by runblogrunstg
This Day in Track & Field–February 3
1934–Overtaking Gene Venzke with a ¼-mile to go, Glenn Cunningham (4:11.2) went on to win the 2nd of his 6 Wanamaker Miles at the Millrose Games. The NY Times reported that thousands of fans were turned away, with Madison Square Garden already filled to capacity with a crowd of 16,500!
(For Subscribers): https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1934/02/04/94488690.html?pageNumber=103
1940—After leading by 20 yards with just 2 laps to go, Chuck Fenske hung on to win the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games by 3 yards over 6-time winner Glenn Cunningham. Fenske’s time of 4:07.4 tied the World Record that was set by Cunningham, who ran 4:07.7 here in 1938. Gene Venzke, the 1932 winner, edged Lou Zamperini for 3rd, with both being timed in 4:08.2.
It was a spectacular race, with Blaine Rideout building a big lead of his own after going through suicidal splits of 56.8 and 2:01. After he started to fade, it was Fenske’s turn to pull away from the pack, with Cunningham, Venzke and Zamperini exciting the crowd of 16,000 with their futile chase to the finish.
John Woodruff, the 1936 Olympic Champion at 800-Meters, set a World Indoor Record of 1:52.8 in the ½-mile.
(For Subscribers)
https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1940/02/04/94790151.html?pageNumber=73
Results: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1940/02/04/94790218.html?pageNumber=76
1945–The New York Athletic Club’s Jim Rafferty won the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in 4:13.1. Rafferty, who would later become the coach at the NYAC, had won the U.S. X-Country title in 1944 and would be unbeaten in 7 mile races during the 1945 indoor season.
(For Subscribers): https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1945/02/04/94851736.html?pageNumber=51
1961–A Manhattan College lineup of John Corry (1:55.1), Kye Courtney (1:54.2), Larry St.Clair (1:51.8), and Artie Evans (1:51.7) ran 7:32.8 at the Millrose Games to break Seton Hall’s 19-year old World Record of 7:33.9 in the 2-mile Relay.
A women’s sprint was added to the program for the first time since 1932 to give fans a chance to see Wilma Rudolph, who won 3 gold medals (100,200,4×100) the year before at the Rome Olympics. The graceful Rudolph didn’t disappoint, winning the 60y in 6.9.
Hayes Jones, who would win Olympic gold in 1964, won the 2nd of his 4 straight Millrose titles in the 60y-hurdles in 7.0, tying the World Record (for the 5th time) that he shared with Milt Campbell.
Hungary’s István Rózsavölgyi (4:06.0), the bronze medalist in the 1500m at the previous year’s Olympics in Rome, was an easy winner of the Wanamaker Mile
(For Subscribers): https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1961/02/04/118897586.html?pageNumber=11
1962—Erasing any doubts surrounding his status as World Record holder (see Feb.2), John Uelses raised his pole vault best to 16-3/4 (4.89m) in Boston.
Sports Illustrated Vault: https://vault.si.com/vault/1962/02/12/riding-high-on-glass
1962—Helped by a pacemaker who took him through the first lap in 51-seconds, New Zealand’s Peter Snell set two World Records in one race, running 1:44.3 for 800-meters and 1:45.1 for 880-yards on the grass track in Christchurch, New Zealand. Finishing a distant 2nd was American Jim Dupree (1:49.6y).
Snell, the 1960 Olympic gold medalist at 800-meters, obliterated the previous marks of 1:45.7 (Roger Moens/1955) and 1:46.8 (Tom Courtney/1957).
Snell had set a World Outdoor Record of 3:54.4 for the Mile a week earlier.
Race/Interview Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7UtoLeBBDA
Sports Illustrated Vault: https://vault.si.com/vault/1962/02/12/meet-the-worlds-best-runner
Looking Back:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/6365084/Peerless-Snells-Christchurch-records-still-stand
Runner’s World Article(January, 2012)
http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/peter-snell-gentleman-athlete-scholar?page=single
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/800_metres_world_record_progression
1973–In the midst of a memorable season at the Armory in New York that saw him bettering meet records in nine races ranging from 880-yards to 2-miles (he won 7 of the 9), Peter Gaughn (Nazareth,NY) won the Mile at the Iona Inv. in 4:13.1. That stood as the Armory H.S. Record until a certain Alan Webb ran 3:59.86 in 2001.
http://ny.milesplit.com/articles/20940 (Armory Moment #70)
1978–It was one of the many comebacks from injury during the lengthy career of Mary Decker (Slaney). The 19-year old sophomore at the University of Colorado ran 2:23.8 to break her own World Record for 1000-yards at the L.A. Times meet in Inglewood,CA. Her previous mark of 2:26.7 was set at the same meet in 1974 when she was only 15 years old.
1979–Renaldo Nehemiah set a World Record of 6.36 for the 50-meter hurdles in Edmonton.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaldo_Nehemiah
1980—With the temperature approaching 100-degrees, Joan Benoit ran 2:31:23 in Auckland, New Zealand, to set an American Record in the Marathon. Benoit broke her own record of 2:35.15.
https://www.marathonshoehistory.com/1980-joan-benoit/
1989–Jackie Joyner-Kersee tied the World Record in the 55-meter hurdles twice at the Millrose Games in New York, running 7.37 in her heat and again in the final. JJK’s times stood as the American Record for 8 years.
In one of the greatest indoor miles in history, Mary Slaney suffered a rare Millrose loss, finishing 2nd (4:23.91) between two Romanians, Paula Ivan (4:23.72) and Doina Melinte (4:25.46).
Morocco’s Said Aouita, running for the first time on an 11-lap banked track, won an exciting 3000-meters, setting a meet record of 7:47.07 as he passed Doug Padilla (7:47.35) in the final few strides.
Marcus O’Sullivan (3:54.27) ran away from Sydney Maree (3:58.37) and Ray Flynn (3:59.03) to win his 3rd Wanamaker Mile.
https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/05/sports/track-and-field-aouita-helps-make-millrose-a-stunner.html
Sports Illustrated Vault:
https://vault.si.com/vault/1989/02/13/much-sweeta-for-aouita
1995–Jackie Joyner-Kersee (7.96) won the 60-Meter Hurdles at the Millrose Games, but was beaten by Germany’s Heike Drechsler, her long-time rival, in the Long Jump (22-10 [6.96] to 22-5 ¼ [6.84]).
Ukraine’s Sergey Bubka, the World Record holder (20-2 [6.15]) in the Pole Vault, could only clear 18-8 ¼ (5.70) on this night. “I was disappointed and embarrassed,” Bubka said. “I wanted to do well in New York.” The event was won by Russia’s Igor Trandenkov (19-1/4 [5.80]).
Ireland’s Marcus O’Sullivan thought he was on his way to winning his 6th Wanamaker Mile, but he was passed right before the finish line by Canada’s Graham Hood, a senior at Arkansas (3:57.08-3:57.11). 3rd was Ireland’s Niall Bruton (3:58.14), who had done the same thing to O’Sullivan at the 1994 Millrose Games,
“These young guys are killing me,” said the 33-year-old O’Sullivan. “When I held them off with a lap to go and then in the backstretch, I thought I had it. Coming off the turn, I saw a shadow. I thought it was Niall. With about 10 yards to go, my legs kind of gave and Graham just squeaked by me.”
The meet drew another big crowd to Madison Square Garden—16,789.
Results: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/feb/04/track-and-field-millrose-games/
1998–Maurice Greene ran 6.39 in Madrid to set a World Indoor Record for 60-meters. Greene had equaled Andre Cason’s previous mark of 6.41 just two days earlier in Stuttgart. Greene would tie his own record in 2001(since broken).
IAAF Report: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/maurice-greene-stands-alone-as-the-fastest-ma
2002–Ethiopia’s Berhane Adere ran 8:29.15 for 3000-meters in Stuttgart to break Romania’s Gaby Szabo’s year-old World Record of 8:32.88.
There was also a World Record set in the field, with Russia’s Svetlana Feofanava vaulting 15-5 ½ (4.71m) to break Stacy Dragila’s year-old mark of 15-5 (4.70). Feofanova would raise her record 4 more times during the 2002 season, topping out at 15-7 (4.75).
IAAF Report:
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/records-fall-at-sparkassen-cup-in-stuttgart
2006—Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele (4:01.57-2nd), one of the greatest distance runners in history ,stepped down to the Mile at the Millrose Games, but was no match for Bernard Lagat (3:56.85), who won the 4th of his record 8 Wanamaker titles.
Results: https://ny.milesplit.com/meets/14596-99th-millrose-games-2006/results#.YBqEgi1h3BA
2007–5 years to the day after compatriot Berhane Adere ran 8:29.15 on the same track in Stuttgart, Meseret Defar smashed the World Record for 3000-meters with her winning time of 8:23.72–and barely won the race, as fellow Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu finished just a step behind in 8:23.74!
Defar’s record stood for 7 years until Genzebe Dibaba ran an amazing 8:16.60 in 2014.
IAAF Report: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/82372-3000m-world-indoor-record-for-defar-in
ALL-TIME LIST
https://trackandfieldnews.com/tfn-lists/world-indoor-all-time-list-women/
8:16.60 Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) 2/06/14
8:16.69 Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia) 2/25/23
8:17.11 ————Tsegay 2/10/24
8:20.87 Elle St. Pierre (US) 3/02/24
8:21.13 ————Tsegay 3/02/24
8:22.50 ————Dibaba 2/19/16
8:22.65 ————Tsegay 2/24/21
8:22.68 Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya) 3/02/24
8:23.24 Dawit Seyaum (Ethiopia) 2/17/22
8:23.72 Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) 2/03/07
**10 performances by 6 performers**
8:23.74 Meselech Melkamu (Ethiopia) 2/03/07
8:24.39 Jessica Hull (Australia) 3/02/24
8:25.05 Alicia Monson (US) 2/11/23
8:25.27 Sentayehu Ejigu (Ethiopia) 2/06/10
2007—Thanks in large part to the efforts of Meet Director Jack Pfeifer, the Armory Collegiate Invitational in New York drew squads from powerhouse programs like Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, and Arkansas.
Winners of the respective team titles were Texas (men) and Texas A&M (women). Among the individual winners were Texas’ Leo Manzano (Mile-3:59.08) and Andra Manson (HJ/7-6 ½ [2.30]) and South Carolina’s Natasha Hastings (400-51.70).
Results: https://www.directathletics.com/results/track/4879.html
Photos: https://armory-track-invitational.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=577&do=photos&photo_id=30318
2017—Arizona’s (and Canada’s) Sage Watson set the current Collegiate Record of 1:08.40 (#10 All-Time World) for 500-meters at the Armory Invitational in New York. She went on to win the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June and finished 6th at the World Championships in London in August. She was a semi-finalist at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing and the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Results: https://www.flotrack.org/results/5986205-2017-armory-track-invitational/699
2018–There were two World Records at the 111th edition of the Millrose Games.
A U.S. All-Star team of Chrishuna Williams (2:05.1), Raevyn Rogers (2:00.5), Charlene Lipsey (2:02.0), and Ajee’ Wilson, who ran a great anchor leg of 1:58.4, combined to run 8:05.95 in the 4×800 relay, breaking the World Indoor Record of 8:06.24 that was set by a team from Russia in 2011. Running well in 2nd place were the “NY All Stars”, which ran 8:11.45 with a lineup of Kendra Chambers (2:03.94), Lynsey Sharp’ (2:03.2), Ce’aira Brown (2:00.5), and Cecilia Barowski (2:03.9).
“That was the loudest I ever heard it,” Wilson said of the supportive Armory crowd. “That was the loudest I ever felt it. It was insane. Every lap was high energy. It wasn’t just for the last 100 of the race or the last lap. It was powerful my entire leg.”
The Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller-Uibo won the Women’s 300-meters in 35.45 to equal the World Record that was set by Russia’s Irina Privalova in 1993.
It was a 1-2 finish for Scotland in the Wanamaker Mile, with Chris O’Hare (3:54.14) getting his 1st win in 6 tries, and New Mexico sophomore Josh Kerr (3:54.72) edging Ben Blankenship (3:54.77) for 2nd place. O’Hare, the 2012 NCAA Indoor Champion in the Mile while at Tulsa, set a Collegiate Record of 3:52.98 in the 2013 Wanamaker Mile (since broken).
Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir won the Men’s 800 in 1:44.21, a Meet Record, and the fastest time ever run in the U.S. 2nd with a personal best of 1:45.35 was Donavan Brazier.
Another Meet Record was set by Jamaica’s Aisha Praught-Leer (8:41.10), who edged Emma Coburn (8:41.16) and Dominique Scott (8:41.18) in a thrilling Women’s 3000-meters. 4th with a Collegiate Record of 8:41.60 was Missouri’s Karissa Schweizer. All four were under the previous MR of 8:41.72, set by Kenya’s Sally Kipyego in 2015.
The cover of the meet program promised a potential matchup in the Women’s Pole Vault between the 2016 Olympic gold and silver medalists, Katerina Stefanidi and Sandi Morris, but Morris, citing back spasms, had to withdraw from the competition. Stefanidi was the winner, but only on fewer misses over Katie Nageotte (now Moon) as both cleared 15-5 ½ (4.71).
In what some thought might have been the final race of her career, Lolo Jones finished 7th (8.37) in the Women’s 60-meter hurdles, less than a month after being passed over for a spot on the U.S. bobsled team for the Winter Olympics. (Returned to competition in 2020…41 at the time, she ran 13.10 in 2024 at the Drake Relays.
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a20865586/2018-millrose-games-recap/
Wanamaker Mile Winners: http://www.runningpast.com/wanamaker_mile.htm
2018—Leonard Korir (29:16.6) edged Galen Rupp (29:17.8) to win the U.S. X-Country title in Tallahassee, Florida. Next across the line were Stanley Kebenei (29:31.4) and Evan Jager (29:31.5).
Top finishers in the women’s race were Emily Infeld (33:18.7), Molly Seidel (33:22.1), Stephanie Bruce (33:34.1), and Courtney Frerichs (33:55.1).
https://results.usatf.org/2018XC/
Race Videos(subscription required): https://www.usatf.tv/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45365&mgroup_event_id=9&do=videos&folder_id=recent&year=2018
2023—The University of Washington, with a lineup of Sophie O’Sullivan-3:16.24, Marlena Preigh-54.21, Carley Thomas-2:01.92, and Anna Gibson-4:34.25, set a Collegiate Record of 10:46.62 in the Women’s Distance Medley at Boston University. The previous record of 10:48.77 was set by Oregon in 2017. The Huskies also bettered the Outdoor Record of 10:48.38, set by Villanova in 1988. O’Sullivan is the daughter of Irish legend Sonia O’Sullivan.
The race included a pacer for the first 800-meters of the opening leg!
2024—Five runners secured their places on the U.S. Olympic team on a warm day at the Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida.
Finishing 1-2 in the Men’s race were training partners and former Brigham Young teammates Conner Mantz (2:09:05) and Clayton Young (2:09:06). Both had met the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:08:10, so their places on the Olympic team were not in question. Not so for 3rd-placer Leonard Korir (2:09:57), who had to wait until June to find out he had made it through the complicated qualifying procedure put in place by World Athletics (see the NBC link below). The uncertainty didn’t faze Korir, who was 4th at the last Marathon Trials (he competed in the 10,000 at the 2016 Olympics). As he approached the finish line, knowing that he was about to finish 3rd, the U.S. Army veteran started waving a small American flag and waving his arms in celebration.
Mantz and Young, both still trained by their BYU coach, Ed Eyestone, himself a 2-time Olympian in the Marathon (1988, 1992), broke away late in the race from Zach Panning (2:10:50), the leader for much of the race before falling back to 6th place. The BYU grads were both NCAA Champions, Young winning the 10,000 in 2019, Mantz the 2020 & 2021 X-Country titles.
Hoping to make his 5th Olympic team, Galen Rupp (2:14:07), stayed with the lead group in the early going before fading to 16th.
The surprising winner of the Women’s race was Fiona O’Keeffe (2:22:10), who was making her debut at the distance! 2nd was American Record holder Emily Sisson (2:22:42), who made her 2nd Olympic team (she competed in the 10,000 in Tokyo in 2021).
Providing the Cinderella story of the day was Dakotah Bullen-Lindwurm (2:25:31), who had modest (to be kind) college bests of 2:36.35 (800), 5:20.45 (mile), 16:43.86 (5000), and 34:57.14 (10,000) as a walk-on at Northern State University (Div.II) in South Dakota. She began concentrating on the roads after returning to her native Minnesota and gradually worked her way up the elite ladder in the U.S., winning Grandma’s Marathon twice and running a personal best of 2:24:40 in 2023. Taking great pleasure from her 3rd place finish in Orlando was fellow Minnesotan Kara Goucher, one of the NBC commentators!
40-year old Sara Hall (2:26:06), competing in her 8th Olympic Trials (5-track, 3-Marathon), was in contention for the 3rd spot on the team late in the race before winding up in 5th place (her highest Trials finish!). Betsy Saina, one of the pre-race favorites, was also in contention for the 3rd spot when she suddenly stopped and walked off the course.
NBC’s 3-hour coverage can be viewed on Peacock Premium
https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/fiona-okeeffe-marathon-olympic-trials
https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/conner-mantz-clayton-young-marathon-olympic-trials
David Monti’s Report: https://www.rrca.org/rrw-mantz-okeeffe-win-thrilling-olympic-trials-marathon/
Top-10 (includes race highlights):
https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/marathon-olympic-trials-results-2024
Sara Hall on Twitter: “This one hurts more than any of the other 7, and yet I feel proud and have no regrets. Was in
3rd/could see 3rd the whole last lap as I battled through cramps. Never stopped believing, fought every step.”
https://twitter.com/sarahall3/status/1753898037703741617?s=43&t=UU-kDBR4HNDFC-rIbQc4aA
Lindwurm: https://www.fox9.com/sports/minnesotan-dakotah-lindwurm-olympics-paris
Men’s Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K4szZ8S4Zo
Significant birthdays
Born On This Day*
Malaika Mihambo—Germany 31 (1994) 2021 Olympic gold medalist—Long Jump…2024-silver, 2016-4th
2-time World Champion—2019, 2022; 2015-6th
2-time European Champion—2018, 2024
5th at the 2018 World Indoor Championships
PB: 23-11 ½ (7.30/2019); 2024 SB: 23-8 ¼ (7.22); 2025 SB: 22-3 ½ (6.79)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaika_Mihambo
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/germany/malaika-mihambo-14377384
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