The B.A.A. Invitational Miles became a real institution at the Boston Marathon on the Saturday prior. The Mile always follows the B.A.A. 5k, where 9000 runners run a 5k, and then hang out on Boylston Street and environs to watch juniors and elite run a fast street mile!
I love to watch the miles right from the Lenox Hotel entrance, walking down the street to capture the flavor and excitement!
David Monti did this piece for Race Results Weekly, one of our long time partners in the coverage of distance running. Enjoy the photos from Jane Monti as well!
COMBER, GEAR VICTORIOUS AT B.A.A. INVITATIONAL MILE
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
BOSTON (13-Apr) — Casey Comber came to last year’s B.A.A. Invitational Mile hoping to win but was passed on the inside in the last 200 meters by Hobbs Kessler. That loss stung a bit for the former Villanova University athlete who won two Big East Conference indoor titles during his collegiate career.
“I just didn’t quite take the second turn tight enough, and he just got inside and gave me a nice little shoulder,” Comber told Race Results Weekly a year ago, shaking his head. It was just a good race move by him.”
This year, with Kessler not competing, Comber got another chance to shine. The Under Armour-sponsored athlete stayed patient while Britain’s Henry McLuckie built up a four-second lead on the pack after two of the race’s three laps. Comber waited for the final lap to strike. This time, coming around those last two corners, first onto Exeter Street, then onto Boylston Street, Comber ensured he was in the right position. He moved to the front and held his place right to the line.
“You know it’s funny,” Comber began. I thought about Hobbs passing me on that corner over there and got on the inside.” He continued: “I was able to close on McLuckie right at the second-to-last corner here, which I refer to as really like the end of the race. I’ve never seen anyone get passed in this last stretch. I’m glad I wasn’t the first one.”
Comber was timed in 4:08, well off of Nick Willis’s 2013 course record of 4:03.3, but that didn’t matter. He got the win, his second of this nascent outdoor season.
“I knew I did what I wanted to do and gave myself every chance to win,” Comber said. As my coach would say, you’ve just got to see it through that last 150 meters around that turn.”
Aaron Ahl of Canada took second…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at runblogrun…