Great News: Evan Jager’s Got Two More Track Races Left – Jager Will Run 5000 in Zurich and Then 3000 Steeple In Brussels
by LetsRun.com
August 23, 2016
US distance fans, we’ve got great news for you. Evan Jager‘s 2016 season is far from over.
At the recently concluded 2016 Rio Olympics, the 27-year-old Jager earned America’s first steeplechase medal in 32 years by nabbing silver. Jager’s clearly in great form and we’ve learned that he’s going to test that form out in the final two Diamond League meets of the year.
Next Thursday, on September 1, Jager is going to race the men’s 5000 at the 2016 Weltklasse Zürich meeting. Then eight days later, on Friday, September 9, he’ll race his specialty, the steeplechase, in the Diamond League finale at the 2016 Memorial Van Damme in Brussels.
Both races could prove to be a special treat for US distance fans. While Jager began his pro career as a 5000-meter runner, he’s only run one 5000 on the Diamond League circuit in his life. That came at the 2013 Brussels meet when Jager ran his career-best time of 13:02.40. Since that race, Jager’s only run one 5000 (a 13:08.63 at Stanford in 2014). Jager has improved a great deal at other distances. When Jager ran that 13:02, his PR at 1500 was 3:36.34. Now it’s 3:32.97. In the steeplechase, his PR was 8:08.60 and now it’s 8:00.45.
The question thus naturally becomes, “How fast can Jager run for 5000 and can he break 13:00?”
No American man has broken 13:00 since that 2013 Brussels race (Bernard Lagat did it in that race). Jager is currently 8th all-time on the US list at 5000.
Top 10 All-Time US History at 5000
1 12:53.60 Bernard Lagat
2 12:55.53 Chris Solinsky
3 12:56.27 Dathan Ritzenhein
4 12:58.21 Bob Kennedy
5 12:58.56 Matt Tegenkamp
6 12:58.90 Galen Rupp
7 13:01.15 Sydney Maree
8 13:02.40 Evan Jager
9 13:02.74 Ben True
10 13:02.80 Hassan Mead
Eight days later in Zurich, Jager will race the steeple for the first time on the Diamond League circuit in 2016. Once again he’ll be looking to break a barrier (this time the 8:00 barrier) and move up the all-time rankings, but in this race, it will be the world, not US-all-time rankings that Jager is trying to climb as Jager already has the American record. Only 11 men in history have ever broken 8:00.
The 14 Fastest Men In History In The Steeple
1 7:53.63 Saif Saeed Shaheen QAT
2 7:53.64 Brimin Kipruto KEN
3 7:54.31 Paul Kipsiele Koech KEN
4 7:55.28 Brahim Boulami MAR
5 7:55.72 Bernard Barmasai KEN
6 7:55.76 Ezekiel Kemboi KEN
7 7:56.16 Moses Kiptanui KEN
8 7:56.81 Richard Mateelong KEN
9 7:57.29 Reuben Kosgei KEN
10 7:58.41 Jairus Birech KEN
11 7:59.08 Wilson Boit Kipketer KEN
12 8:00.09 Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad FRA
13 8:00.12 Conseslus Kipruto KEN
14 8:00.45 Evan Jager USA
Vote in our polls below and then discuss in our forum how fast you think Jager will run:
MB: Evan Jager Will Run 5000 in Zurich and Steeple in Brussels – How Low Will He Go ?
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Jager’s 8:00.45 came in what was voted the IAAF Moment of the Year last year as it was so dramatic. Relive it below:
2016 Rio: Evan Jager Wins Silver As Kenya’s Dominance In The Steeplechase Continues As Conseslus Kipruto Wins Gold, Ezekiel Kemboi Wins Bronze Gets DQed And Retires W
2015 Paris: In A Brave, Brave Run, Evan Jager Nearly Crushes The World’s Best In Men’s Steeple, Settles For 8:00.43 American Record
2013 Brussels: Yenew Alamirew Outkicks Bernard Lagat To Win Men’s 5000 and Diamond League Title as 4 US Men Break 13:10