Elite Fields for 5th Avenue Mile Set

By Adam Kopet

Jenny Simpson and Nick Willis will be looking to break records in New York City on Sept. 9. The pair are both entered in the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, according to an event press release.

Simpson is looking to extend her winning record to seven 5th Avenue Mile titles. A year ago, she broke the event record, running 4:16.6. That record win came about a month after Simpson earned her third IAAF World Outdoor Championships medal. She captured silver in the 1,500 meters.

Challengers to Simpson's dominance include Emma Coburn, who won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at last year's World Championships, and Colleen Quigley, who was the NYRR Wanamaker Mile champion in February.

Willis equaled the record of four men's 5th Avenue Mile titles in 2017. This year he will be looking to own the record outright with five. The New Zealand athlete is a two-time Olympic 1,500 medalist, earning a silver in 2008 and a bronze in 2016.

He will be challenged by Matthew Centrowitz, the 2016 Olympic 1,500 champion, and Chris O'Hare of Great Britain, who finished runner-up at last year's event. Also in the race are Lopez Lomong, who has shown range this year from the mile up to the 10,000, and Boris Berian, the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships 800 gold medalist.

See the press release for a full list of elite 5th Avenue Mile competitors.