Mottram, Douma-Hussar win on Fifth Avenue

New York, USAHelsinki 5000m bronze medallist Craig Mottram of Australia won the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City Saturday afternoon (24) in 3:49.9, taking the lead from American Alan Webb (3:51.4) in the final 150m. Earlier, Canadian Carmen Douma-Hussar won the women's race in 4:28.0.

WOMEN - Douma-Hussar a patient winner

Douma-Hussar, ninth in the Helsinki World Championships 1500m and seventh at the World Athletics Final barely two weeks ago, relied on patience for her win. Young New Zealander Kim Smith, who trains in Providence with second-place finisher Amy Rudolph (4:28.5), set the early pace as the course headed downhill from the 80th Street start. Smith opened a gap on the field immediately and held it on the slight uphill in the second quarter, reaching the course's high point at halfway in 2:15.

Douma-Hussar was unshaken. "I was trying to run within myself," she explained afterward. "I had to let her go. I knew it would take a gradual effort to bring her back."

That effort began in the third quarter, as the course slopes downhill from 70th street towards the finish line just past 60th. Douma-Hussar closed Smith's gap by the 3/4 mile mark, then pulled away. Douma-Hussar was only the first to pass; Smith eventually finished eighth in 4:31.9, as first Rudolph, then U.S. 1500m champion Treniere Clement led the field by in unsuccessful pursuit of Douma-Hussar.

Douma-Hussar credited her coach, Marcus O'Sullivan, himself an experienced Fifth Avenue Mile competitor (though never champion) for her successful plan. "Marcus usually doesn't give me specific tactics," she explained. "This time, he told me that when you come over that hill at halfway, you need to realize you're not there yet just because you can see the finish line."

After a season which started in February with a mile win at the Millrose Games some thirty blocks south of the Fifth Avenue Mile finish line, Douma-Hussar claimed no difficulty with staying mentally sharp. "I've been trying to maintain fitness, but I love racing and I'm glad I had another chance to do it today."

MEN - Mottram reverses Oslo places

Barely five minutes after the women crossed the finish line, the men lined up twenty blocks north. Alan Webb, the U.S. 1500m champion and focus of much pre-race discussion, was the aggressive early leader for this race, following pacemaker John Itati through the first quarter in 54 seconds.
When Itati dropped off the pace at halfway after leading Webb through the uphill second quarter, Webb was left in charge with a 1:54 halfway split and a clear view to the finish.

"I thought I was alone," said Webb afterward. "I hadn't seen anybody except [Itati] since the start." And while Webb did have a significant lead over a chase pack including Mottram, Portuguese star Rui Silva, and Kenyan Elkanah Angwenyi, he didn't have the long legs of the 188 cm (6' 2") Mottram.

Mottram, meanwhile, had anticipated just such a scenario, and had prepared carefully. "My coach told me I'd have two pacemakers, one dropping out at halfway, and Alan," Mottram quipped. "He's always aggressive about how he approaches his races. The first quarter was a little quick for me, and after we went through in 54, 55, I thought I'd back off a bit going up that hill, and make sure the third quarter was the strongest. (With my height) I can really roll down that hill; I think Rui found the pace a bit tough."

Mottram closed on Webb through the third quarter, but didn't actually make contact until the pair were in what would be the last lap of a track race.

By then, Webb, who was trying to win "the hardest way possible," as Mottram put it, lacked the momentum of the charging Australian. Webb was unable to defend his lead when Mottram took it for good with just over 100m remaining.

"I ran the course last night at 6:00 PM, on the sidewalk," Mottram said of his preparation. "Then I came out this morning at 7:00, just after they closed the roads, and ran back and forth a few times, stopping and walking over the parts I thought would be important."

By defeating Webb here in New York, Mottram reversed their finish order over the Mile on the track at the TDK Golden League meeting in Oslo in July, where Webb (fourth) bested Mottram (fifth) 3:48.92 to 3:48.98, in career-best times for both. Mottram also opened his season with a win in New York, at the Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park in May.

He now plans to rest before training for the Commonwealth Games in March. Webb's next race, as his plans currently stand, will also be in New York City, when he runs the U.S. cross-country championship, which will take place in Van Cortlandt Park.

Parker Morse for the IAAF

RESULTS

Men
1. Craig Mottram AUS 3:49:9
2. Alan Webb USA 3:51.4
3. Elkanah Angwenyi KEN 3:54.3
4. Anthony Famiglietti USA 3:57.1
5. Rui Silva POR 3:57.4
6. James Thie UK 3:58.4
7. Jason Lunn USA 3:59.6
8. Kevin Sullivan CAN 4:01.4
9. Nate Brannen CAN 4:03.4
10. Issac Viciosa ESP 4:08.4

Women
1. Carmen Douma-Hussar CAN 4:28.0
2. Amy Rudolph USA 4:28.5
3. Treniere Clement USA 4:28.7
4. Carrie Tollefson USA 4:29.2
5. Amy Mortimer USA 4:30.3
6. Jenelle Deatherage  USA 4:31.6
7. Jen Toomey USA 4:31.7
8. Kim Smith NZ 4:31.9
9. Sinead Delahunty-Evans IRL 4:32.3
10. Lindsey Gallo USA 4:33.1