• 5.000m: 12.55,76
• 10.000m: 27.50,55

For a full-list of the all-time 2-milers, please go to www.alltime-athletics.com, or click this link here for immediate access to the list.

American Miler Webb Joins Millrose Field

OFFICIAL RELEASE

Alan Webb joins Wanamaker Mile field
Top pole vaulters also set for 100th Millrose Games on Feb. 2

NEW YORK CITY (Jan. 16) – Alan Webb, who six years ago led the charge to revive American interest in the mile when he broke Jim Ryun’s 36-year-old national high-school record, will compete in the famed Wanamaker Mile at the 100th Millrose Games, organizers announced today.

Webb, 24, became a national celebrity in 2001 when he broke both the indoor and outdoor national high-school mile records, the former at the New York Armory track and the latter on national TV. He is a two-time U.S. outdoor champion at 1500 meters,and a 2004 Olympian. In 2005, he set the American Record for 2 Miles (8:11.48), and last spring ran the fastest 10,000-meter debut ever by an American (27:34.72). Webb is scheduled to run the mile at the New Balance Games at the Armory on Saturday,Jan. 20, six years to the day after setting the indoor high-school mark.

At Millrose, among those he will face are the previously announced American Record-holder Bernard Lagat, the defending champion of the Wanamaker Mile who will be seeking his fifth victory; and Australian Craig Mottram, the 2005 World Championships bronze medalist at 5000 meters who will be making his Millrose Games debut.

Organizers also announced that Steve Hooker, the 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medalist ranked the #1 pole vaulter in the world for 2006, will go up against Americans Brad Walker,2005 World Championships silver medalist and reigning World Indoor Champion ranked #2 in the world; and Toby Stevenson, 2004 Olympic silver medalist.

The addition of Hooker means the 100th Millrose Games will feature both of the world’s top pole vaulters, with Russia’s Yelena Isinbayeva making her U.S. debut here.

The 100th Millrose Games, the second stop in USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series, will be held Feb. 2 at Madison Square Garden beginning at 5:45 p.m.

For tickets or more information,visit www.Millrose-Games.com.

Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster (call 212-307-7171, visit www.Ticketmaster.com or at Ticketmaster outlets); or at the Madison Square Garden box office.

Athletics in the News has no affiliation with Ticketmaster, The Millrose Games, nor with Madision Square Garden. This release is broadcast as an independent and unaffiliated public service annoucement for athletics fans. Any ticket purchases, flights, plans and other related activities made as a result of this announcement are done so at the full discretion of the user, with no indemnity in whole or part to Athletics in the News.

Lagat, Mottram Headline Millrose Fields

Story written by EPelle

Three-time American record-holder Bernard Lagat and Australian Craig Mottram, who holds six national records, will headline the Wanamaker Mile at 100th Millrose Games to be held at Madison Square Gardens on 2-February.

Lagat, a two-time Olympic 1.500m medalist and reigning USA 1.500m and 5.000m champion, set the American indoor mile (3.49,89) and 1.500m (3.33,34) records at the Powered by Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA two years ago.

Lagat set his third American record, outdoors at 1.500m, with a time of 3 minutes 29,30 seconds at the 2005 Rieiti Grand Prix.

Lagat also owns the second-fastest American outdoor mile (3.48,38) and 5.000m (12.59,22) times recorded.

Steve Scott (3.47,69 - Oslo, 1982) and Bob Kennedy (12.58,21 - Zürich, 1996) hold the American mile and 5.000m records, respectively. Scott (3.51,8/1981) and Jeff Atkinson (3.38,12/1989) held the previous mile and 1.500m American indoor records.

Lagat has personal bests of 3.26,34 at 1.500m and 3.47,28 in the mile - times recorded prior to becoming an American citizen in 2004.

Lagat, seen above holding the 2005 Wanamaker Mile trophy (photo courtesy of Trackshark.com), will be seeking his fifth Wanamaker Mile victory, having won the 2005 edition in 3.56,85 in defeating Kenenisa Bekele, who was making his debut at the shorter distance.

If Lagat successfully defends his title, he will tie Irishman Marcus O’Sullivan for the third-most victories on the all-time Wanamaker Mile list, behind only Eamonn Coghlan (seven) and Glenn Cunningham (six). O'Sullivan holds the record for most sub-4 times recorded in the Wanamaker Mile, topping the list at 11.

Coghlan, who was the first man to break 3.50 indoors, running 3.49,78 in 1983 at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, USA - the fastest time ever recorded in the United States - won seven Wanamaker Mile titles (4.00,2 in 1977; 3.55,0 in 1979; 3.58,2 in 1980; 3.53,0 in 1981; 3.54,4 in 1983; 3.53,8 in 1985; and 3.55,9 in 1987). Coghlan also competed in three Olympic Games, and won the 5.000m (13.28,53) at the inaugural IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Helsinki.

Among Lagat's challengers will be Australian Craig Mottram, who will be making his Millrose Games debut, though he will not be making his first running appearance in New York.

Mottram was the 2005 IAAF World Championships bronze medalist at 5000m (13.32,96), the first non-African to win a medal at that distance in a major championship since 1987, when Coghlan, mentioned above, won his world championship gold.

Mottram is also a two-time IAAF World Cup winner at 3.000m, running 7.41,37 in Madrid in 2002, and upsetting Bekele for the victory in 2006 with a 7.32,19 - also an Australian Record.

Mottram first gained international track & field notoriety when he broke 13.00 over 5.000m, running an Australian (and Oceanic) record of 12.55,76 in London in 2004 - narrowly losing to Haile Gebrselassie (12.55,51 All-comers record).

Mottram has also been a force on the fields as well, having placed 11th, ninth, fifth and eighth in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships short-course races (in descending chronological order), and 22nd and 13th in the long course races.

Mottram owns national records at the mile (3.48,98/Oslo, 2005), 2.000m (4.50,76/Melbourne, 2006), 3.000m (7.32,19/Athens, 2006), 2-miles (8.11,27/Sheffield, 2005), 5.000m (12.55,76/London 2004) and 10km road running (27.39/Madrid, 2006).

Mottram is large in stature, measuring 1.88m, and may have a disadvantage trying to kick past lagat on the tight turns on the 11-lap track. However, Mottram has pushed the pace in championship races, so a break away attempt to try gapping Lagat in a highly-publicised invitational may not be out of the question.

The last time these two locked up head-to-head over the 1.760-yard distance which is the mile, Lagat set his name in the US history book (2nd all-time), and Mottram set a national record.

Mottram set a 10km road best - and Australian record - in Madrid at the San Silvestre Vallencana race six days ago, running 27.39 on a course slightly too downhill for IAAF record purposes. Though he set an all-time best, he suffered defeat to Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge (26.54) and Eritrea's Zersenay Tadesse (26.54), the first two athletes to ever break 27.00-flat on any course.

Mottram also had a 10-race 10km win-streak ended in the process.

The sparks may not fly as high during the Millrose Games Wanamaker mile, as this is neither peak nor championship time for either athlete. However, the excitement fans will gain by watching them lock head-to-head will be there, nonetheless!

Stay tuned for more of what promises to be an exciting Millrose Games.

Mottram's Personal Bests (IAAF):

• 1.500m: 3.33,97 Zürich 18 08 2006
• Mile: 3.48,98 Oslo 29 07 2005
• 2.000m: 4.50,76 Melbourne 09 03 2006
• 3.000m: 7.32,19 Athens 17 09 2006
• 2-Mile: 8.11,27 Sheffield 21 08 2005
• 5.000m: 12.55,76 London (CP) 30 07 2004
• 10.000m: 27.50,55 Melbourne 04 12 2003
• 10KM: 27.39 Madrid 31 12 2006

Lagat's Personal Bests (IAAF):

• 800m: 1.46,00 Berlin 10 08 2003
• 1.000m: 2.18,70 Sydney 14 09 2000
• 1.500m: 3.26,34 Bruxelles 24 08 2001
• Mile: 3.47,28 Rome 29 06 2001
• 2.000m: 4.55,49 Stockholm 30 07 1999
• 3.000m: 7.33,51 Monaco 18 08 2000
• 5.000m: 12.59,22 London (CP) 28 07 2006

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