Posted: May 10, 2006

Athletics: Webb Joins New York Line-Up

From David Monti

© 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

Providing yet another strong domestic test for U.S. 1500 meter champion Alan Webb, the 23-year-old will face double world champion Rachid Ramzi of Bahrain in the mile at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York on June 3, organizers announced.

Besides Ramzi, who raced to victory at both 800 and 1500 meters at last summer's World Championships, the field will include Suleiman Simotwo of Kenya and Nick Willis of New Zealand, the 2006 Commonwealth Games 1500 meter gold medallist.

Webb's appearance in New York will preclude a return engagement in the Dream Mile at Oslo's Bislett Games, scheduled for the evening before. Last year, Webb was fourth in the fabled Norwegian race, clocking a personal best 3:48.92.

The race on New York's Randall Island at Ichan Stadium will cap a busy spring domestic schedule for the Reston, Va., native who, despite his 10,000m debut on Apr. 30, is not moving up in distance, according to his coach, Scott Raczko. "This was always in the plan to run a 10-K," Raczko told RRW at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. "I don't know how the rumor got out there, but he's not planning to move up."

Webb is scheduled to contest the two miles at the adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif., on May 21, where he'll face Irishman Alistair Cragg, the European indoor 3000 meter champion, and Americans Abdi Abdirahman, Ryan Hall and Ian Dobson. Last year Webb lowered the U.S. record in the event to 8:11.48.

At the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., on May 29, Webb will face another solid field that includes Ramzi, Bernard Lagat, Kenyans Alex Kipchirchir, Laban Rotich and Elkanah Angwenyi.

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