On Sunday, an elite field took on the 2024 New Balance 5th Avenue Mile through the heart of New York City. Olympic silver medallist Josh Kerr of Scotland successfully defended his title at the event, clocking a blistering three minutes 44.3 seconds to demolish the 43-year-old event record of 3:47.52, set by Sydney Maree in 1981, by more than three seconds. The Brooks Beasts athlete demolished the entire field by almost five seconds.
This is the second record Kerr has taken from Maree–he also broke the South African’s 1,500m NCAA record in 2018. “It was a nice, nostalgic moment trying to go after his record today,” Kerr told reporters. Evidently, the 26-year-old rebounded quickly from a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Zurich Diamond League 1,500m on Thursday.
Josh Hoey of the U.S. followed the Scotsman’s win in a time of 3:48.9 to take second place. The 24-year-old Adidas athlete had only run one road race before his 5th Avenue Mile debut. Amon Kemboi of Kenya took third in 3:49.3 to round out the podium.
Kerr’s time would be a world record if the course were eligible. (Being a point-to-point, net downhill course, it is not record-eligible.)
Schweizer ties the course record
Nike Bowerman Track Club’s Karissa Schweizer stormed to win the women’s discipline by almost three seconds, matching the course record of 4:14.8 set by Scotland’s Laura Muir in 2022. The American, who usually focuses on the 5,000m and 10,000m distances and earned a top-10 finish in both events at the Paris Olympics, put her range and speed on display during an outstanding 5th Avenue Mile debut.
Kenya’s Dorcas Ewoi was runner-up to Schweizer in 4:17.3, also making her debut at the elite event. Susan Ejore, also of Kenya, took third in 4:19.
Full results to the event can be found here.
