Jake Wightman grabbed his first victory at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile on Sunday (September 9), while USA’s Jenny Simpson raced to her record-extending seventh win.

Wightman, won the men’s race in 3:53.5, well exceeding his seventh and 16th-place finishes at the event in the last two years.

The 24 year-old’s win in New York brings the curtain down on a fantastic season that included bronze in the 1500m at the Commonwealth Games representing Scotland, followed by another bronze in the same event in a British vest at the European Championships.

Photo: NYRR

New Zealand’s Nick Willis, 35, who was aiming for his record-breaking fifth event title, was the runner-up in 3:54.2, while Great Britain’s Neil Gourley was third in 3:55.3 in his road mile debut.

Chris O’Hare, who was second in 2017, crossed the line in sixth and Charlie Da’Vall Grice finished seventh, with both runners posting an official time of 3:57.

In the world’s oldest road mile race, 32-year-old Simpson won for the sixth time consecutively – and seventh in total – holding off her competition in the final steps by four tenths of a second to clock in at 4:18.8. It was the 10th fastest women’s time in the event’s 38-year history.

“I love that this race is American-made right down 5th Avenue, and I love that where I’m best known is here at home,” Simpson said. “Being a seven-time winner is very special to me.”

The USA’s Colleen Quigley, 25, finished second in a personal-best time of 4:19.2, recording her second podium appearance in the 2018 NYRR Pro Racing Series after winning the NYRR Wanamaker Mile in February. Great Britain’s

Great Britain’s Melissa Courtney was third in a personal-best time of 4:20.2. Laura Weightman, who set the British record of 4:17.6 in last year’s race, crossed the line in seventh in a time of 4:22.

Photo: NYRR

Sarah McDonald secured a top 10 place in 4:25, followed by Adelle Tracey in 12th and Steph Twell completed the British athletes in action in 14th.

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The post Jake Wightman and Jenny Simpson win 5th Avenue Mile appeared first on Fast Running.

US track star Simpson returned to her home state of Iowa set on breaking the four year-old record and delivered with a 9:16.78 run to take almost four seconds off Shannon Rowbury’s previous best of 9:20.25.

The four-time 1500m globalist medalist ran a 63-second final lap to finish more than 15-seconds ahead of Rachel Schneider, who crossed the line in 9:31.89.

Brenda Martinez completed the top three clocking 9:32.82 at the 109th edition of esteemed American track and field meet.

The 31 year-old also holds the American indoor record for the distance having run 9:18.35 in 2015.

TFW the crowd leads you to a new American record!

Congrats @trackjenny Simpson!

That makes her a SIX time Drake Relays Champion!

pic.twitter.com/EMpCU6dLY7

— Drake Relays (@DrakeRelays) April 28, 2018

It was Simpson’s sixth win at the annual Drake Relays and she now turns her attention to the 3000m at the opening Diamond League meet of the season in Doha this Friday.

Meanwhile, American rising star Sydney McLaughlin broke her own world junior record in the 400m hurdles at the American National Relay Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The 18-year-old ran 53.60 to take 0.22 seconds off best and goes to number four on American collegiate NCAA all-time list.

The post Jenny Simpson breaks American two mile record appeared first on Fast Running.

Simpson lived up to the favourite’s tag, but it wasn’t all straightforward for the world 1500m silver medalist, with Britain’s Weightman and Judd running outstanding races to push her all the way, before Simpson nudged ahead to clinch the win in 4:16.60, matching the official course record set by PattiSue Plumer (4:16.68) in 1990.

“I thought the course record would have been out of reach for my whole career, so I’m really proud to have equalled it,” Simpson said.

“I’ve had all the range of emotions before on 5th Avenue. I’ve finished this race before and cried because the season felt so long. I’ve finished this race before and hoped there was another race the next week. I feel so appropriately in the middle of those two emotions right now.”

Weightman took second in 4:17.62 ahead of Judd to break the British mile record on the road. The previous record of 4:18.4 belonged to Laura Muir and was set last year racing down the same New York Avenue.

Olympian Weightman, who earlier this year ran a 4:20.88 mile on the track behind Simpson at the Anniversary Games in London, rounds off an impressive season following her sixth place finish in the 1500m at the World Championships.

Simpson’s 5th Avenue Mile record win and Weightman’s British record may not have been possible if it was not for the early front running by the impressive 22-year-old Judd.

Judd, who won 5000m bronze at World University Games last month, led early on in the world’s largest and longest road mile race and was still in front with 400m to go before the strength of Simpson and Weightman told as they pulled away over the final 200m. Judd crossed the line for third in 4:18.27, posting a huge personal best.

Judd moves up to the second on the British all time list, ahead of Laura Muir by one hundredth of a second.

Brenda Marinez, second at the Hoka One One Mile earlier this week finished fourth, after a late surge to move ahead of Britain’s Eilish McColgan.

McColgan completed the top five in 4:19.18, concluded her tremendous season with another personal best, following lifetime bests over 1500m, the mile, 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m.

Sarah McDonald completed the clean sweep of personal bests for British athletes, finishing 15th in 04:29.00, while Ireland’s Ciara Mageean finished 23rd in 04:40.00.

Nick Willis got the better off Britain’s Chris O’Hare in the men’s race to win a fourth 5th Avenue Mile title. Willis who always saves his best for this race was pipped by O’Hare to the David Torrence cup at the Long Island Mile midweek.

New Zealander Willis, a  two-time Olympic 1500m medalist took the win in 3:51.30, with 26-year-old O’Hare posting 3:52:00 for second. It’s a lifetime best for the Scot, improving on his 3:53:00 set in New York last year.

In third was American Ben Blankenship with 3:52.30, while Britain’s Jake Wightman, the Emsley Carr mile champion, was eighth in 3:52.90.

O’Hare’s time sees him hold onto second on the British all time list for the road mile, with Wightman now third.

Michael Rimmer, who won European 800m silver in 2010 finished 21st in 04:05.

Your top 3 #NB5thAveMile finishers for the men: @nickwillis, @chrisohare1500 & @benfblankenship pic.twitter.com/hAz0iEY9mG

— NewYorkRoadRunners (@nyrr) September 10, 2017

*Please note – times are unofficial and will be updated if necessary following official results

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