RunBlogRun comments: The NB Fifth Avenue miles was about a week early this season. But it was a huge race, with Josh Kerr, Olympic silver medalist, destroying the 1981 race record of one Sydney Maree. It was a significant run from Josh and we wanted him to get his real moment in the sun!
KERR BREAKS HISTORIC RECORD AT NEW BALANCE FIFTH AVENUE MILE
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
NEW YORK (08-Sep) — With perhaps a little push from a friendly north wind, Scotsman Josh Kerr of the Brooks Beasts Track Club broke one of the oldest and most significant records in American road running here today, running away with the 43rd edition of the New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile in a blistering 3:44.3. Kerr, the newly-crowned Olympic 1500m silver medalist who also won on Fifth Avenue last year, smashed Sydney Maree’s vaunted 1981 event record of 3:47.52 which had stood for 43 years.
“I said to the meet director beforehand, I took Sydnee Maree’s NCAA (1500m) record off him in… 2018 when I was running for the University of New Mexico,” Kerr told reporters. “I know how hard that was when that was the time. It was a nice, nostalgic moment trying to go after his record today. He’s one of the most successful 1500m runners in history. Those are the kind of times I’m going after.”
Kerr executed today’s race perfectly. He stayed to the outside during the first half, allowing Eric Holt (Puma/Empire Track Club) to lead the charge for the $1000 halfway prime. The first quarter, downhill, went past in about 57 seconds. Holt put in a surge at halfway, but his move was covered by Irishman Cathal Doyle (Concliffe Harriers), who out-leaned Holt for the prime. Kerr waited a few seconds, then surged away from the field.
“I’m fit and healthy,” said Kerr, who only finished fifth in the 1500m at Thursday night at the Zürich Diamond League meeting. “I was really looking forward to this race and it makes a big difference coming into these things.”
Hobbs Kessler (Adidas) was the only athlete to give chase, but Kerr had a big lead by the three-quarter mark (about 2:51) and was still accelerating.
“I knew no one’s going to get better conditions than a tail wind and a sunny day in New York,” Kerr said.
Kessler, who finished fifth in the Paris Olympic 1500m, faded badly in the final quarter and would only finish ninth in 3:52.1. Josh Hoey (adidas), an 800m specialist who ran…
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