2007 Millrose Distance Recap: Lagat Outkicks Mottram, Webb Confuses Us Once Again by: LetsRun.com February 2, 2007 *2007 Millrose Game Results
Gail Devers defied mother nature, Isinbayeva soared high in the pole vault,Mo Greene stumbled in the 100, and Bernard Lagat won the best matchup of the night in the famed Wanamaker mile.
Women's 3k This race in the results looks like a total blowout and perhaps in the end it was, but Sara Hall put up a brave fight. After rabbit Bridget Binning led through 1200, Tirunesh Dibaba, 6 time world champion (3 times on the track, 3 times in cross country) who set the world indoor 5k record last weekend, was in the lead with Sara Hall right on her heels. They went through 1600m in 4:41.6 and Hall stayed on Dibaba's heels until 3 laps to go on the 145 m track. Dibaba started to pull away and Hall paid dearly for sticking her head out there. Hall faded big time over the final 3 laps (450 m) and Dibaba powered home to win by 15 seconds.
Dibaba ran the final 2 laps in the time it took Hall to run 1.5. Thankfully, Hall's boldness did pay off as she barely managed to keep 2nd. We weren't sure she'd be able to finish. She also was rewarded with a half a second pr.
1 |
Tirunesh Dibaba |
ETH |
8:46.58 |
2 |
Sarah Hall |
USA |
9:01.22 |
3 |
Jen Rhines |
USA |
9:02.91 |
4 |
Sentayehu Ejigu |
ETH |
9:03.37 |
5 |
Iryna Vaschuk |
RUS |
10:23.19 |
- |
Bridget Binney |
USA |
DNF |
Wanamaker Mile This was a stacked field and the event most people came to watch. 1 rabbit and 5 runners, pre-race favorite and 4 time Wanamaker champ Bernard Lagat, the supertough Craig Buster Mottram, the high school phenom, Alan Webb, rising American star, Chris Lukezic, and the big kicker Ivan Heshko. The field was so good, Chris Lukezic and Ivan Heshko were afterthoughts based on recent form.
The rabbit took it out at a very fast pace and Webb was right on his heels. Webb reached 400m in 56 seconds followed by Lagat and Mottram. 800 was reached in 1:56 as the pace slowed and now Webb was in front. Webb led for a little while but made no effort to push the pace. Soon Lagat and Mottram came around him quickly off the turn (which is hard to do on the tight Millrose turns), and before you knew it Webb was fading off the back even though the pace got even slower (Webb ran 2:10 his last 800). 1200 was reached in 2:57 and the race was on between Mottram and Lagat. Mottram took the lead. Would Lagat be able to get around the bigger Mottram on the tight Millrose turns?
Lagat showed however he still has the world class milers kick, as he shot by Mottram on the first turn of the final lap and extended his lead coming home in a fast Millrose time of 3:54.26. Mottram finished in 3:54.81 and Lukezic easily passed the fading Webb to get third in 4:01.48.
We're sure you want to discuss Webb's mystifying performance and sure enough you already are. And before you guys write him off once again, remember Bekele ran 4:01 here last year.
1 |
Bernard Lagat |
USA |
3:54.26 |
2 |
Craig Mottram |
AUS |
3:54.81 |
3 |
Chris Lukezic |
USA |
4:01.48 |
4 |
Alan Webb |
USA |
4:04.86 |
5 |
Ivan Heshko |
UKR |
4:08.45 |
- |
Moise Joseph |
HAI |
DNF |
Women's 800 Frances Santin snuck by on the inside on the turn before the bell to take the lead, but Christin Wurth-Thomas moved up strong heading into the final turn and passed 2 runners to take the win in 2:06.97.
1 |
Christin Wurth-Thomas |
USA |
2:06.97 |
2 |
Frances Santin |
USA |
2:07.53 |
3 |
Rebecca Johnstone |
CAN |
2:07.58 |
4 |
Marion Burnett |
GUY |
2:07.64 |
5 |
Neisha Bernard-Thomas |
GRN |
2:07.92 |
6 |
Nikeya Green |
USA |
2:11.31 |
Collegiate 4*800 American may have been overlooked with big storied programs showing up this year, but they took the lead on the first leg, and never gave it up, as Matt Centrowitz's crew got the job done for the third straight year, but the first time with solid competition.
*2007 Millrose Game Results
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