Alan Webb of the USA leads the first 1500m heats (© Getty Images)
The 1980s, like the 1950s was a great decade for mile running. Just as we remember the 50s for the race to break the 4-minute barrier, the 80s was equally famous for the burgeoning number of street mile races which took place in major city centres around the world.
Arguably, the most famous of these races was New York’s ‘Fifth Avenue Mile’, which after a number of years out of the sporting headlines is back in 2005, with a top quality elite field lining up for this Saturday's Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile (24 September).
Unmatched pedigree
Sydney Maree, former South African turned USA citizen, who was to break the World 1500m record in 1983 (3:31.24), was the winner of the inaugural ‘Fifth Avenue Mile’ in 1981. Leann Warren, the women’s victor.
During the next decade many of the principal names in world 1500m and Mile running were to feature as winners of the race: Steve Scott, John Walker, Frank O’Mara, Jose-Luis Gonzalez, Peter Elliott, Wendy Sly, Maricicia Puica, Lynn Williams, Mary Slaney, Paula Ivan, PattiSue Plumer to name but a few. More recently, the multiple victories of Issac Viciosa and Paula Radcliffe also showed the New York race retained its class long after most other major street miles had disappeared from the international calendar.
US$30,000 prize purse
But this weekend, with a total prize purse of US$30,000, with the men’s and women’s champions each winning US$5000, and the race now sponsored by Continental Airlines, the Fifth Avenue Mile is very much back at the top. Also, aired live on ESPNEWS, the race is returning to national television for the first time in more than a decade.
There is also a US$10,000 bonus on offer for a men’s or women’s course record. Maree’s inaugural run of 3:47.52 in 1981 still holds the standard, while the women’s fastest of 4:16.68 was set by Plummer in 1990.
Webb vs Mottram vs Silva
It is in the men’s race where it is felt the record is most likely to fall. Battling for honours on Saturday will be USA Olympian Alan Webb, who will race against Craig Mottram of Australia, the World 5000m bronze medallist, and Rui Silva of Portugal, the World and Olympic 1500m bronze medallist, and former World Indoor champion.
"My goal is not to get the American record. It is basically to compete and be the best in the world,” confirmed Webb. “I'm not thinking, 'I'm going to be the saviour of track and field, so I have to work hard.' It's just about going out and doing the work. It's all about doing your best."
Steve Scott, the great American miler says this of Webb. "By the time he's done with his career, Alan will be the greatest American distance runner ever."
Mary Wittenberg President of NYRR says this of Webb, "Whenever Alan steps to the line you know there's a shot that he's going to go faster than he ever has in his life. He's always goes after it. He's not afraid to take risks"
The women’s field will be headlined by Canada’s Carmen Douma-Hussar, World Indoor 1500m silver medallist and a World outdoor Championships and Olympic finalist, Carrie Tollefson, a 2004 U.S. Olympian, Amy Mortimer, the former NCAA All American, and two-time Olympian Amy Rudolph of Providence.
Chris Turner for the IAAF
2005 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile
The Start List
MEN
Race # Name Nationality Residence Age
1 Alan Webb USA Reston, VA 22
2 Craig Mottram AUS South Yarra, Australia 25
4 Rui Silva POR Lisbon, Portugal 28
6 Kevin Sullivan CAN Champaign, IL 31
7 Rob Myers USA Rushville, OH 25
8 Elkanah Angwenyi KEN Kisii, Kenya 22
10 Anthony Famiglietti USA New York, NY 26
11 Jason Lunn USA Boulder, CO 31
12 James Thie GBR Cardiff, Wales 27
14 Isaac Viciosa ESP Spain 35
15 Sean Duffy USA Washington, DC 22
17 Nate Brannen CAN Ann Arbor, MI 23
20 John Itati KEN Royersford, PA 31
WOMEN
Race # Name Nationality Residence Age
2 Carrie Tollefson USA St. Paul, MN 28
3 Carmen Douma-Hussar CAN Ardmore, PA 28
4 Amy Rudolph USA Providence, RI 32
5 Treniere Clement USA Knoxville, TN 23
7 Jen Toomey USA Salem, MA 33
8 Kim Smith NZL Providence, RI 23
9 Amy Mortimer USA West Roxbury, MA 24
10 Jenelle Deatherage USA Minneapolis, MN 28
11 Christin Wurth-Thomas USA Springdale, AR 25
12 Lindsey Gallo USA Ann Arbor, MI 23
14 Sinead Delahunty-Evans IRL Boston, MA 34
15 Yelena Kanales RUS Russia 29
16 Sarah Schwald USA Madison, WI 32
Previous Winners of the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile
Men / Women
1981 26-Sep
Sydney Maree 3:47.52 / Leann Warren 4:25.31
1982 26-Sep
Tom Byers 3:51.35 / Debbie Scott 4:23.96
1983 3-Sep
Steve Scott 3:49.77 / Wendy Sly 4:22.66
1984 22-Sep
John Walker 3:53.62 / Maricica Puica 4:24.35
1985 28-Sep
Frank O'Mara 3:52.28 / Lynn Williams 4:25.03
1986 13-Sep
Jose-Luis Gonzalez 3:53.52 / Maricica Puica 4:19.48
1987 26-Sep
Peter Elliott 3:53.52 / Kirsty Wade 4:22.70
1988 15-Oct
Steve Scott 3:53.43 / Mary Slaney 4:20.03
1989 23-Sep
Peter Elliott 3:52.95 / Paula Ivan 4:28.25
1990 22-Sep
Peter Elliott 3:47.83 / PattiSue Plumer 4:16.68
1991 19-Oct
Matthew Yates 3:56.75 / Alisa Hill 4:31.57
1992 26-Sep
Itamar Da Silva 4:00.37 / Alicia Kelly 4:43.07
1993 2-Oct
Ron Harris 3:58.0 / Lauren Gubicza 4:37.9
1994 2-Oct
Jason Pyrah 3:52.3 / Regina Jacobs 4:27.8
1995 30-Sep
Isaac Viciosa 3:47.8 / Sinead Delahunty 4:25.2
1996 28-Sep
Isaac Viciosa 3:53.67 / Paula Radcliffe 4:26.69
1997 27-Sep
Isaac Viciosa 3:53.66 / Paula Radcliffe 4:22.96
1998 26-Sep
Isaac Viciosa 3:55.59 / Regina Jacobs 4:20.8
1999 25-Sep
Ben Kapsoiya 4:05.4 / Alicia Harvey 4:41.3
2000 23-Sep
Jason Lund 4:03.9 / Kim McGreevy 4:38.9
2001 29-Sep
John Itati 4:02.3 / Kim McGreevy 4:39.8
2002 28-Sep
Leonard Mucheru 3:55.2 / Grace Njoki 4:37.7
2003 7-Sep
John Itati 3:56 / Theresa Du Toit 4:53
2004 14-Aug
Elarbi Khattabi 4:10 / Andrea Haver 4:51
Top Performances - Men
Year Name Time Place
1 1981 Sydney Maree 3:47.52 1st
2 1995 Isaac Viciosa 3:47.8 1st
3 1990 Peter Elliott 3:47.83 1st
4 1995 Stephen Kipkorir 3:48.2 2nd
5 1990 Steve Cram 3:48.39 2nd
6 1981 Mike Boit 3:49.59 2nd
7 1983 Steve Scott 3:49.77 1st
8 1981 Thomas Wessinghage 3:50.48 3rd
9 1990 William Tanui 3:50.52 3rd
10 1995 Gennaro Di Napoli 3:50.7 3rd
Top Performances - Women
Year Name Time Place
1 1990 PattiSue Plumer 4:16.68 1st
2 1986 Maricica Puica 4:19.48 1st
3 1988 Mary Slaney 4:20.03 1st
4 1988 Christina Boxer Cahill 4:20.77 2nd
5 1998 Regina Jacobs 4:20.80 1st
6 1988 Elly Van Hulst 4:22.09 3rd
7 1986 Lynn Williams 4:22.31 2nd
8 1988 Lynn Williams 4:22.40 4th
9 1983 Wendy Sly 4:22.66 1st
10 1987 Kirsty Wade 4:22.70 1st
1986 Yvonne Murray 4:22.70 3rd