After a victorious debut in the NYRR Wanamaker Mile at the 2012 Millrose Games, Matthew Centrowitz will return to defend his title this year on February 16.
Centrowitz, who ran 3:53.92 last year, the fastest time ever in the Armory, will attempt to break Bernard Lagat’s Wanamaker Mile record of 3:52.87.
Arguably America’s top miler, Centrowitz is the 2011 IAAF World Championships bronze medalist at 1500 meters and finished fourth in the 2012 London Olympic 1500 meters this past summer.
Also last year, he won the Fifth Avenue Mile Presented by Nissan, defeating Lagat and Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano.
Centrowitz’s top competitor will be two-time Olympian Lopez Lomong, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team flag bearer. They will be challenged by a strong field of professional athletes, including Robby Andrews, who finished fifth in the 2012 Olympic Trials 1500 meters; Ryan Gregson, the Australian record holder for 1500 meters; and Miles Batty, who set an NCAA record of 3:54.54 at the NYRR Wanamaker Mile last year.
Also entered are collegians Ryan Hill (North Carolina State), Lawi Lalang (University of Arizona), and Chris O’Hare (University of Tulsa), who will all be gunning for Batty’s record.
Rounding out the field are 2012 Olympic steeplechaser Donn Cabral of the USA, Irish Olympian Ciarán O’Lionaird, world-class Americans Garrett Heath and Jordan McNamara and Mitch Goose, 2012 cross country All American from Iona College.
“I’ve never been this fit this early, it’s really exciting for me,” said Centrowitz. “I’m definitely going after Bernard Lagat’s meet record; and, if the race goes really well, I could get Bernard’s American record, too (3:49.89). Every year when you plan for the season you always plan for a few special meets you get excited for. Millrose is the one for my indoor season, especially now that it’s in the Armory on such a great track. I really look forward to racing in New York in front of my friends and family and repeating as NYRR Wanamaker Mile champion.”
High school standout Mary Cain of Bronxville, NY, will take on a field of top collegians and professionals. Cain, who is coached by three-time New York City Marathon champion Alberto Salazar, will try to break four records in the same race: the USA junior and high school marks for both 1500 meters and the mile. This month, Cain ran 9:02.10 for 3000 meters, the fastest time ever run by an American high school girl.
The women’s field includes Abbey D’Agostino (Dartmouth), who placed fifth in the 2012 Olympic Trials at 5000 meters; Jordan Hasay (University of Oregon), the 2011 NCAA indoor mile and 3000-meter champion and Emma Coburn (University of Colorado), the reigning Olympic Trials 3000-meter steeplechase champion.
Among the professional women are Americans Ashley Higginson, Delilah DiCrescenzo, Kate Grace, Sarah Bowman, Emily Infeld, and Renée Tomlin, and Canadians Sheila Reid, Nicole Sifuentes, and Hilary Stellingwerff.
The 106th Millrose Games will be the second stop of USA Track & Field’s nationally televised 2013 Indoor USATF Championship series. The meet will be shown live on ESPN3 and again on ESPN at 8:00-10:00 p.m. (The time of the live ESPN3 coverage will be announced soon.)
The USATF Championship Series also includes the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, MA, on February 2 and the USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships in Albuquerque, NM, on March 1-2.
Tickets to the 106th Millrose Games can be purchased online by going to the website link below; for group sales, call the Armory at 212.923.1803 (extension 7010 or 7037).
