Olympians to Close Out Historic Seasons with New York Road Runners at New Balance 5th Avenue Mile

The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile is one of my favorite events on the athletics calendar. It will also be much easier to watch from now on with the ESPN/ABC TV deal with the NYRR. 

Olympians to Close Out Historic Seasons with New York Road Runners at New Balance 5th Avenue Mile

Josh Kerr and Emma Coburn to headline professional athlete races

Race to be covered by ABC7/WABC-TV and ESPN+ for the first time

New York, September 3, 2024 – Nonprofit New York Road Runners will draw 20 Paris Olympians to Manhattan’s most famous thoroughfare Sunday to close out their historic seasons at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile.

The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile – the world’s most iconic road mile race since 1981 – is one of 60 adult and youth races produced by NYRR, showcasing the transformative power of running for people of all ages and abilities, whether they are running their first mile or racing for a personal best.

The professional athlete field will be headlined by defending champion, British Olympic silver medalist, and world champion Josh Kerr, and U.S. Olympic medalist and world champion Emma Coburn.

Kerr will aim to defend his New Balance 5th Avenue Mile title after winning last year’s race in 3:47.9, the third-fastest time in event history and fastest since 1995. He won a world title in the 1,500 meters in 2023 and an Olympic silver medal in the distance in Paris this summer.

“I’ve got a couple of ideas to try to win this one again,” Kerr said. “I’ll be working on that, and I think I’m going to have a blast. It will be one to watch.”

Seven other Paris Olympians will feature in the men’s field alongside Kerr: Germany’s Robert Farken, Great Britain’s Neil Gourley, Kenya’s Edwin Kurgat, Ireland’s Cathal Doyle, and the United States’ Bryce Hoppel, Hobbs Kessler and Matthew Wilkinson.

In the women’s race, four-time top-10 finisher Coburn will return to competition after missing the U.S. Olympic Trials and Paris Olympics with a broken ankle. Coburn has represented the U.S. in three Olympics, winning bronze in the steeplechase at the Rio 2016, and gold and silver in the event at the 2017 and 2019 world championships, respectively. She is also a 10-time national champion.

“As I make my way back from injury, I can’t think of a better event to make my comeback than returning to run the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile,” Coburn said. “I’ve been training hard since my surgery, and lining up with this world-class group of…