Yared Nuguse Gets Big Win over Mo Katir in Madrid (3:33.69) as Grant Fisher PRs
By LetsRun.com
February 22, 2023
Yared Nuguse of the US kicked by Mohamed Katir of Spain with ease on the final straight at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold Meet in Madrid, Spain, to pick up the big win in a meet record of 3:33.69. Katir settled for second in 3:34.32, Adel Mechaal of Spain was third in 3:34.82, and Grant Fisher of the US was 4th in a pb of 3:34.99, ahead of 4th placer at Worlds Mario Garcia.
Nuguse’s 2023 indoor campaign has been magical. He started off by breaking the American 3000m record in Boston, then broke the American mile record at the Millrose Games, and tonight got his first big international win over a 3:28.76 1500m runner and second-fastest man ever at 3,000m indoors.
Nuguse Goes Out Harder Than at Millrose and Still Wins
Tonight’s race started fast with rabbit Erik Sowinski going out in 54.84 for 400m (the pace called for was 56, Nuguse was roughly 55.1). Nuguse was in second perhaps a meter or two behind Sowinski and then there was a gap to Katir who had gotten out in last place on the first turn (12 guys started together in a single waterfall start on a 6-lane track).
Katir would catch up to Nuguse and Sowinski by 600 (1:24.3ish for Nuguse after a 41.2 and then 43.1). Sowinski hit 800 at (1:52.09) and the slight gap to Nuguse has grown (Nuguse was probably 1:52.5). Sowinski would stay in the lead until the start of the straightaway before 1000m, but the pace was slowing and Nuguse was content not to close the gap with the rabbit.
Nuguse led at 1000m (roughly 2:22.5), but the pace was really starting to lag he ran a 29.9 between 900 and 1100. As a result, the chasers led by Mechaal were starting to catch up and regain contact. In response, Katir took the lead on the backstretch with 350m to go. At the bell, the top 5 were spread out single file, but no one could really challenge the top 2.
Around the final turn, the fans got the matchup they wanted as there was separation from everyone else. Katir led and Nuguse moved up ever so slightly on his shoulder. As they hit the final straight, Nuguse powered away with ease and the win.
Analysis and interviews below results
Unofficial splits for Nuguse:
1st 300: 41.2
2nd 300: 43.1
3rd 300: 43.3
900 to 1100: 29.9
1100 to 13:00: 28.9
Final 200: 27.3 (Final 100 – 13.3)
Quick Take: This was a very good run by Nuguse
Nuguse’s victory today may not have been as dominant as Millrose but it needs to remembered who he was racing. In his European indoor pro debut, Nuguse handily beat the 10th-fastest 1500 man in history – Mo Katir. And we know Katir is is in supreme form as he just ran faster than Daniel Komen’s 25+ year old indoor 3000 WR.
Nuguse beat Katir by 0.63 seconds today, with all of the margin of victory coming in the final 50 meters (we had Nuguse’s last 100 in 13.3). At Worlds in Eugene, Katir was 0.67 behind Jake Wightman. And this wasn’t even A+ Nuguse, it was B+ Nuguse.
Nuguse’s close wasn’t as a good today as Millrose (27.3ish vs 25.94 from 1400 to 1600 at Millrose) but it was a 1500 and not a mile and he went out faster (first 300 was like 41.2). When you go out a little quick at altitude, it’s not easy. Today’s 1500 time converts to 3:50.83 for the mile using the 1.0802 conversion that we like. But remember, Madrid is at over 2,100 feet of altitude which the Tinman altitude converter says is worth 2.2 seconds that pace. So subtract 2.2 seconds for altitude and it’s a 3:48.63.
That’s not as good as what he ran at Millrose (3:47.38) but it’s still a time that only two men in history besides Nuguse have beaten indoors — Yomif Kejelcha (3:47.01 and 3:48.46 in 2019) and Hicham El Guerrouj (3:48.45 in 1997).
Additionally, we loved Nuguse’s tactics. Unlike Jakob Ingebrigtsen at Worlds, he wasn’t afraid to let someone else take the lead. Nuguse probably could sense he needed to rest up for the kick so when Katir wanted to come by with 330m to go, he let him do so.
Nuguse has had an incredible indoor campaign. He started the winter as the 3rd-best miler in his training group and ended it as the guy we view as second-most likely in the world to medal at Worlds. He 100% has to be viewed as a legit gold medal threat.
Quick Take: Grant Fisher’s run was quite good today
Grant Fisher’s 3:34.99 put him #5 all-time on the US indoor list at 1500.
3:33.11 Yared Nuguse (OAC) 2/11/23
3:33.34 Bernard Lagat (Nike) 2/11/05
3:34.77 Josh Thompson (Nike Bowerman TC) 2/27/20
3:34.78 Galen Rupp (Nike) 1/26/13
3:34.99 Grant Fisher (Nike) 2/22/23
3:35.21 Johnny Gregorek (Asics) 3/03/19
Now indoors, the mile is run more often than the 1500 for Americans. If you convert 3:34.99 to the mile, it’s worth a 3:52.23 mile. Subtract 2.2 seconds and basically Fisher ran the equivalent of a 3:50 flat indoor mile. Only three Americans have ever broken 3:50 indoors in the mile.
3:47.38 Yared Nuguse (OAC) 2/11/23
3:49.89 Bernard Lagat (Nike) 2/11/05
3:49.98 Johnny Gregorek (Asics) 3/03/19
Nuguse Post-Race: That wasn’t his race plan but he still won.
After the race, Nuguse said his plan wasn’t to go out quite so fast. He wanted to keeping push the pace once Sowinski dropped out, but the hot early pace prevented that. But he kept his cool, adapted and still won.
“I felt pretty good. It went out on a pretty hot start. And I was kind of just like trying to stay calm regardless of that. Just see how things would go. And Katir ended up passing me, but I still felt pretty good and I was able to kind of pull something out at the end. So fast race, great competition… really happy with how it went,” he said.
Nuguse has shown a great kick this indoor season. “I always have my kick, so I always rely on that,” he said.
Fisher Post-Race “I felt more like myself.”
Fisher was much happier with this one than his run in the 3000m last week, where he ran 7:35 to finish a well-beaten 5th in Lievin. “The indoor season was just kind of wanting to work on my weaknesses, which in the past have been finishing races and kicking and being able to move when moves are made and stuff. So, I wanted to put myself in those situations. Last week I was a little in over my head, but this week felt a little more within myself and you know, a little bit of strength can get you a long way in the 1500 sometimes,” he said before adding “I felt more like myself.”
As great is Fisher is he needed to work on his speed as medalling in the 5000 or 10,000 is very difficult as we discussed on this week’s LetsRun.com Track Talk Podcast.
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- Official 2023 Madrid World Indoor Tour Live Discussion Thread
- Yared Nuguse 3.33.69 Madrid
- Fisher is BAAACK 3:34.99 PB at altitude
- Nuguse goes home devastated. Gets barely below 3:34
- Yared the “up and comer” is a year older than Jakob
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