Rowbury & Dobriskey Lead Women's Field
NEW YORK (17-Sep) -- The world's most famous road mile is poised to add another thrilling chapter to its history when double world champion Bernard Lagat does battle with Olympic bronze medalist Nick Willis and U.S. Olympic Trials 800m champion Nick Symmonds here on Sunday at the 28th edition of the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile.
Lagat, who also has two Olympic medals to his credit, will not only be making his Fifth Avenue debut, but will also be running his first race on pavement. Already the reigning Millrose Games Wanamaker Mile Champion, Lagat will try to become only the second man in history --and the first since Isaac Viciosa in 1997-- to win the Wanamaker and Fifth Avenue Miles in the same year.
"Featuring a blockbuster cast of stars like Bernard, Shannon, Nick, and others, the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile promises to deliver a big finale as the curtain drops on this long and dramatic Olympic season for many in the field," said New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg through a media release. "Speed will be the name of the game on the world's most famous street on Sunday."
Although Lagat had a disappointing Olympic Games, he had an excellent post-Olympic season, winning the 1000m at the Aviva British British Grand Prix in Gateshead, the 1500m in Rieti, and the 3000m at the IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final in Stuttgart (he was also sixth in the 1500m).
The 33 year-old Lagat, who lives in Tucson Ariz., will have his hands full with Willis and Symmonds, both of whom he beat at the Aviva British Grand Prix. Willis, 25, from New Zealand via the University of Michigan, took third at the WAF in the 1500m and is looking for his first victory on Fifth Avenue (he was second in 2006). Symmonds, 24, of Eugene, Ore., will be making his Fifth Avenue debut.
Other top men in the field include Canadian Olympians Kevin Sullivan (2006 Fifth Avenue champion) and Nate Brannen; New Zealand Olympian Adrian Blincoe; and Americans Jon Rankin, Chris Lukezic and Will Leer.
On the women's side of the competition, U.S. Olympic Trials 1500m champion Shannon Rowbury, 23, of San Francisco, will be making her Fifth Avenue debut. Her key competitor looks to be Britain's Lisa Dobriskey, 24, fourth in the Olympic Games 1500m (Rowbury was 7th). Rowbury is the fifth-fastest 1500m runner of 2008 (4:00.33) while Dobriskey is 12th (4:02.10).
Also in the field are Erin Donohue, 25, of Haddonfield, N.J., who, like Rowbury, is coached by John Cook. She finished second to Rowbury at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Sara Hall, the 2006 Fifth Avenue champion, is running as is Australian Olympian Sarah Jamieson.
A $30,000 prize money purse is on the line with $5000 going to the winners.
The complete field is below:
WOMEN -
Lisa Dobriskey
Great Britain
Fourth, 2008 Olympic Games 1500 meters
Erin Donohue
United States
2008 Olympian 1500 meters
Lindsey Gallo
United States
Six-time Big Ten champion
Nikeya Green
United States
2007 USA Indoor 800-meter champion
Sara Hall
United States
2006 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile champion
Sarah Jamieson
Australia
2008 Olympian 1500 meters
Rose Kosgei
Kenya
2008 Carlsbad 5000 meters runner-up
Meskerem Legesse
Ethiopia
World junior record, indoor 800 meters (2:01.03)
Amy Mortimer
United States
2007 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile runner-up
Marina Muncan
Serbia
Serbian record-holder, 1500 meters (4:08.02)
Shannon Rowbury
United States
2008 Olympian; 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials 1500-meter champion
MEN -
Adrian Blincoe
New Zealand
2008 Olympian 5000 meters
Nate Brannen
Canada
2008 Olympian 1500 meters
Bernard Lagat
United States
2008 Olympian; 2007 World 1500- meter and 5000-meter champion
Will Leer
United States
Fourth, U.S. Olympic Trials 1500 meters
Chris Lukezic
United States
Seventh, 2006 World Indoor Championships 1500 meters
Jon Rankin
United States
Third, 2007 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile
John Richardson
United States
NCAA Championships qualifier
Phil Sakala
United States
2004 IC4A champion 1500 meters
Chris Solinsky
United States
Fifth, U.S. Olympic Trials 5000 meters
Kevin Sullivan
Canada
2008 Olympian 1500 meters
Nick Symmonds
United States
2008 Olympian; U.S. Olympic Trials 800-meter champion
James Thie
Great Britain
Two-time Welsh champion
David Torrence
United States
University of California school record, mile (3:58.62)
Nick Willis
New Zealand
2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist
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