NEW YORK CITY, September 13 — After an ominous morning of showers, the rain let up just in time for the professional athletes to set out at the 5th Avenue Mile, with Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie claiming her third women’s title and rambunctious young American Marco Langon taking the men’s crown. Both winners pocketed $5000 for their efforts.
The 20-block course down the upscale Manhattan boulevard was still slick from the rain, but the athletes navigated the roadway without incident. The women’s race went off first at East 80th Street, with Reekie and Kenyan Susan Ejore-Sanders setting the early pace and Americans Rachel McArthur and Heather MacLean running alongside them at the front of the pack. Approaching halfway, Ejore-Sanders broke away —and claimed a $1000 bonus for leading at that point — with Reekie and France’s Bérénice Cleyet-Merle covering the move.
Moments later, as the course shifted downhill, Reekie — who was leaning on her experience from winning this race in 2021 and 2023 — pulled ahead decisively. Behind her, McArthur caught up to Ejore-Sanders and Cleyet-Merle, with American Josette Andrews, who had been well back in the early going, now running close behind.
The 28-year-old Reekie powered home unchallenged, crossing the line at East 60th Street in 4:13.6 to break the course record (4:14.8) set by fellow Scot Laura Muir in ’22 and matched by Karissa Schweizer of the U.S. in ’24.
“I had no idea where anyone was, so I was actually running to the line,” said Reekie, an 800 specialist who took silver in that event at the ’24 World Indoor and finished 4th in the ’21 Olympics. “I was trying to keep form. My legs were a bit wobbly, but I remembered that feeling from the past few times I’d done it.”
With just under 200m to go Andrews moved ahead of McArthur to grab 2nd, 4:16.1–4:17.7. Cleyet-Merle (4:18.3) and American Lindsey Butler (4:19.1) followed, with the tiring Ejore-Sanders (4:20.2) finishing 6th.
Andrews was returning to competition for the first time since taking 6th in the World Championships 5000 in Tokyo.
“This was actually my first race in an entire year so there were a lot of nerves going into it because I just really didn’t know what to expect,” she said, explaining that a winter hamstring tear led into a series of other injuries that kept her from high-intensity training until August. “I knew I didn’t really have a kick today, so I wanted to progress and stay strong. I really worked hard that second half and I was gaining momentum as I was passing people. The confidence was growing after 800 and then I was going to try to find that finishline.”
In the men’s race, Kenya’s Simon Koech, the Commonwealth Games steeplechase silver medalist, blasted out immediately and established a 20-meter lead by halfway. He later admitted that he was unaware of the bonus, so the move was purely tactical and not financial! Alas, he would fade badly and finish 17th, but by breaking 4:00 (3:52.5) he met the requirement to take home the $1000 check.
Langon, a New Jersey native who graduated Villanova this year and placed 4th in the NCAA 5000, led the chase to catch Koech, with Great Britain’s Jake Heyward a step behind.
“It felt like cross country, and I know that’s what I’m good at,” Langon noted of the undulating course. They flew by Koech before the three-quarter mile mark. Heyward and France’s Flavien Szot pressed Langon, with Heyward ultimately taking the lead with 200 to go. Langon found one more gear and broke the tape in 3:45.0, not far off Josh Kerr’s 3:44.3 course record from ’23.
Behind him, Australia’s Adam Spencer came on strong on the far outside and nearly caught Heyward. The Welshman got the nod for 2nd as both clocked 3:45.8. American Drew Hunter (3:46.5), preparing for the World Road Running Champs 5K, passed Szot (3:46.9) for 4th. Americans Cooper Teare (3:47.3), Sam Prakel (3:47.6) and Gary Martin (3:47.9) came in together, placing 6th, 7th and 8th.
“I’m from Jersey, so I knew the 5th Avenue course and I knew that at halfway, at like 70th Street, it was going to start going downhill,” said the 22-year-old Langon. “I knew I could hold a downhill sprint the entire way. And then I had an extra gear, because Jake, he’s been running phenomenal this year. At 1500 I blew by him.”
The flamboyant Langon produced an impressive summer campaign focused mostly on the 1500, winning two track races and a road mile in Europe. But he still considers himself a 5000 specialist and is already looking forward to next year.
“Honestly, the only reason why I’m excited to finish my season is so I can get back to training,” said the now Boston-based Langon. “So the sooner I could finish my racing season, the sooner I can take time off and the sooner I can get back to training hard and getting a big block going into indoors and outdoors.”
Heyward was capping off a remarkable comeback season. The European 1500 runner-up in ’22 had been plagued by injuries for years but returned to world-class form this summer. He lowered his track mile PR to 3:46.73 in London (behind Kerr’s WR) and finished 4th at both the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.
“This is a race I had circled,” said Heyward, who was 3rd here in ’21 and the runner-up in ’22. “I’ve raced a hell of a lot this year and I’m super proud of the level that I’ve been consistently racing this year.”
5TH AVENUE MILE RESULTS
Men
1. Marco Langon (US) 3:45.0; 2. Jake Heyward (GB) 3:45.8; 3. Adam Spencer (Aus) 3:45.8; 4. Drew Hunter (US) 3:46.5; 5. Flavien Szot (Fra) 3:46.9; 6. Cooper Teare (US) 3:47.3; 7. Sam Prakel (US) 3:47.6; 8. Gary Martin (US) 3:47.9; 9. Romain Mornet (Fra) 3:49.0; 10. Abel Teffra (US) 3:49.4; 11. Brannon Kidder (US) 3:50.2; 12. Stefan Nillessen (Neth) 3:50.9; 13. Aidan Ryan (US) 3:51.2; 14. Pieter Sisk (Bel) 3:51.4; 15. Dylan Jacobs (US) 3:51.6;
16. Leonard Bett (Ken) 3:52.2; 17. Simon Koech (Ken) 3:52.5; 18. Davis Bove (US) 3:52.6; 19. Oliver Hoare (Aus) 3:53.2; 20. Titouan Le Grix (Fra) 3:53.6; 21. Jack Anstey (Aus) 3:53.7; 22. Keita Sato (Jpn) 3:53.9; 23. Foster Malleck (Can) 3:54.7; 24. John Reniewicki (US) 3:54.9; 25. Eric Holt (US) 3:55.2; 26. Benjamin Allen (US) 3:55.5; 27. Luke Houser (US) 4:02.4.
Women
1. Jemma Reekie (GB) 4:13.8; 2. Josette Andrews (US) 4:16.1; 3. Rachel McArthur (US) 4:17.7; 4. Bérénice Cleyet-Merle (Fra) 4:18.3; 5. Lindsey Butler (US) 4:19.1; 6. Susan Ejore-Sanders (Ken) 4:20.2; 7. Adelle Tracey (Jam) 4:20.4; 8. Elise Cranny (US) 4:20.9; 9. Melissa Courtney-Bryant (GB) 4:20.9;
10. Jessica Kain (US) 4:23.1; 11. Laura Pellicoro (Ita) 4:23.6; 12. Sarah Calvert (GB) 4:24.8; 13. Kayley DeLay (US) 4:25.4; 14. Heather MacLean (US) 4:25.8; 15. Courtney Frerichs (US) 4:27.0; 16. Simone Plourde (Can) 4:27.5; 17. Taryn Parks (US) 4:28.7; 18. Ellie Baker (GB) 4:29.7; 19. Annika Reiss (US) 4:30.1; 20. Margot Appleton (US) 4:32.3.
