Andrew Wheating Runs 3:30.90 To Become 2nd-Fastest American Born Athlete In History!!!
Up Front, Silas Kiplagat Announces Himself As New Star By Running Fastest Time In 4 Years
Ryan Gregson Sets Australian National Record

By LetsRun.com
July 22, 2010

LetsRun.com Monaco Event by Event Recap here

Quite a show was put on in the men's 1,500 at the 24th edition of the Herculis Monaco Diamond League meet this evening.

In a race where the top five finishers all broke the previous world-leading mark of 3:31.52 for 2010, 22-year-old American Andrew Wheating ran a massive PR of 3:30.90 to become the 2nd-fastest American born athlete in history. Wheating finished fourth overall. Finishing fifth in a new Australian national record was 20-year-old Ryan Gregson in 3:31.06, who crushed Simon Doyle's 19-year-old record record of 3:31.96.

Wheating came into the race with a 1,500 PR of 3:37.52, although he had run a 3:51.74 mile at the Prefontaine Classic on July 3rd, which equates to 3:34.57 in the 1,500 using the standard 1.08 factor. Of athletes born in the US, only Alan Webb (3:30.54) has run faster. South African-born Sydney Maree (3:29.77) and Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat (3:29.30) have also run faster after gaining American citizenship.

The race was won by Kenya's 20-year-old Silas Kiplagat in 3:29.27. Kiplagat came into the race as a virtual unknown on the world scene as he just had a PR of 3:34.28, but now he is the newest star on the world scene just as we here at LetsRun.com predicted earlier in the week.

Great Rabbitting
The race was rabbitted extremely well by American David Krummenacker and Kenyan Collins Cheboi. Unlike so many rabbits that take it out way too hard the first 200 out of a desire to get the lead, Krummenacker ran in the middle of the pack at the start of the first turn as he didn't want to go out too fast. He covered the first 400 in 53.81 and at that point Wheating was in third-to-last as fellow Americans Lopez Lomong and Leonel Manzano occupied the next-to-last and last positions. Wheating covered his first 400 in approximately 55 seconds. Wheating ran much of the first 800 on the outside of lane 1 inside of lane 2, but by the time the field reached the bell, he was still in last of the main pack but in a great position to strike. Wheating crossed the bell in the 2:35-6 range but had plenty in the tank as he moved up to edge Gregson for the honor of best non-African in the field.

Up front, quite a battle was being waged for the victory. 2009 world leader Augustine Choge (who ran 3:29.47 last year) was the only runner on the heels of the rabbit when they hit 1,200. His narrowest competitors were close to 10 meters back, but Choge's lead started to narrow quickly as he entered the final turn. Coming off the final turn, Moroccan Amine Laalou, who was 2nd in the Pre Classic mile, seemed to have the race in the bag. Coming off the final turn, he took the lead and it looked like his 1:43.25 800 speed would carry him to victory. But Kiplagat was moving up as well and he timed everything perfectly and passed Laalou on the inside to get the win in 3:29.27 - the fastest time in the world in four years. The last time someone ran faster was on July 14th, 2006, when Kenya's Daniel Kipchirchir Komen ran 3:29.02 to defeat drug cheat Rashid Ramzi (3:29.14).

Laalou was rewarded with runner-up honors in a new PR of 3:29.53 (previous best of 3:31.56). Choge was third in a seasonal best of 3:30.22. Behind Wheating and Gregson, American World Championships finalist Lopez Lomong broke 3:33 for the 2nd time in his career and for the 2nd straight year in Monaco, as he was 6th in a new personal best of 3:32.20.  Quite a surprise given that Lomong's last two races had been subpar.

American 5,000-meter record holder Bernard Lagat knocked almost two full seconds of his previous seasonal best as he ran 3:32.51, but that was good for only 7th in this great race (Lagat's previous seasonal best was 3:34.36). Kenya's Nicholas Kemboi, who had set the previous world leader of 3:31.51 in his last race in Lausanne on July 8th, was only 9th today in 3:33.76.

Leonel Manzano's topsy-turvy 2010 continued as he was dead last (time 3:42.93), just as he was at the Pre Classic. The result was a bit surprising as Manzano had set a PR in the 800 (1:45.17) in his last race and a seasonal best in his last 1,500 (3:33.51).

Stats appear below.

Messageabord Talk About Men's 1,500
*GREGSON VS. WHEATING MONACO 1500!
*Predict Wheating's 1500 time at Monaco...
*WHEATING 3:30.9

US All-Time List at 1,500
* = foreign born.

3:29.30 Bernard Lagat *(Nike) 08/28/05
3:29.68 --Lagat 08/27/06
3:29.77 Sydney Maree* (Puma) 08/25/85
3:30.54 Alan Webb (Nike) 07/06/07
3:30.64 --Lagat 07/01/05
3:30.90 Andrew Wheating 07/22/10

Results
Splits: 400: 53.81 - Krummenacker
800: 1:51.15 - Cheboi
1,200:  2:47.18 - Cheboi

1
KEN
3:29.27
WL
4
3
 
2
MAR
3:29.53
PB
4
4
 
3
KEN
3:30.22
SB
7
2
 
4
USA
3:30.90
PB
 
 
 
5
AUS
3:31.06
AR
 
 
 
6
USA
3:32.20
PB
 
 
 
7
USA
3:32.51
SB
 
 
 
8
ALG
3:32.94
PB
 
 
 
9
KEN
3:33.76
 
 
 
10
KEN
3:34.84
 
 
 
11
MAR
3:37.80
 
 
 
12
KEN
3:38.30
 
 
 
13
USA
3:42.93
1
6
 
 
KEN
DNF
 
 
 
 
USA
DNF
 
 

Intermediate times:
400m Krummenacker, David (USA) 53.81
800m Cheboi, Collins (KEN) 1:51.15
1200m Cheboi, Collins (KEN) 2:47.18

Men's 1500m in Monaco

More: Post Race Interview Where Wheating High Fives Lananna
(Also Ryan Gregson on Interview)

Quantcast

Tell a friend about this article
(Dont worry we won't email your friend(s) again. We send them a 1 time email)
Enter their email address(es), separated by a comma.
Enter your name:

Don't Worry: We
Back to Main Front Page
Questions, comments or suggestions?Please email the LetsRun.com staff at suggestions@LetsRun.com.



Runner's World &
Running Times


Combined Only $22

a Year
Save $87



Running & Track and Field Posters


Search the Web
or LetsRun.com
Google

Web

LRC


Offers of interest: Nike Lunar Glide Discount
Discounting on this shoe not allowed until recently.


Back To Top