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Nick Willis extends sub-4 streak to 20 years in the Wanamaker Mile

The New Zealander ran 3:59.71 at the Millrose Games on Saturday

Photo by: Johnny Zhang
January 29, 2022
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The 2022 indoor track and field season kicked off on Saturday at Millrose Games, where several of the world’s top athletes gathered at the Armory in New York City to test their early-season fitness. Among several personal bests, world leads and national records, the highlight of the night was watching New Zealand’s Nick Willis cross the finish line of the men’s mile in 3:59.71 to extend his sub-four-minute streak to 20 years. Keep reading for some of the highlights from the action.

How to watch the Millrose Games

Men’s 60m

In his first race after an 18-month suspension for violating whereabouts rules, Christian Coleman won in 6.49. Trayvon Bromell was hot on his heels in 6.50, followed by Ronnie Baker in 6.54.

Women’s 3,000m

The women’s 3,000m started out slow, but Alicia Monson and Weini Kelati very quickly took the lead. At 1,400m, Monson and Kelati broke away with Lauran Galvan in a distant third. Monson cranked up the pace at the bell lap and broke the tape in 8:31.62, a current world lead, a Millrose Games record, an arena record  and personal best.

Kelati finished second in a new personal best of 8:33.72, followed by Galvan in third in 8:42.29, a new national record for Mexico.

Men’s 3,000m

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Canada’s John Gay took the lead after seven laps and looked strong through the back half of the race, but was overtaken by the pack in the final lap. Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker set a blistering pace at the bell, and it looked as though first and second were set, but New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish, who most viewers had counted out of a medal position, produced an incredible finishing kick to win the race in 7:39.50, a new national record.

Teare and Hocker finished mere hundredths of a second behind Beamish in second and third, in 7:39.61 and 7:39.83, respectively.

Women’s Wanamaker mile

One of the marquee events on the day, the women’s mile saw a stellar cast of athletes on the start line. The pacer started out on American-record pace, with the pack a few metres behind her. Elle Purrier St.-Pierre lead from start to finish, defending her title but missing her American indoor record, finishing in 4:19.30 for a world lead.

Josette Norris was right behind her a new indoor best of 4:20.81, followed by Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen in third in 4:22.59. College superstar Athing Mu did not finish the race, but there was no word regarding what happened to her at the time of publishing.

Men’s Wanamaker Mile

It was Australia’s Ollie Hoare who made a heroic final spring to win the men’s mile, breaking the tape in 3:50.83, a new world lead. He was followed in second place by Josh Kerr, who finished in 3:52.27, missing the U.K. national record by 25 hundredths of a second. Colby Alexander took third place in a new personal best of 3:52.84.

Although he wasn’t the first across the finish line, Willis was the real winner of the men’s mile, finishing ninth in 3:59.71, extending his streak of running sub-four-minute miles to 20 years. Barely one month ago he was just 22 hundredths of a second off that mark at the Midnight Mile on New Year’s Eve, an event that was set up for his first attempt of 2022. Just ahead of Willis was young star, Hobbs Kessler, who had paced a few weeks ago. Kessler finished eighth in 3:59.66.

For a full list of results, click here.

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