NEW YORK CITY, February 11 — Two meets so far in ’23, American Records all around in both for Yared Nuguse. Just 13 days removed from breaking the 3000 AR at the Terrier Classic, the Notre Dame alum stepped up for miling’s indoor pinnacle event, the Wanamaker fixture, final event of a star-studded Millrose Games, and essayed a monster kick to claim the AR in 3:47.38.
Eighteen years to the day after all-worlder Bernard Lagat dropped the standard to 3:49.89 a week after the third Millrose win of his career, Nuguse in his first didn’t just cut 2.51 from the record, he also raced to No. 2 all-time on the world list, just 0.37 off Yomif Kejelcha’s WR from ’19.
His win from U.S.-based Briton Neil Gourley (3:49.46) got a little help from his friends, On AC teammates Olli Hoare (3:50.83, same as in his Wanamaker win last year), and Mario García (Spanish Record 3:51.79 in 5th).
While Nuguse wobbled slightly off balance just before the gun, his start was clean and as pacer Erik Sowinski rushed to the front, the OAC trio formed a line right behind with Gourley running 4th.
With an 880 split of 1:53 requested, Sowinski delivered 1:52.99 at the half. On the next backstraight the OAC group set to work, García in front, Hoare on his shoulder, Nuguse and Virginia Tech alum Gourley next. All looked relaxed.
On the backstretch approaching 1100, Nuguse moved outside to set up as Hoare took the lead. On the Aussie’s shoulder around the turn, Nuguse eased to the front at 1200 (2:53.15 at 1320y) and covered the ensuing penultimate lap in 28.2.
Just before the bell, he picked it up again. Nuguse rushed through the front turn, opening his lead to about 5m and then cut loose with a rapid, beautifully efficient cadence that carried him past 1500 in 3:33.22 — lowering Lagat’s AR at that distance by 0.12).
Nuguse was grimacing but his form was not. With Gourley having overtaken Hoare on the last backstraight, Nuguse ran home, never looking back, some 15m in front.
He had run his last 440 in 54.23, and his metric closing splits to the 1600 mark were 25.9 and 13.0.
Nuguse and coach Dathan Ritzenhein had seen the AR as in play, but to get that close to the World Record?
“I think we briefly mentioned [the WR] as like a joke and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’d be funny,’” Nuguse told reporters afterwards.
“But I mean, coming down to the line I thought it was kind of funny. There was like this one person standing in front of the middle number [on the clock] so I couldn’t see how close I was. I thought I was close. To be that close was kind of interesting.”
Everything about the race was interesting. Gourley’s time raised him to No. 6 on the all-time list, and Sam Tanner, behind the lead group most of the way, closed faster than all but Nuguse and Gourley with a 57.50 last quarter and 3:51.70 PR for 4th.
Comparisons to the other records are illuminating. Lagat reached 880 in 1:52.0 and 1320y in 2:50.0, then labored to the finish in 59.9.
Kejelcha reached 1320y in 2:50.5, more than 2.7 faster than Nuguse. This race, in which the blistering finish sealed the AR, suggests the WR is within range.
Snappy running around the oval pleased the crowd all evening. In the 800, 18-year-old Kenyan Noah Kibet came from down to Isaiah Harris at 400 (50.64–50.94) and 600 (1:17.80–1:18:07) to shoot ahead late in the last backstretch for a world-leading 1:44.98 PR win. Harris at 1:45.64 — good for No. 7 on the all-time U.S. list — improved his own indoor best by 0.35.
Olympic 1500 bronze medalist Josh Kerr, ’22’s runner-up in the Wanamaker mile, was ready when Luis Grijalva moved to the front in a hot 3000 with 700 to go. Brooks Beast Briton Kerr was 5th in the string behind Grijalva, Joe Klecker, Cooper Teare and Switzerland’s Jonas Raess when Grijalva led past 2400 in 6:08.33 and the pace dipped under 30 seconds per lap.
Kerr slipped outside, with 250 left launched his kick and took the lead with a lap to go. Grijalva resisted each inch Kerr gained but 3m was enough and the Briton’s 7:33.47 meet record claimed the race. Grijalva’s 7:33.86 was a Guatemalan Record as Klecker’s time in 3rd (7:34.14) jumped him to No. 4 all-time on the U.S. list. Teare (7:34.70) in 4th and Tennessee collegian Dylan Jacobs (7:36.89) claimed U.S. all-time spots 5 and 8.
A highlighted Noah Lyles/Christian Coleman duel in the 60 lost luster when Lyles false started but was allowed to sprint under protest.
WR holder Coleman demoed a blinding “I’m back” start and Lyles could only close down to about a foot back at the line, 6.47–6.53 (before Lyles’ DQ erased the mark).
With his pre-meet revelation he’d be trying out new technique, Ryan Crouser garnered much attention. Deservedly.
With a safe static start to his first throw, the WR holder reached 73-10 (22.51) out of the box. The No. 11 all-time heave, Crouser followed it with 74-1 (22.58) on his next, equaling the No. 7 mark all-time as he used the new technique. New father of twins Joe Kovacs, typically far from sharp in the indoor season, opened at 70-¾ (21.34) for 2nd and fouled his next five.
“I’ve been adding an extra step on to the spin, hopefully to generate more power,” Crouser told NBC’s Lewis Johnson. “Today I did throw farther with it, which is good but it was very inconsistent. But first meet trying it, practice has been a little inconsistent, I’ve had some far throws. So I’m happy with it overall.”
MILLROSE GAMES MEN’S RESULTS
(200 banked)—
60: 1. Christian Coleman (Nike) 6.47 (6.03); 2. Travis Williams’ (Albany-Jam) 6.59 PR (6.14); 3. Josephus Lyles (adidas) 6.59 PR; 4. Miles Lewis’ (PR) 6.62 (6.16); 5. Coby Hilton (unat) 6.63; 6. Kendal Williams (adidas) 6.66; 7. Nyckoles Harbor (DCHS) 6.70;… fs—Noah Lyles (adidas) [ran 6.53 under protest].
400: 1. Jereem Richards’ (Tri) 45.84; 2. Noah Williams (adidas) 46.20; 3. Bryce Deadmon (Nike) 46.34.
800: 1. Noah Kibet’ (Ken) 1:44.98 NJR (WL); 2. Isaiah Harris (BrkB) 1:45.64 PR (AL) (7, x A);
3. Clayton Murphy (Nike) 1:46.83; 4. Kyle Langford’ (GB) 1:46.98; 5. Jesús Lopez’ (Mex) 1:47.41 NR; 6. Mark English’ (Ire) 1:48.76; 7. Bryce Hoppel (adidas) 1:54.43; 8. ***Cade Flatt (Ms) 1:55.26.
Mile: 1. Yared Nuguse (OAC) 3:47.38 AR (old AR 3:49.89 Bernard Lagat [Nike] ’05) (WL) (2, 2 W; in/out: 2, 2 A (3:33.22 AR— old, 3:33.34 Lagat ’05) (WL);
2. Neil Gourley’ (GB) 3:49.46 PR (6, 7 W) (3:34.58 PR);
3. Olli Hoare’ (Aus) 3:50.83 =NR (3:34.78); 4. Sam Tanner’ (NZ) 3:51.70 PR (3:36.27); 5. Mario García’ (Spa) 3:51.79 NR (3:35.98 PR); 6. Johnny Gregorek (Asics) 3:51.82 (3:36.23); 7. Josh Thompson (BowTC) 3:52.49 PR (3:37.02); 8. Luke McCann (OAC) 3:53.55 PR (3:38.14 PR); 9. Sam Prakel (adidas) 3:54.32 (3:38.62); 10. Drew Hunter (adidas) 3:55.52 PR (3:39.32 PR); 11. Eric Holt (EmpE) 3:58.64 (3:40.91);… rabbit—Erik Sowinski (unat) (55.66, 57.33 [1:52.99).
Open Mile: 1. Austin Miller (TinE) 3:57.89 PR (3:43.46 PR); 2. Jack Yearian (OTC) 3:59.59; 3. Matt Wisner (OTC) 4:00.03 PR; 4. Ben Allen (EmpE) 4:00.40 PR;
5. Rocky Hansen (NCHS) 4:00.84 PR (HSL) (6, 7 HS) (3:45.04 (HSL—7, 8 HS);… 8. Connor Burns (MoHS) 4:03.28 (3:45.15—8, 9 HS).
3000: 1. Josh Kerr’ (GB) 7:33.47 PR; 2. Luis Grijalva’ (Gua) 7:33.86 NR;
3. Joe Klecker (OAC) 7:34.14 PR (4, 5 A; in/out: 9, x A); 4. Cooper Teare (BowTC) 7:34.70 PR (5, 8 A; in/out: 11, x A);
5. Jonas Raess’ (Swi) 7:35.24 NR; 6. Geordie Beamish’ (NZ) 7:36.22 NR;
7. Dylan Jacobs (Tn) 7:36.89 PR (8, x A; 2, 2 C; in/out: 2, 2 C);
8. Sam Parsons (adidas) 7:39.94 PR;
9. *Alex Maier (OkSt) 7:43.05PR (11, 11 C; 5, 5 AmC; in/out: 8, x AmC);
10. Olin Hacker (Hoka) 7:43.94 PR; 11. **Nico Young (NnAz) 7:51.21 PR.
MileW: 1. Sam Allen (Shore) 6:13.58 (5:44.95); 2. John Cody Risch (QElite) 6:26.58 (6:00.19); 3. Jordan Crawford (unat) 6:27.75 (6:03.53).
Field Events
SP: 1. Ryan Crouser (Nike) 74-1 (22.58) (WL, AL) (x, =7 W; x, =7 A) (73-10 WL, AL (x, 11 W; x, 9 A], 74-1, f, f, 72-1½, f) (22.50, 22.58, f, f, 21.98, f);
2. Joe Kovacs (NikeNYAC) 70-¼ (21.34) (70-¼, f, f, f, f, f) (21.34, f, f, f, f, f); 3. Tripp Piperi (EAN) 67-9 (20.65); 4. Nick Ponzio’ (Ita) 67-½ (20.43).
Wt(2/09): 1. Rudy Winkler (NYAC) 78-10½ (24.04) (72-3½, 76-1¾, f, 77-9¼, 78-8½, 78-10½) (22.03, 23.21, f, 23.70, 23.99, 24.04); 2. Marcus Disbrow (unat) 66-10 (20.37) PR; 3. Evangelos Fradelakis (unat) 66-3 (20.19).
