New York, USA, IAAF - Two-time Olympic medallist Bernard Lagat will attempt to make history when he competes in the legendary Wanamaker Mile on Friday, 29 January at the 103rd Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden in New York City.The Millrose Games is the first IAAF Indoor Permit Meeting of 2010.
The 2007 World Outdoor 1,500m and 5,000m champion, Lagat won his seventh Wanamaker Mile title at last year's Millrose Games, which tied all-time Irish legend and "Chairman of the Boards" Eamonn Coghlan for the most wins ever in that prestigious event contested on the narrow confines of the Garden’s 145 metre track. The Wanamaker Mile is the traditional concluding event of the Millrose Games, which is the first stop of USA Track & Field's Visa Championship Series Indoor Circuit that will culminate with the 2010 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, February 27-28 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
En route to equaling Coghlan's seven Wanamaker wins at last year, Lagat knew to expect a move by Olympic bronze medallist Nick Willis. That move came with just over a lap to go – it takes 11 circuits to cover the mile - when Willis burst past Lagat on the backstretch. Lagat appeared momentarily stunned but quickly responded and got on the New Zealander's shoulder. Just after the bell lap, Lagat began his move and passed Willis on the backstretch, winning in 3:58.44.
The 103rd Millrose Games will be televised live on 29 January 29 on ESPN2 from 8-10 p.m. Eastern Time. The Wanamaker Mile is scheduled to begin at 9:50 p.m.
Bernard Lagat's Wanamaker Mile winning times & runners-up:
2001: 3:58.26 - Laban Rotich (KEN) 3:58.40
2003: 4:00.36 - Vyacheslav Shabunin (RUS) 4:01.99
2005: 3:52.87 - Laban Rotich (KEN) 4:00.33
2006: 3:56.85 - Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 4:01.57
2007: 3:54.26 - Craig Mottram (AUS) 3:54.81
2008: 3:57.51 - Craig Mottram (AUS) 3:57.90
2009: 3:58.44 - Nick Willis (NZL) 3:59.48
During his winning Wanamaker run in 2005, Lagat posted the Millrose meet record for the 1,500 meters with his time of 3:36.1, and his winning mile clocking of 3:52.87 bettered the previous Millrose Games record of 3:53.00 set by Eamonn Coghlan in 1981, and the Madison Square Garden record of 3:52.99 by Noureddine Morceli from 1991.
Other all-time greats that have won the Wanamaker Mile through the years include National Track & Field Hall of Famers Glenn Cunningham (1933, '34, '35, '37, '38, '39), Marty Liquori (1969, '70, '71) and Steve Scott (1982, 1984). International greats that have won the Wanamaker Mile include 1956 Olympic finalist Ron Delany of Ireland (1956, '57, '58, '59), 1968 Olympic 1500m gold medalist Kip Keino of Kenya (1966), 1980 Olympic Games steeplechase silver medalist Filbert Bayi of Tanzania (1975), all-time Irish great Marcus O'Sullivan (1986, '88, '89, '90, '92) and 1996 Olympic Games 1,500m gold medalist Noureddine Morceli of Algeria (1991, '93).
The oldest continuously held event in Madison Square Garden, the Millrose Games have historically featured track and field's greatest athletes in "The World's Most Famous Arena," including Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Yelena Isinbayeva, Gail Devers, Maurice Greene, and countless others.
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