Josh Kerr's decision to forego racing pays off with win in 1500 at Ultimate Champs...
BUDAPEST--Josh Kerr (photo courtesy Brooks Running) of the Seattle based Brooks Beasts, who probably could have raced more this season if he desired, intentionally kept his outdoor racing schedule light compared to many of the other men who toed the line with him for the start of the men's 1500 meters on the final day of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships at the Nemzeti Atlétikai Központ Sunday night.
Going into the Ultimate Championships, the Brit only raced outdoors five times: two 800 meter races in Los Angeles in May and June; the London Diamond League meet, where he set the world record in the mile of 3:42.66; and a semi and the final of the mile at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, about an hour by car from his hometown of Edinburgh, where he won in 3:54.12.
While not qualified for the Ultimate Championships on world rankings, his world record in the mile, plus his victory in the 3000 at the world indoor championships in March were sufficient to earn him an exceptional invitation into the meet.
With the withdrawal of Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen from the race after winning the 5000 on Friday, Kerr became the heavy favorite (though the television graphics made you believe otherwise due to his world ranking of 84 entering the race) along with Australia's Cam Myers, even though the field also included former world champions Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya and fellow Brit Jake Wightman, along with Paris Olympic champion Cole Hocker and bronze medalist Yared Nuguse of the USA.
German Robert Farken, who was in the London Diamond League race where Kerr set the world mile record, kept the early pace honest without rabbits or pacing lights, taking them through 400m in 57.09 and 800m in 1:55.29.
He was soon overtaken by Nuguse, who injected a big surge with 500m to run. Nuguse led through 1200m in 2:49.91 but by then Kerr – who’d run most of the race buried in the pack – navigated his way to exactly where he likes to be: on the shoulder of the leader with 300m to run.
Myers was tracking him and when the gears began to turn, he made a much better fight of it than he had in the Commonwealth Games final, but Kerr was just too strong, a 26.02-second last 200m handing him another global title to go with his 2023 outdoor 1500m crown, which he won in this very stadium.
Kerr clocked 3:29.35 ahead of Myers (3:29.68) with USA’s Hobbs Kessler third in 3:30.73. Olympic champion Cole Hocker was next home in 3:30.74, and Nuguse in fifth in 3:30.76.
By ducking under 3:30, Kerr and Myers also got under the qualifying standard for next year's world championships in Beijing.
Kerr gave the inaugural Ultimate Championship a stamp of approval. “This sport has moved on in the past couple of years and I'm impressed where it is now,” he said. “Anything that can move the sport in the right direction and do good for athletes, I support.”
Courtesy of NBC Sports, here's video of the race:
MILLER FINISHES FOURTH IN 800 FINALS...
In the men's 800, Kerr's Brooks Beasts teammate Brandon Miller (photo courtesy USA Track & Field) of the USA finished fourth, running 1:42.54.
Miller was in the middle of the pack for most of the race, going through 400 in 50.45, but couldn't quite close the gap between him and Marco Arop of Canada, and reigning world and Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya, who Miller beat at the London Diamond League meet in July.
Algeria's Djamal Sedjati, who was in third entering the home stretch, surged to pass both Arop and Wanyonyi to take the win and the $150,000 first prize in 1:41.91.
Arop was second in 1:42.28, and Wanyonyi third in 1:42.44.
Miller will take home $25,000 for his fourth place finish.
The top seven finishers all ducked under the Beijing qualifying standard of 1:43.00.
Washington alum Gianna Woodruff of Panama finished seventh in the women's 400 hurdles final after a fast start, finishing in 53.89.
USC alum Jasmine Jones of the USA took home the $150,000 first place money and the Ultimate trophy in a season best 52.45, followed by Slovakia's Emma Zapletalová in 52.68, and Woodruff's training partner Anna Cockrell of the USA in 53.09.
Woodruff's seventh place finish was worth $12,000. She also won't have to worry about qualifying for next year's world championships, as the top seven all went under the standard of 54.00.
SAM PRAKEL SEVENTH AT NEW BALANCE FIFTH AVENUE MILE IN NEW YORK...
On the streets of New York, Seattle resident Sam Prakel finished seventh at the New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile Sunday afternoon.
Prakel covered the twenty block course that started on 80th Street in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and finished on 60th Street near the south entrance of Central Park in 3:48, and Villanova alum Marco Langon won in 3:45.
Gary Martin of the Brooks Beasts was eighth in 3:48, with teammate Brannon Kidder 11th in 3:51.
Washington alum Aidan Ryan was 13th in 3:52.
In the women's race, Laura Pellicoro of the Brooks Beasts finished 11th in 4:24, while teammate Kayley DeLay, who was second last year, was 13th in 4:26.
Jemma Reekie of Great Britain set a course record in winning in 4:14.
NOTE: World Athletics, Brooks Running, USA Track & Field and the New York Road Runners contributed to this report.
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