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Five Olympic Medalists to Headline Star-Studded New Balance 5th Avenue MilePublished by
Five Olympic Medalists to Headline Star-Studded New Balance 5th Avenue Mile Professional Athlete Field on Saturday, September 3NYRR Release 1500-meter Olympic gold medalist Matthew Centrowitz leads men’s field, while Team New Balance stars and Olympic bronze medalists Jenny Simpson and Emma Coburn highlight women’s field World’s most iconic road mile race to be streamed live on USATF.tv and to include specialty heats for youth, seniors, and NYPD/FDNY New York, August 29, 2016— Fresh off of podium appearances at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, gold medalist Matthew Centrowitz and bronze medalists Jenny Simpson, Emma Coburn, and Clayton Murphy, will race New York City’s most prestigious thoroughfare on Saturday, September 3, when they compete in the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, it was announced today by New York Road Runners. Eighteen Olympians will be in the professional athlete field – 16 of whom competed in the Rio 2016 Games – with two of those athletes having previously won the 5th Avenue Mile, including returning women’s champion Simpson, who with another victory would become the winningest athlete in 5th Avenue Mile history with five titles. “The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile field will be full of star power, with Jenny aiming to defend her title and become the most iconic athlete in the race’s history, and Matthew looking for another first-place finish after a dream Olympic trip to Rio,” said Peter Ciaccia, president of events for New York Road Runners and race director of the TCS New York City Marathon. “This event will be a fantastic opportunity for these athletes to close out the tremendous seasons they’ve had, and fans everywhere will have the chance to watch them do so on USATF.tv.” Centrowitz, 26, of Portland, OR, won the 1500 meters at the Rio 2016 Olympics, closing his final lap in 50.62 seconds to take the gold medal. With the victory, he became the first American man to win the Olympic 1500 meters since 1908. Earlier this year, he won the NYRR Millrose Games Wanamaker Mile in a world-leading 3:50.53 and the 1500 meters at the IAAF World Indoor Championships. The 2012 5th Avenue Mile champion finished fourth in last year’s edition of the event. “I’m very excited to head back to New York City, not only as the world indoor champion, but to be recognized now as an Olympic champion,” Centrowitz said. “New York City is always a second home to me. After winning the NYRR Wanamaker Mile – I was the first guy to win the double [both Wanamaker and Fifth Avenue Mile titles in the same year] a couple years ago – hopefully I can repeat and do that again.” Simpson, 30, of Boulder, CO, is the only four-time women’s champion of the 5th Avenue Mile, having won the event each of the last three years, and is coming off a bronze-medal performance in the 1500 meters at the Rio 2016 Olympics. She is the first American woman in history to medal in that event at the Olympics. The New Balance athlete is also a two-time IAAF World Championship medalist over 1500 meters, and last month she finished first in the distance at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to qualify for her third Olympic Games. Before shifting to the 1500 meters, Simpson was the American record-holder in the 3000-meter steeplechase, placing ninth in that event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “There is a wave of unprecedented talent in the middle distances in this country, and the Olympic medal haul by our crew is a testament to that,” Simpson said. “I've always enjoyed celebrating the end of a hard fought season at the New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile, and it has been fun returning many times as the defending champion. This year promises to be one I'll never forget, as I return to the race as an Olympic medalist. The New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile will host a number of our country's medalists this year, and so it's going to be a stellar field I have to face. But what a great opportunity for athletes and fans to show off and celebrate this year's Olympic success with a final mile right through the heart of NYC.” Additional Top Men’s Professional Runner Backgrounds and Notable Performances
Additional Top Women’s Professional Runner Backgrounds and Notable Performances
Top Professional Men’s Runners
Top Professional Women’s Runners
The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile will be comprised of 23 races this year, including specialty heats such as the NYPD/FDNY Mile, the George Sheehan Memorial Miles for runners 60 to 69 and 70+, and the women’s and men’s NYRR Road Mile Championships, featuring top local athletes. There will also be short-distance kids’ races for kids ages 2-6. The professional women’s race begins at 1:15 p.m. (ET), followed by the professional men’s race at 1:30 p.m. (ET). The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile will be available live on USATF.tv, the digital streaming platform of USA Track & Field powered by RunnerSpace. A complete replay of the event will be available soon after the conclusion of the live coverage and will be made available to subscribers of the +Plus platform on USATF.tv. +Plus subscribers have access to hundreds of live and on-demand events in track and field and road racing including training videos, athlete profiles and exclusive content. More news |