Thousands of runners ranging in age from 8 to 91 dashed down New York’s most famous thoroughfare today at the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile.
For the world-class runners who ran like the wind in invitational heats to the thousands who showed their stuff in a dozen all-comers heats, the event was a great way to test speed and fortitude over 5,280 feet of prime Manhattan real estate. It was the 30th running of the Fifth Avenue Mile, an event inaugurated in 1981 by New York Road Runners to give middle-distance stars a chance to shine on New York City’s most famous thoroughfare.
Shannon Rowbury of the United States and Amine Laalou of Morocco won hotly contested professional races. Rowbury (4:24.12) defended her 2009 title with a surge in the final meters that relegated fellow Americans Sara Hall to second place (4:24.34) and Erin Donohue to third (4:24.40). Laalou, competing in New York City for the first time, ran 3:52.83 to beat out 2007 double world champion Bernard Lagat of the United States, who finished second (3:53.30), and defending champion Andy Baddeley of Great Britain (3:53.34), who was third.
“I knew coming out today that I was going to have to bring every game I had,” said Rowbury, 26, the reigning World Championships 1500m bronze medalist. “We have such a talented group of American middle-distance women right now. I’m proud to be a part of it and it makes me a better athlete.”
Laalou, 28, who ran a 1500m personal best of 3:50.22 earlier this year, dedicated his victory to his first child, a daughter born earlier this month. “New York is a wonderful city,” he said through a translator. “I would love to come here again.”
The race showed a fine return to form for American mile record-holder Alan Webb, who finished fourth in 3:53.72. The 27-year-old had Achilles tendon surgery earlier this year and moved to Portland, OR, to train under Alberto Salazar. “This was a big-boy race here today, and I’m just really glad I was in it,” said Webb.
The swiftest NYRR members took part in the NYRR Road Mile Championships, an invitational event for local competitive athletes. Buzunesh Deba of the Bronx and the Westchester Track Club led from gun to tape in the women’s race, finishing in 4:42.36. Lesley Higgins of Manhattan and the New York Athletic Club took second (4:46.05) and her teammate Megan Guiney was third (4:50.15). Amazingly, Deba is in the thick of marathon training and will run the ING New York City Marathon on November 7. The men’s title went to Bado Worku Merdessa of the Bronx and West Side Runners (WSX), who broke the tape in 4:06.98. Christopher Spooner of the Central Park Track Club New Balance (CPTC) was second (4:07.82) and Philadelphia’s Korey Edwards placed third (4:10.25).
Notable age-group winners included Alberto Rivera of WSX, who topped the 8-14 division in 4:51, and Sid Howard of CPTC, who defended his 70+ division title in 5:50 after tough battle with Minnesota’s Thom Weddle.
“I’ve run this race 28 years in a row,” said Howard, a coach with NYRR Team for Kids. “At three-quarters of a mile I said ‘I gotta go—it’s my town, it’s my race.’”
Professional Men Team Official
Pl. Bib Name Age City State Country Affiliation Time
1 3 Amine Laalou 28 Rabaat Morocco Nike 3:52.83
2 2 Bernard Lagat 35 Tucson AZ USA Nike 3:53.30
3 1 Andy Baddeley 28 London Great Britain New Balance 3:53.34
4 6 Alan Webb 27 Portland OR USA Nike 3:53.72
5 4 Leonel Manzano 26 Austin TX USA Nike 3:54.17
6 5 Nick Willis 27 Ann Arbor MI New Zealand Reebok 3:54.81
7 9 Will Leer 25 Eugene OR USA Oregon TC Elite 3:55.02
8 7 Tom Lancashire 25 Manchester Great Britain Nike 3:55.22
9 8 David Torrence 24 Berkeley CA USA Nike 3:55.43
10 11 Adrian Blincoe 30 Bryn Mawr PA New Zealand New Balance 3:56.07
11 14 Garrett Heath 24 Palo Alto CA USA Saucony 3:56.15
12 17 Daniel Huling 27 Geneva IL USA Reebok 3:56.77
13 22 Pedro Antonio Esteso 33 Madrid Spain Strands.com 3:56.96
14 10 Haron Lagat 27 Lubbok TX Kenya New Balance 3:57.43
15 12 Taylor Milne 29 Guelph ON Canada New Balance 3:58.05
16 15 Tim Bayley 28 Lafayette CA Great Britain Puma 3:58.29
17 18 Alistair Cragg 30 Mammoth Lakes CA Ireland adidas 3:58.59
18 21 Abiyot Endale 24 Bronx NY Ethiopia Westchester TC 4:02.41
19 20 Sean Brosnan 33 Wantagh NY USA Mizuno 4:04.92
20 19 Jon Rankin 28 Seattle WA Cayman Islan MarathonGuide.com 4:12.06
Professional Women
Pl. Bib Name Age City State Country Affiliation Time
1 31 Shannon Rowbury 26 San Francisco CA USA Nike 4:24.12
2 40 Sara Hall 27 Mammoth Lakes CA USA Asics 4:24.34
3 34 Erin Donohue 27 Haddonfield NJ USA Nike 4:24.40
4 42 Hannah England 23 Birmingham Great Britain Nike 4:25.29
5 39 Molly Huddle 26 Providence RI USA Saucony 4:25.92
6 33 Morgan Uceny 25 Mammoth Lakes CA USA Reebok 4:26.27
7 43 Amy Mortimer 29 Kansas City MO USA Reebok 4:27.07
8 35 Carmen Douma-Hussar 33 Ardmore PA Canada New Balance 4:27.53
9 36 Elisa Cusma Piccione 29 Modena Italy Nike 4:28.50
10 41 Treniere Moser 28 Knoxville TN USA Nike 4:28.84
11 37 Nicole Edwards 24 Ann Arbor MI Canada Saucony 4:29.14
12 50 Gabriele Anderson 24 Minneapolis MN USA Brooks 4:30.95
13 47 Heather Dorniden 23 Minneapolis MN USA Team USA Minnesota 4:31.05
14 48 Hilary Stellingwerff 29 Le Mont sur Lausan Canada New Balance 4:32.06
15 44 Megan Wright 28 Morgantown WV Canada New Balance 4:35.28
16 45 Liz Maloy 25 Washington DC USA New York Athletic Club 4:37.06
17 49 Aziza Aliyu 24 Bronx NY Ethiopia West Side Runners 4:37.84
18 46 Brenda Martinez 23 Alamosa CO USA New Balance 4:46.36
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