World road mile record holder Sam Prakel leads USA team into world road champs Sunday...
University of Washington volunteer coach and world record holder in the road mile Sam Prakel (photo illustration courtesy World Athletics) is entered in the mile as it makes its debut as a world championship event at the road running championships.
Prakel, who won the US road mile title back in April in 4:01.21, comes to the world road championships as a marked man, as the initial world record holder in the event.
In Friday's pre-meet press conference, the Oregon alum said, “The mile is something I’ve been racing since a very young age. Everyone knows it’s not the fastest record, but it’s a testament to my consistency and always showing up to every race.
“When they announced this event last year, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I even scheduled my wedding for a week later so I could be here for this.”
Prakel admitted the road is his favorite surface and Sunday’s race will be his 17th road mile. He knows it presents a very different tactical challenge to the track. “The strategy is a little different, mentally,” he said. “In a road mile, you’re having to go off feel. I’m good at knowing my body and gauging my effort. Knowing the course is important. Every road mile I do, I study the course.”
He will be joined in the race by recent UW grad Kieran Lumb of Canada, who ended his track season by setting two straight national records in the 3000 meters, first running 7:38.92 in Rovereto, Italy on September 6th, then lowering it four days later in Zagreb, Croatia by running 7:36.46.
Washington alums Izzi Batt-Doyle of Australia and Jack Rowe of Great Britain are both entered in the half marathon through the streets of Riga.
The men's mile gets underway at 1:10 pm local time (3:10 am Pacific), with the women's half marathon starting 20 minutes later. The men's half marathon begins at 2:15 pm local time (4:15 am Pacific).
World Athletics is offering a free live stream of the road running championships via this link (registration required).
CROSS COUNTRY ROUNDUP...
In Louisville, Kentucky, the Eastern Washington women's cross country teams ran to a 14th place team finish at the Louisville Classic hosted by the University of Louisville at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park.
The Eagles scored 451 points in the 36-team field over the 5k course. They were led by Natty Ruzauskas, who finished 78th overall in 18:10.
Gladys Chepngetich of Clemson won the race in 16:44. Division II powerhouse Grand Valley State, currently ranked the number 2 team in D2, took the team title with 58 points to beat Adams State, the current number one team in the country in Division II by a 58-95 count.
The men's 8k race saw the Eagles finish 24th in the 39 team field with 642 points, as Grand Valley State, the nation's number 4 team in D2, beat number 2 Adams State by a 104-105 count.
Noah Hasselblad led the way for Eastern, running the 8k course in 24:32 to finish 49th. William Amponsah of West Texas A&M won the race in a time of 23:09.
In Walla Walla, Ansel Tucker's second place finish led the way, as Gonzaga ran to an easy victory at the Whitman Open at Veteran's Memorial Golf Course Saturday morning.
Tucker completed the 8k course in 24:37, as Logan Law of Gonzaga, competing unattached, won in 24:35.
Washington State's Ethan Martin was the top runner for the Cougs, finishing 23rd in 25:32. Washington State was third with 83 points, just behind Whitworth's 82.
Eastern Washington, which did not have a complete team, was led by Austin Steed in 19th in 25:28.
Maddie Brennen led Eastern Washington to the women's team title with her third place finish over 6k, running 22:59.
Sophia Cushman was the lone runner for Washington State, placing ninth in 23:33.
Eastern, which only entered five runners, squeezed out a 39-41 victory over Northwest Nazarene.
In Salem, Oregon, Azalea Groleau finished fifth in the women's 5k race at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational to lead Seattle University to a second place team finish.
Groleau ran 17:26, as the Redhawks scored 84 points to finish behind College of Idaho's 62 points in the 23 team field that included numerous small schools from the Northwest.
Sage Martin of College of Idaho won the race in 17:18.
In the men's 8k, Yonas Sauers was SeattleU's top finisher, as he placed second in 23:53 to finish behind Matthew Donis of Mt. SAC, who ran 23:38.
The Redhawks finished eighth in the 25-team field with 239 points, as Eastern Oregon won with 77 points to edge Mt. SAC by two points.
NOTE: The sports information offices of the University of Louisville, Gonzaga University, Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, and World Athletics contributed to this report.
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