News

Cain Smashes HS record, Gebrhiwet Nips World Junior Record at NB Indoor GP

GEBRHIWET, CAIN SET DISTANCE RECORDS AT NEW BALANCE INDOOR GRAND PRIXBy David Monti(c) 2013 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.BOSTON (02-Feb) -- An explosive surge two-thirds of the way through the men's 3000m here tonight at the 18th New Balance Indoor Grand Prix propelled Ethiopia's Hagos Gebrhiwet to a new world junior and meet record of 7:32.87, also a world-leader. Yet the 18 year-old's mark was eclipsed in importance for the partisan crowd by American high schooler Mary Cain, 16, who smashed the USA high school and junior records for two miles and 3000m by wide margins.Cain, who broke the USA high school mile and 1500m indoor records at last Saturday's New Balance Games in New York City, ran in a pack of professional woman who trailed Ethiopian superstar Tirunesh Dibaba by more than half a lap.  Dibaba won easily in a world-leading 9:13.17, but it was Cain who got the biggest cheers when she sprinted to a third-place finish in 9:38.68.  That mark smashed Melody Fairchild's USA high school record of 9:55.92 which had stood for nearly 22 years.  En route, Cain split the 3000m mark in 9:04.51, breaking both Fairchild's high school mark of 9:17.4, but also Aisling Cuffe's junior record of 9:15.56 set last year."I definitely felt very strong," said Cain.  "I was trying to stay in the race as much as I could, and stay really relaxed."  She said that she was inspired by being in the same race as Dibaba. "It was really an honor to run against her.  It was amazing to be in the same race."Gebrhiwet's mark came at the end of the meet in a thrilling head-to-head race.  The Ethiopian teenager matched strides with America's Olympic 10,000m silver medalist Galen Rupp through 2000 meters before boldly launching into the lead.  Gebrhiwet, who finished 11th at last summer's Olympic 5000m, broke away from Rupp over the last kilometer with a powerful surge, hitting the finish tape in 7:32.87.  His mark just eclipsed the previous world junior record of 7:32.89 run by Kenya's Isiah Koech in Liévin last year.Close behind him, the crowd roared as Rupp clocked a personal best 7:33.67, a mark which was just 1.24 seconds off of Bernard Lagat's American record.  His coach was less concerned about the record, but rather that Rupp had competed well."We don't worry about times," said Alberto Salazar, who coaches Rupp and double Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah.  "Galen would have liked to break that American record today, but he's just going to go in and compete.  If the race is right he might break it."Reigning World Championships bronze medalist Matthew Centrowitz won a tactical mile in 3:56.26, holding off a final charge to the tape by Will Leer (3:56.35).  Centrowitz was happy to win, but he had anticipated a faster race, something he was ready for."I didn't expect it to be tactical, nor did I want it to be tactical," Centrowitz lamented.  "I've told you guys for a couple of weeks now I'm fit, I was ready to run fast.  I guess with the way the field went the conditions today it just ended up being tactical."The women's mile went very slowly, allowing Morocco's Btissam Lakhouad to take the win using her superior sprint speed.  She was timed in 4:39.23, and didn't mind the slow race."It was a good race," she said in French.  "It was my first race of the year and it was good."Phoebe Wright nipped her training partner Erica Moore in the homestretch of the 800m, coming from third place to win in 2:03.96 to 2:03.98.  Moore, last year's World Indoor Championships 800m bronze medalist, was also beaten at this meet last year in a sprint finish against Maggie Vessey and Ethiopia's Fantu Magiso.  She said she didn't blame Wright for her tactics."I would have done the same thing," she said wryly.The junior miles were won by Henry Wynne (4:11.73) and Wesley Frazier (4:48.94).  Neither mark was close to the meet records.

Feb 3, 2013

Ecstasy and Agony for Cain and Rupp

Déjà vu for the Nike Oregon Project   For the second weekend in a row, the spotlight was on the Nike Oregon Project. Mary Cain and Galen Rupp took center stage and were poised to break more American indoor records.   Rather than try and watch two separate meets at the same time, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix graciously offered a convenient back-to-back showing for the fans. The venue would be different, but the story would remain the same.   First, ecstasy. Then, agony.   The penultimate event of the meet would feature Cain attempting to break (or officially validate) the girls’ indoor high school 2-mile record of 9:55.92, set by Melody Fairchild in 1991. She had already run 9:02.10 indoors a few weeks prior at the University of Washington, so this attempt seemed fairly inevitable.   Although Tirunesh Dibaba was clicking off NBIG-record splits, the fans with watches weren’t necessarily concentrating on first place. Mary Cain had once again bought herself a ticket to ride along in the train full of professionals. She neatly tucked herself into the pack and calmly clicked of estimated 73-second splits.   Unfortunately, Dibaba was so far ahead that 200m splits would be impossible to take due to the camera focusing on the lone Ethiopian. Thankfully, it was announced that Cain had split 4:50 for the first mile. Well under record pace.

Feb 2, 2013

Rupp Ready for Boston 3k Challenge, Maybe American Record

RUPP READY FOR BOSTON 3-K CHALLENGE, MAYBE AMERICAN RECORD By David Monti (c) 2013 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.   BOSTON (01-Feb) -- Galen Rupp has returned to this frigid New England city after several days at home in Portland, Ore., where he said he prefers the warmer weather at this time of year.  Nonetheless, the warmth he felt from Boston fans last Saturday at the Terrier Invitational here --where he ran his world-leading and personal best 3:50.92 mile-- has him brimming with confidence in anticipation of tomorrow's 3000m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.   "Well, obviously, I had a good race last week and that has given me a ton of confidence coming into this meet," Rupp said at a press conference here today.  "Last year, I had my first race here at Boston and I love running on this track.  I've had some great races here in the past.  The people here are great; the fans are unbelievable at the meet."   Rupp, 26, the reigning Olympic silver medalist at 10,000m who holds five USA track titles, is sure to score a big personal best tomorrow.  His fastest mark for 3000m --indoors or out-- came at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha where he clocked 7:42.40 and placed fifth.  However, he surely went through 3000m at a faster clip when he ran his American best 8:09.72 two-mile in Fayetteville last February.  Assuming a level pace, he would have passed 3000m in 7:36.5.   As a distance, the 3000-meters is a essentially a hybrid of the 1500 and 5000-meter races.  In fast 3-K's, men split the first half in 3:45, a time faster than Henrik Ingebrigtsen of Norway ran in winning last summer's European Championships 1500m.  Rupp, who said he has enjoyed running the 3000m since high school, said it's quite different than running the mile.   "The mile, you're going from the gun, it's really hard from the start, and usually the guys who are running the mile are great 800-meter and 400-meter (runners) for that matter," Rupp explained.  "Three thousand meters, you're getting into more of the distance guys who do that." He continued: "It's nice because you feel like you're running really fast when you come down from 5000, 10,000 meters, but it still has that endurance aspect for sure."   The American indoor record at 3000m is 7:32.43 set by Bernard Lagat in Birmingham in 2007.  Rupp would not say that Lagat's mark was his specific target, but said that he mostly hoped for a strong effort and another chance to work on his racing tactics.   "For this meet, you know, I want to get another really hard effort in and continue to work on closing hard," he said.  "That's really what these races are all about."   But when pressed, Rupp allowed that the record was possible if everything fell into place.   "It would be good to break it," Rupp said with genuine modestly.  "A lot of things have to go right for that stuff to happen.  Those things aren't promised; you just go ahead expecting to break the record.  Obviously, Bernard is a very talented guy, and it's a really fast time.  A lot of things have to go right to break a record like that.  If it happens, great.  But, we're really looking at this as another opportunity to compete against really top competition."   Matthew Centrowitz, the 2011 IAAF World Championships bronze medalist, has been training with Rupp (he'll run the mile here tomorrow).  He said that he's been impressed with Rupp's training which has been mutually beneficial.   "It's been obviously intense," said the usually easy-going Centrowitz.  "It's like nothing I've seen at Oregon. So, it's been great for me, it's been great for him and we push each other day-in and day-out."   Ironically, Rupp is now a faster miler than Centrowitz, whose personal best is 3:53.92.  But Rupp doesn't think that has left Centrowitz the least bit intimidated.   "I don't think he's worried about me in the slightest," Rupp said.  "That's his distance.  He didn't win a bronze medal last year (2011) for nothing.  He's one of the top guys in the world; his focus isn't on me."   That may not be completely true.  When asked which athlete would have the fastest mile time at the end of this indoor season Centrowitz, who will run the NYRR Wanamaker Mile in New York on Feb. 16 said: "Talk to me in two weeks."

Feb 1, 2013

Matt Centrowitz & Tirunesh Dibaba announced for NB Indoor Grand Prix

Matt Centrowitz Headlines Mile in Boston

Jan 17, 2013

Phenom Mary Cain to Debut in Boston 2-Mile

Phenom Mary Cain to Debut in Boston 2-Mile BOSTON (Jan. 14, 2013) – America’s new distance prodigy Mary Cain, fresh off of a record-setting performance this weekend, will compete in the open 2-Mile at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on Feb. 2, organizers announced today.

Jan 14, 2013