Olympic 1,500m champion gets outkicked at Fifth Avenue Mile
Americans Jenny Simpson and Eric Jenkins took wins on home soil at New York City's famed Fifth Avenue Mile on Saturday (photo: NYRR).
Two Americans won on home soil on Saturday at the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City.
Jenny Simpson, the Olympic bronze medallist in the women’s 1,500m won in 4:18.3 less than two days after racing in Switzerland. On the men’s side, the Olympic 1,500m gold medallist got upset by teammate Eric Jenkins, who ran 3:49.5. Jenkins was not on the U.S. Olympic team.
Team @newbalance athlete @trackjenny wins the 2016 #NB5thAveMile – her 5th event title! pic.twitter.com/l7sdTtbXVa
— NYRR Media Relations (@nyrrnews) September 3, 2016
Both races featured exciting finishes as Simpson pushed the pace from the onset and held off British 1,500m record holder Laura Muir. In the men’s race, Matt Centrowitz, the Olympic 1,500m champion, looked to have the win in the bag but was nipped at the line. Centrowitz looked over his left shoulder to make sure no runner was going to pass him but Jenkins passed on the opposite side in a sneaky, but successful, tactic.
Your 2016 #NB5thAveMile men's winner is @_EricJenkins! pic.twitter.com/2X0D5Ywg18
— NYRR Media Relations (@nyrrnews) September 3, 2016
The win was Simpson’s fifth career victory at the Fifth Avenue Mile. Jenkins’ win was the first of his career. Jenkins and Centrowitz train together as part of the Nike Oregon Project, which also features Mo Farah, Galen Rupp and Canadian Cam Levins.
Three of Canada’s Rio 2016 Olympians were in the field on Saturday in what is one of the most famous road races in the world. Nicole Sifuentes was seventh in the women’s race. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot had the best Canadian result of the three with an impressive 3:52.6 in the men’s mile. Nate Brannen finished 11th though he was the only runner from Canada to make the 1,500m final at the Olympics.
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The New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile is typically the last race for many of the world’s top runners before they take a break in the late summer and early fall. Some runners, including Simpson, Muir and Emma Coburn among others, raced Thursday in Zurich, Switzerland and ran on Saturday despite the 10-hour flight and minimal rest between races.
Elite times for the mile, which translates to 1,609m, are generally 4:30 for women and 4:00 for men. Times were faster on Saturday because of the lack of turns and parts of the Fifth Avenue course being downhill.
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The event is put on by the New York Road Runners, the organization that organizes the New York City Marathon each fall. The November marathon is the world’s largest.
T-Mobile U.S. CEO John Legere was also generous and awarded US$5,000 to each man who broke 3:50 (Jenkins and Centrowitz) and to each woman who broke 4:20 (Simpson, Muir and Heather Kampf).
Very ? to give $5k each ?to @trackjenny @lauramuiruns @HeatherRaeKampf @_EricJenkins and @MattCentrowitz Congrats! https://t.co/jBBhk3IKJA
— John Legere (@JohnLegere) September 3, 2016
Women’s results
1. Jenny Simpson – 4:18.3
2. Laura Muir – 4:18.5
3. Heather Kampf – 4:19.8
4. Amanda Eccleston – 4:20.7
5. Kate Grace – 4:22.7
6. Shelby Houlihan – 4:23.1
7. Nicole Sifuentes – 4:23.3
8. Katie Mackey – 4:23.6
9. Emma Coburn – 4:23.9
10. Morgan Uceny – 4:24.6
Men’s results
1. Eric Jenkins – 3:49.5
2. Matt Centrowitz – 3:49.6
3. Colby Alexander – 3:50.3
4. Clayton Murphy – 3:52.3
5. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot – 3:52.6
6. Chris O’Hare – 3:53.0
7. Ford Palmer – 3:53.3
8. Ben Blankenship – 3:54.0
9. Leo Manzano – 3:54.5
10. Kyle Merber – 3:55.5
11. Nate Brannen – 3:55.5
Women’s start and top-three finishers
Men’s start and top-three finishers
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