NYPD Running Club and charity runners participate in 9/11 Memorial Mile
New York, September 11, 2022 – Olympians and World Championships medalists Jake Wightman and Laura Muir led a British sweep of the professional athlete titles at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile on Sunday, with Muir breaking the event record for women. The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile – the world’s most iconic road mile race since 1981 – stretches 20 blocks down Manhattan’s most famous thoroughfare and featured one of the strongest professional athlete fields in recent history.
Muir, an Olympic silver medalist who already won a World Championships bronze, European Championships gold, and a Commonwealth Games gold and bronze this summer finished first in 4:14.8, breaking Jenny Simpson’s event record of 4:16.1 from 2019.
“This was the last race of my season and it was hard, but I kept thinking to myself 200, then 100 meters to go to get to the line,” Muir said. “I did all I could to leave it all out there.”
American Nikki Hiltz finished as the runner-up for the second consecutive year in 4:17.4, and was followed by American Eleanor Fulton in third in 4:18.0. Last year’s event champion Jemma Reekie of Great Britain was fourth in 4:18.3. All of their times were within the top 10 in event history.
Wightman, who won World Championships gold over 1,500 meters in July, won his second consecutive and third overall New Balance 5th Avenue Mile title in 3:49.6 – the 10th fastest time in event history. Great Britain’s Jake Heyward and American Sam Prakel were second and third, respectively, in 3:49.6 and 3:50.4.
“I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better, to finish my season here at my favorite meet of the year,” Wightman said. “The chance for me to be able to celebrate the end of my season here in New York is fantastic.”
The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile featured more than 8,000 runners this year. In addition to one of the strongest professional athlete fields in recent history, this year’s event featured a 9/11 Memorial Mile with NYPD runners and participants from Answer the Call Foundation and Tunnel to Towers Foundation, as well as a Back to School Mile for youth ages 2-18, a George Sheehan Memorial Mile for seniors, and NYRR Road Mile Championship heats.
About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.
