Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
This Day in Track & Field–September 11
1956—Competing in front of 100,000 spectators, who were in Moscow’s Lenin Stadium for a political meeting, Vladimir Kuts made good on a record attempt in the 10,000-meters, running 28:30.4 to better the previous mark of 28:42.8, which was set two months earlier by Hungary’s Sándor Iharos. Ironically, Iharos had regained the World Record for 5000-meters from Kuts (for the 2nd time) in 1955.
A distant 2nd in the race was fellow Soviet Pyotr Bolotnikov (29:37.0), who would take the record away from Kuts four years later with his clocking of 28:18.8. Kuts would win Olympic gold in the 5000 and 10,000 later in the year in Melbourne, Australia.
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_10,000_metres_world_record_progression
Racing Past: http://www.racingpast.ca/john_contents.php?id=121
1968—Geoff Vanderstock won the 400-meter hurdles in 48.8 (auto-48.94) at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Echo Summit to break Rex Cawley’s 4-year old World record of 49.1, which had been set at the 1964 U.S. Trials in L.A. Also making the team were Boyd Gittens (49.1/49.27) and Ron Whitney (49.2/49.36).
Gittens had led going into the far turn, but was caught by Vanderstock as the runners emerged from behind the huge trees on the infield.
Hugging the rail as usual, Tom Farrell (1:46.5), who was last after the first 400, won the 800 to make his 2nd Olympic team. Wade Bell (1:47.1) was a clear 2nd, while Ron Kutschinski (1:47.8) won the battle for the 3rd spot on the team over 18-year old Mark Winzenried (1:47.9). Farrell went on to win Olympic bronze in Mexico City.
World Record holder Jay Silvester (207-6 [63.25]) won the Discus, with Gary Carlsen (205-2 [62.54]) placing 2nd. Keeping his record of never having won at the U.S. Trials intact, Al Oerter (204-8 [62.39]) finished 3rd to set the stage for winning his historic 4th gold medal in Mexico City.
The Track in the Forest:
https://www.amazon.com/Track-Forest-Creation-Legendary-Olympic/dp/0897339371
https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/track-in-the-forest–the-products-9780897339377.php
Results: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1968.pdf
History of the Trials
https://trackandfieldnews.com/usa-olympic-trials-history/
Sports Illustrated Vault: https://vault.si.com/vault/1968/09/23/triumph-and-tragedy-at-tahoe
1977—Kate “The Great” Schmidt threw 227-5 (69.32) with the old-style javelin in Fürth, Germany, to break the World Record of 226-9 (69.12), which was set by East Germany’s Ruth Fuchs in 1976. It was also the 10th and final American Record of her Hall-of-Fame career. Schmidt was the bronze medalist at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics.
AR Progression: http://trackfield.brinkster.net/RecProg_AllUSA.asp?RecCode=WR&EventCode=WF8&Gender=W&P=F
Hall of Fame Bio(1994): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/kate-the-great-schmidt
1993—The Chinese onslaught continued at the National Games in Beijng as Qu Yunxia ran 3:50.46 to set a World Record for the Women’s 1500-meters. Wang Junxia, who had smashed the World Record for 10,000-meters earlier in the Games, ran 3:51.92 to also better the previous mark of 3:52.47, which had been set by the Soviet Union’s Tatyana Kazankina 13 years earlier in 1980. Qu’s mark stood for 22 years until Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba ran 3:50.07 in Monaco in 2015.
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres_world_record_progression
All-Time List
1500: http://www.alltime-athletics.com/w_1500ok.htm
2015—Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon won the Mile at the Diamond League Final in Brussels in 4:16.71, the fastest time in the world in 19 years. The Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan finished 2nd in 4:18.20, while Shannon Rowbury (4:22.10) edged American rival Jenny Simpson (4:22.18) for 3rd.
https://worldathletics.org/news/news/diamond-race-summary-2015
Results: https://www.diamondleague.com/fileadmin/IDL_Default/files/documents/2015/Brussels/Results.pdf
Video Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnPsr9YOYGQ
2022—For the 2nd year in a row, runners from Scotland were the winners at the 5th Avenue Mile. (Josh Kerr and Jemma Reekie made it 3 years in a row in 2023).
Laura Muir, the runnerup in 2016, put on an amazing show in the Women’s race, run while a light rain fell. She pulled away from the field after the ½-way mark and never looked back. Her effort led to a quick winning time of 4:14.8, which broke the event record of 4:16.1 that was set by Jenny Simpson in 2019. Nikki Hiltz finished 2nd, just as they did in 2021, and ran 4:17.4, a time that would have won most of the past editions of the race. Eleanor Fulton (4:18.0) capped off her breakthrough year by finishing 3rd (4:18.0), and 4th was another Scot, Jemma Reekie (4:18.3), the defending champion.
Some runners, including Hiltz, thought that Muir’s sudden spurt was just an attempt to win the $1,000 bonus that is annually given to the leader at the ½-mile mark. It turned out that was the strategy laid out by Muir and her coach, Andy Young, who rightfully figured that no one would go with her.
Jake Wightman (3:49.6), the 2022 World Champion at 1500-Meters, was a repeat winner in the Men’s race, edging ahead of Jake Heyward (3:49.9) in the final 100-meters. They were followed across the line by Sam Prakel (3:50.4), Eric Holt (3:50.7), and Cole Hocker (3:50.7). Wightman, who also won this race in 2018, had finished 3rd in the 800-meters just 3 days earlier in Zurich.
Winning the $1,000 half-way bonus for the 3rd time was Sam Parsons, who wound up finishing 11th with a respectable time of 3:52.9.
It was a fitting ending of the season for Muir and Wightman, who had each medaled in three Championships this year, all within the space of a month.
Muir was the bronze medalist in the 1500-Meters at the World Championships before winning gold at the Commonwealth Games (bronze in the 800) and the European Championships.
Wightman, in addition to winning gold at the WC (where he upset Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen), also won bronze at the Commonwealth Games, and silver in the 800 at the European Championships.
For many years, Coogan’s, the now-shuttered bar/restaurant near NY’s Armory, would host the post-event festivities, where the runners could celebrate the end of a long season. Filling the void this year were Kyle Merber, a 4-time participant in the event, and Chris Chavez, who, in addition to providing refreshments for the runners, hosted a CitiusMag podcast from an “undisclosed” location in Manhattan.
Featured in the first half of the entertaining podcast were Geordie Beamish, Andrew Coscoran, and Jake Wightman, and they were followed by Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie, and Hannah Nuttall. (See link below)
Other Sections: https://results.nyrr.org/event/22FAM/customStatistics
Post Event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5cZwuG-QFY
Eleanor Fulton(post race): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHtZNh4P7fI
A Look Back at the History of the Race:
https://lopemagazine.com/2018/10/04/donald-trump-5th-avenue-mile-sponsor-nyrr/
Born On This Day*
Antonio Watson—Jamaica 24 (2001) 2023 World Champion—400m
As the defending champion, he has a bye into this year’s Worlds, which begin this weekend.
2017 World Youth Champion
PBs: 10.21 (2022), 20.49 (2023), 44.13 (2023); 2025 SB: 20.67, 44.89
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Watson
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/antonio-watson-14737996
2023 WC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz6TN14SOEY
Joe Fahnbulleh—Liberia 24 (2001) 2022 NCAA Champion-100,200 (Florida)
2021 NCAA Champion—200 (5th in the 100)
Turned professional after the 2022 NCAA Championships
5th in the 200 at the Tokyo Olympics, 7th in 2024; 4th at the 2022 World Championships, 9th in 2023
2019 New Balance H.S. Champion-100, 200
PBs: 9.98 (2023), 19.83 (2022); 2025 SBs: 10.13, 20.27
Born in Hopkins,Minnesota, represents Liberia, the birthplace of his parents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fahnbulleh
Florida Bio: https://floridagators.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/joseph-fahnbulleh/14143
College Stats: https://www.tfrrs.org/athletes/7531871/Florida/Joseph_Fahnbulleh.html
’22 NCAA 100 (7th half-way through the race): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68q2CcmklY4
’22 NCAA 200: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aogy9fo4ge8
Cassandra Tate 35 (1990) 2012 NCAA Champion—400m-Hurdles (LSU)), 4×400 (indoors);
Bronze medalist at the 2015 World Championships; 7th-2017)
2014 World Indoor Champion—4×400
2016 IAAF Diamond Race Champion ($40,000)
2014 World Indoor Champion—4×400
5th 2016 and 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, 8th in 2024; 5th-2019 & 2023 U.S. Championships
PB: 54.01 (2015); 2025 SB:55.59;
’16 DL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si61dWA14ow
https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/cassandra-tate
https://lsusports.net/sports/tf/roster/player/cassandra-tate/
Liam Boylan-Pett 40 (1985) Anchored Columbia to an upset win in the 4×800 at the 2007 Penn Relays (see link below)
Columbia grad Bob Hersh had the conflicted role of calling the race as the Relays PA announcer. As a fan, he
wanted to be jumping up-and-down as Boylan-Pett came roaring down the homestretch, but somehow
restrained himself, with his voice rising only when it became apparent that the Lions would win!
PBs: 1:46.66 (’12), 2:19.70i (/13), 3:37.05 (’12); 3:57.75 (’12)
Penn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42EnTOvFnhM
Articles: http://www.runnersworld.com/person/liam-boylan-pett
Penn 4×800-Columbia?: https://journal.tracksmith.com/here-comes-columbia
Breaking Down the Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbAYais_QWg
Vivian Cheruiyot—Kenya 42 (1983) 4-time Olympic medalist:
2012-5000 (silver), 10,000 (bronze)
2016-5000 (gold), 10,000 (silver)
5-time World Champion:
2009-5000
2011-5000, 10,000, X-Country
2015-10,000
Silver medalist in the 5000 at the 2007 World Championships
Silver medalist in the 3000 at the 2010 World Indoor Championships
Winner of the 2018 London Marathon
PBs: 4:06.65 (2007), 8:30.53i (2009), 8:28.66 (2007), 9:12.35i/2-miles (2010/#8 A-T Indoor, #11 A-T overall),
14:20.87 (2011), 29:32.53 (2016/#8 A-T), 1:06:34 (2019), 2:18:31 (2018)
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/88160
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivian_Cheruiyot
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/vivian-jepkemoi-cheruiyot-14288971
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