Sunday Preview: Loaded 5th Avenue Miles and Great North Runs Are Worth Watching Before The NFL Season Gets Underway
by Robert Johnson
September 9, 2022
The 2022 Wanda Diamond League season came to an end on Thursday as the Weltklasse Zurich meeting was held. That’s historically the end of the track and field season until the next year. But if you think that means you should now shift your attention to American football for your entertainment this weekend with all English Premiere League games being cancelled, you’d be mistaken as there are two great road races – the Great North Run and 5th Avenue Mile – for you to watch on Sunday and the good news is you can watch them for free depending on where you live.
(Editor’s note: There also is a World Athletics gold meet in Zagreb on Sat & Sunday with stars like Joe Kovacs, Ryan Crouser, Woody Kincaid, Val Allman, Josette Norris, and Grant Holloway. Soufiane El Bakkali is going for the 2k steeple WR).
Great North Run (Elite Women 5:22 am ET, 10:22 am BST, BBC1 )
First up is the Great North Run – a point-to-point half marathon in the UK that always attracts some big names.
This year’s field does not disappoint. The men’s race was billed as the greatest in men’s history in July which is saying a lot as this race famously featured Haile Gebrselassie, Mo Farah and Kenenisa Bekele in 2013.
(LRC Kenenisa Bekele Holds Off Mo Farah In One Of The Most Thrilling Road Races In History
LRC WTW: A Special Great North Run, Kenenisa Bekele Is Back, US 1500 Women Rule, and Has Haile Gebrselassie Learned the Error of His Ways?)
This year’s race initially was supposed to include all three of the 2020 Olympic 10,000 medallists in Olympic champ Selemon Barega, who is making his half marathon debut, 5 and 10,000 world record holder and 2021 10,000 world champ Joshua Cheptegei and half marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo. Cheptegei, however, has been ruled out with an injury but he’s been replaced by the greatest distance runner the planet has ever known – Kenenisa Bekele. Throw in last year’s champ Marc Scott and some others and it’s worth watching to say the least.
Who wins the 2022 Great North Run?
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Last year’s top 3
For the women, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, who got silver in the 10,000 in Eugene, is back to defend her title from last year but the favorite has to be Peres Jepchirhir of Kenya, who has won the Olympic marathon, the New York Marathon and the Boston Marathon in the last year plus. Their matchup here could be a preview of what we get at the full 26.2 distance in New York. Ethiopia is led by former 10,000 world record holder Almaz Ayana, who has returned to some semblance of form this year (14:32) after only racing sporadically since 2019, as well 2:19 marathoner Hiwot Gebrekidan. Charlotte Purdue and Jess Piasecki will lead the British charge.
Last year’s top 3
Barring changes due to the Queen’s death, the meet is to be broadcast for free on BBC1 or the BBCiplayer. Those of you in need of a VPN, we at LetsRun recommend NordVPN – https://www.letsrun.com/vpn.
Elite Wheelchair start: 10:15am BST
Elite Women start: 10:20am BST
Visually impaired start: 10:22am BST
Elite Men start: 10:45am BST (5:45 am ET)
Main Race start: 10:45am BST (5:45 am ET)
New Balance 5th Avenue Mile
About 5.5 hours after the Great North Run finishes up, the big road action will be in New York and much shorter in distance as the 5th Avenue Mile will take place. The women’s race is 12:30 pm ET (5:30 PMT BST, 6:30 PM CEST) with the elite men running 15 minutes later.
In the past, one criticism we’ve had of the 5th Avenue mile is it’s been almost exclusively made up of American athletes but there is a big international presence this year. Two Europeans might win the women’s and men’s races as Diamond League runner up Ciara Mageean is in the women’s field while world champion Jake Wightman headlines the men’s field.
Does Jake Wightman win the 2022 5th Avenue Mile?
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The races will be broadcast for free in the US on NBC from 12-1 pm ET.
- United Kingdom FREE broadcast – Watch Here
- International (except United Kingdom) RunnerSpace +PLUS broadcast – Watch Here
Elite Fields
Women’s Professional Athlete Field
| Name | Country | 1,500m Personal Best | Mile Personal Best |
| Ellie Baker | GBR | 4:04.90 | N/A |
| Lizzie Bird | GBR | 4:14.6h | 4:30.67 |
| Emma Coburn | USA | 4:03.82 | 4:23.65 |
| Melissa Courtney-Bryant | GBR | 4:01.81 | 4:23.15 |
| Susan Ejore | KEN | 4:03.98 | 4:32.33 |
| Eleanor Fulton | USA | 4:03.03 | 4:23.65 |
| Nikki Hiltz | USA | 4:01.52 | 4:21.89 |
| Sage Hurta | USA | 4:01.79 | 4:25.45i |
| Sinclaire Johnson | USA | 3:58.85 | 4:33.80 |
| Heather MacLean | USA | 3:58.76 | 4:25.98i |
| Ciara Mageean | IRL | 3:56.63* | 4:19.03 |
| Cory McGee | USA | 4:00.34 | 4:21.81 |
| Laura Muir | GBR | 3:54.50* | 4:18.03 |
| Hannah Nuttall | GBR | 4:09.66 | 4:33.42 |
| Marta Pen-Freitas | POR | 4:03.79 | 4:22.45* |
| Aisha Praught-Leer | JAM | 4:05.52 | 4:26.14 |
| Jemma Reekie | GBR | 4:00.52i | 4:17.88i* |
| Helen Schlachtenhaufen | USA | 4:01.09 | 4:27.09 |
| Nozomi Tanaka | JPN | 3:59.19* | N/A |
| Adelle Tracey | JAM | 4:02.36 | N/A |
| Allie Wilson | USA | 4:04.02 | 4:26.04 |
* indicates national record
Men’s Professional Athlete Field
| Name | Country | 1,500m Personal Best | Mile Personal Best |
| Eric Avila | USA | 3:35.60 | 3:55.43 |
| Geordie Beamish | NZL | 3:36.53 | 3:54.86 |
| Vincent Ciattei | USA | 3:34.57 | 3:54.07 |
| Andrew Coscoran | IRL | 3:35.43 | 3:53.64 |
| Jye Edwards | AUS | 3:33.23 | 3:49.27 |
| Craig Engels | USA | 3:33.64 | 3:51.60 |
| Johnny Gregorek | USA | 3:34.49 | 3:49.98 |
| Luis Grijalva | GUA | 3:35.32* | 4:02.64 |
| Jake Heyward | GBR | 3:31.08 | 3:51.99 |
| Eric Holt | USA | 3:35.80 | 3:54.09 |
| Cole Hocker | USA | 3:31.40 | 3:50.97 |
| Josh Kerr | GBR | 3:29.05 | 3:48.87i* |
| Hobbs Kessler | USA | 3:34.36 | 3:57.10 |
| Joe Klecker | USA | 3:37.00 | 4:01.00Ai |
| Adel Mechaal | ESP | 3:30.77 | N/A |
| Sam Parsons | GER | 3:36.22 | 3:55.81 |
| Will Paulson | CAN | 3:33.97 | 3:52.42 |
| Charles Philibert-Thiboutot | CAN | 3:34.23 | 3:52.97 |
| Sam Prakel | USA | 3:34.92 | 3:50.94i |
| Paul Ryan | USA | 3:35.82 | 3:52.41 |
| Matt Stonier | GBR | 3:32.50 | 3:54.89 |
| Josh Thompson | USA | 3:34.77i | 3:58.32 |
| Jake Wightman | GBR | 3:29.23 | 3:50.30 |
* indicates national record
A indicates mark set at altitude