CLOSING SPEED WAS a clear indicator of the men’s 5K finish.
The final 400 of the top 11 finishers coincided exactly with their respective final places. Eventual winner Brian Musau (Oklahoma State) sprinted his last lap in 55.77 for a win in 13:20.59. That was the fastest circuit by anyone and made Musau the first-ever Cowboy winner, bettering Miles Eisenman’s runner-up finish in ’59.
The lead pack had been bunched for most of the race. With 2 laps remaining, only 0.75 separated the top 11. By the time they passed the finish line, they were separated by 9.92 seconds.
Musau started the fireworks on the penultimate lap by moving from 4th to the lead (59.96) with one to go. He would be the only runner under 60 for that lap. The next best was 60.02 by eventual 3rd-placer Marco Langon of Villanova. Now in the lead, Musau increased the tempo, which no one could match, and pushed on to a seasonal best.
New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel, the 10K runner-up two days earlier, was passed by Musau with 600 left and ran in 2nd with 400 to go. That’s when Villanova’s Langon, who was 6th with just over a lap to go, started his move. He went past Samuel on the backstretch, sprinting furiously in lane 2.
Langon tried to challenge Musau on the final curve, less than a stride back but couldn’t quite get past the orange-clad junior. Langon faded just a tad in the final 40m and Samuel (55.90) took advantage of the slight opening. He jumped to the inside lane and scrambled into 2nd (13:20.89) in the closing meters. His final lap was 56.06, which earned him a 13:21.17 PR in 3rd. Cal Baptist’s Uruguayan Valentin Soca, 8th with two to go, closed with 56.31 for 4th (13:21.76).
“I know I can run a fast 800,” said Musau confidently, “so I knew if I was close to the lead with 800 left, I would have a good chance to win.” Spot on!
An early leader, Wake Forest soph Rocky Hansen finished in 13:22.47 (57.22) to beat a late leader, Matt Strangio of Portland who clocked 13:23.28 (58.26). The 10K winner, Ishmael Kipkurui earned his second podium in 7th with 13:25.18 (58.95) and Oklahoma State senior Fouad Messaoudi finished at 13:25.48 (59.78).
Said Musau, assessing the field, “You know, many people are coming for the 5K for the redemption — like people from 10K, others from 1500 — so they wanted to get a win. I told myself, ‘I’m in the best position, because I’m a little bit fresh, and they know those people will be coming, for redemption, so it will be very hard.’ So I was ready for it.”
MEN’S 5000 RESULTS
FINAL (June 13)
1. **Brian Musau’ (OkSt-Ken) 13:20.59 (55.77, 1:55.73, 4:01.51);
2. **Habtom Samuel’ (NM-Eri) 13:20.89 (55.90, 1:56.27, 4:02.01);
3. *Marco Langon (Vill) 13:21.17 PR (56.05, 1:56.07, 4:01.79);
4. *Valentin Soca’ (CalB-Uru) 13:21.76 (56.30, 1:56.50, 4:02.14);
5. **Rocky Hansen (WF) 13:22.47 (57.22, 1:57.80, 4:03.84);
6. Matt Strangio (Port) 13:23.28 PR (58.25, 1:58.84, 4:04.05);
7. ***Ishmael Kipkurui’ (NM-Ken) 13:25.18 (58.94, 1:59.96, 4:05.91);
8. Fouad Messaoudi’ (OkSt-Mor) 13:25.48 PR (59.78, 2:00.52, 4:06.02);
9. Toby Gillen’ (Ms-Aus) 13:26.74 PR; 10. David Mullarkey’ (NnAz-GB) 13:28.43 =PR; 11. ***Robin Kwemoi Bera’ (IaSt-Ken) 13:30.52; 12. Colton Sands (NC) 13:36.26; 13. *Will Daley (Va) 13:36.55 PR; 14. Luke Tewalt (WF) 13:37.47; 15. *Jacob White (Wy) 13:37.82; 16. **Ernest Cheruiyot’ (TxT-Ken) 13:38.09; 17. Drew Bosley (NnAz) 13:39.04; 18. ***JoJo Jourdon (WF) 13:41.00 PR; 19. *Ethan Strand (NC) 13:42.20; 20. *Matthew Forrester’ (Butler-SA) 13:43.85; 21. Kidus Misgina (Ms) 13:49.21; 22. Hunter Christopher (Young) 13:49.43; 23. *Luke Grundvig (BYU) 13:54.70; 24. *Justin Wachtel (Va) 14:11.51.
