by RBR AdminThis Day in Track & Field–February 8
1916—USC’s Howard Drew set a World Record of 10-flat for 100-yards at the NYAC Games, which were held at the 22nd Regiment Armory (the current Armory).
Drew had been favored to win the 100-meters at the 1912 Olympics, but pulled a muscle while winning his semi-final race in Stockholm. Ralph Craig, who had been beaten by Drew at the Eastern U.S. Olympic Trials, went on to win the gold medal in the 100 (and the 200).
Read more about Drew here: http://www.howarddrew.com/
A 2nd World Record was set by future Hall-of-Famer Ted Meredith, who ran 59.8 for 500-yards.
(For Subscribers):
https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/02/09/100189843.html?pageNumber=8
1921—Joie Ray had won the Wanamaker one-and-a-half mile at the Millrose Games 4 years in a row (1917-1920), but was no match tonight for Hal Cutbill (6:55.6), who beat him tonight by 20 yards.
Dartmouth junior Earl “Tommy” Thomson won the 70-yard High (9.0) and Low (8.2) Hurdles races. Competing for his native Canada, Thomson won the gold medal in the 110-Meter Hurdles at the 1920 Olympics.
Thomson, who lived in the U.S. from the age of 8, went on to become a coach at Dartmouth and Navy and was inducted into the U.S. Hall of Fame in 1977. (He coached Billy Mills leading up to his win in the 10,000-meters at the 1964 Olympics).
(For subscribers): https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1921/02/09/107008287.html?pageNumber=21
1930—Ray Conger won his 2nd Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in front of 17,000 fans at Madison Square Garden. His winning time of 4:21.8 remains the slowest in the history of the iconic race.
(For subscribers): https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1930/02/09/92074382.html?pageNumber=104
1958—In a rare occurrence, Manhattan College senior Tom Murphy anchored both the winning Mile and 2-mile relays at the Millrose Games. Joe Soprano ran the 3rd leg on both teams. Murphy finished 2nd in the Athlete of the Meet voting to Ron Delany, who won the Wanamaker Mile, his 19th consecutive indoor mile win, in 4:04.6, just one second off the World Record. (Attendance-16,500)
This was also the first major meet I ever attended—I tagged along with my dad and other family members to watch my cousin Tom run, and I haven’t missed a Millrose Games since!
https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/02/09/91385790.html?pageNumber=208
1974–George Woods raised the World Record in the Shot Put to 72-2 ¾ (22.02m) at the L.A. Times meet in Inglewood, CA.
1976—Poland’s Tadeusz Ślusarski raised the World Record in the Pole Vault to 18-3 (5.56) in Warsaw, 2 days after Dan Ripley cleared 18-2 ¼ (5.54).
1980–Running on a brand new Madison Square Garden track at the Millrose Games, and before the biggest (and loudest) crowd in indoor history (18,310), Mary Decker set a world record of 4:00.8 for 1500-meters. With talk of an Olympic boycott in the air, Decker went through the first 1/4-mile in 60.8, a faster pace than had been run in the just-completed Wanamaker Mile! Decker had just returned from New Zealand, where she had set an outdoor World Record of 4:21.68 in the mile (January 26).
Other records set at the meet: Stephanie Hightower, the former USATF President, ran 7.47 to set a World Record in the 60-yard hurdles, Joni Huntley set an American Indoor Record of 6-4 ¼ (1.94) in the High Jump, and UTEP’s Suleiman Nyambui set a Collegiate Record of 13:39.2 in the 5000-meters.
Slaney’s run was #4 on Howard Schmertz’s list of his “10 Most Memorable Millrose Moments”:
“Returning to the Millrose Games for the first time since she won the “1000” at the age of 15 in 1974, Mary Decker captivated the Garden crowd as no other athlete ever had.”
After two laps of the 1500 meters, Mary had opened up a 40-yard lead and the announcement of her quarter-mile time of 60.3 (60.8?) (faster than in the Wanamaker Mile won by Eamonn Coghlan[3:58.2] earlier) brought the crowd to its feet.”
“It was quickly apparent that Francie Larrieu’s Millrose record of 4:15.0 would fall. As Mary passed the half-mile in 2:05.9, Larrieu’s American record of 4:09.8 was in jeopardy. The 18,000+ spectators cheered wildly as this lovely and graceful athlete pushed on toward Romania’s Natalia Maracescu’s World Indoor Record of 4:03.0. The ear-splitting crowd noise during the last half of the race surely set a sustained decibel record. As she hit the finish tape an 80-yard winner, in a World Indoor Record 4:00.8, Mary Decker became the all-time darling of the Millrose Games. Mary eventually won 4 more Millrose races, at the Mile, with her last victory in 1997 – 23 years after her first Millrose triumph.”
And from the Sports Illustrated Vault: “Now, as Decker sailed into her second quarter, her thick halo of curly hair bouncing in jaunty counterpoint to her effort, Coghlan stood underneath the stands, talking to some reporters about his victory. Suddenly, Craig Masback, who had finished third in the mile (3:59.8), interrupted. “Get this,” he said (with a smile) to Coghlan. ” Mary Decker just turned the quarter in 60. I think she’s going for your San Diego record.” That essentially ended Coghlan’s conference as everyone broke to watch, and cheer, Decker.” Read more at:
1986–World Records in the Pole Vault didn’t last long during the 1986 season. Joe Dial had gotten the 5th record of the campaign when he cleared 19-4 ¾ (5.91m) the week before and Billy Olson, who held the previous mark of 19-3 ¾ (5.89) discovered early on the 8th that Sergey Bubka had just raised the mark to 19-5 (5.92) in Moscow. Having all day to think about that before competing at the Vitalis/Olympic Inv. at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, Olson responded with his 4th record of the season, clearing 19-5 ½ (5.93) on his first attempt. Olson didn’t have long to enjoy the moment, since Bubka would raise the record twice more during his visit to the U.S., clearing 19-5 ¾ (5.94) at the L.A. Times meet and 19-6 ¼ (5.95) at the U.S. Championships.
1986—19-year old Zola Budd-Pieterse set a World Indoor Record of 8:39.79 for 3000-Meters in Cosford, England
1987–Switzerland’s Wernor Günthör set a World Indoor record in the Shot Put with his winning toss of 73-1/2 (22.26) in Magglingen, Switzerland.
1991–Competing at the Vitalis/Meadowlands Inv., where Eamonn Coghlan set the Mile World Record of 3:49.78 in 1983, 20-year old Noureddine Morceli of Algeria fell short in his attempt to set a new mark (and collect the $100,000 bonus that was on the line). His winning time of 3:50.81 was still the 3rd-fastest in history, trailing only Coghlan, who had also run 3:50.6 in 1981.
It was only a year or two earlier that meet director Ray Lumpp received a call from his old friend, Ted Banks, who had been the head coach at UTEP during that school’s incredible NCAA run during the 1970s and early 1980s. Banks was now at Riverside Community College in California and was asking Lumpp if he had room in his mile for this promising young runner he was now coaching. Saying his field was full, Lumpp politely turned down Banks’s request. The runner, of course, was Morceli!
1992–Germany’s Heike Henkel cleared 6-9 ½ (2.07) in Karlsruhe to set a World Record in the Women’s High Jump. The mark stood for 14 years until Sweden’s Kajsa Bergqvist jumped 6-9 3/4 (2.08) in 2006.
2008–Illinois’ Lesiba Mosheto, a senior from Botswana, ran 1:00.82 to set a Collegiate Record for 500-meters at the New Balance Collegiate Inv. at NY’s Armory (Since broken, now #4 All-Time).
2019—Tori Franklin set an American Indoor Record of 47-9 ¾ (14.57) in the Triple Jump in Madrid. She finished 2nd to Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas, who jumped 48-11 1⁄2 (14.92).
2020—20-year old Armand “Mondo” Duplantis continued his amazing journey in the Pole Vault by setting an “absolute” World Record of 20-2 ¾ (6.17) in Toruń, Poland, breaking the previous mark of 20-2 ½ (6.16) that was set by France’s Renaud Lavillenie in 2014.
Duplantis was hugged by his fellow vaulters before making his way to the stands to share a hug with his mother Helena.
Saison 2021 / 2022
ISTAF-Indoor
Foto: Lukas Schulze/camera4
“How do you explain a dream that’s been a dream since you were three years old?”, said Duplantis, who holds many age-group records. “It’s a big dream, too. It’s not a little dream. And it’s a whole process building up to that moment. I can’t really get my head around it.”
The dream would continue the following week when he raised the record to 20-3 ¼ (6.18) in Glasgow, Scotland!
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7NSdXOhNZI
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/report/duplantis-world-pole-vault-record-torun
2020—Three American Records were set in the space of 70-minutes at the Millrose Games at NY’s Armory.
Donavan Brazier ran 1:44.22 in the Men’s 800 to break his own year-old mark of 1:44.41.
This record was totally unexpected, with Elle (“Ellie”) Purrier, a farm girl from Vermont, smashing Mary Slaney’s 38-year old mark of 4:20.5 with her winning time of 4:16.85 in the Women’s Wanamaker Mile.
Ajee’ Wilson also took down her own year-old Record of 1:58.60 by winning the Women’s 800 (for the 5th time) in 1:58.29.
In other highlights, Scotland’s Chris O’Hare won the Men’s Wanamaker Mile in 3:55.61 for the 2nd time in 3 years, Ryan Crouser won the Men’s Shot Put (72-9 ¾ [22.19]) for the 2nd year in a row, beating Joe Kovacs (70-1/4[21.84]), his conqueror at the previous year’s World Championships in Doha, and Sandi Morris won the Women’s Pole Vault with a Meet Record clearance of 16-1 ¼ (4.91).
In the Men’s 3000, a race won by former Syracuse star Justyn Knight (7:46.36), Nico Young, a senior at Newbury Park(CA) H.S., finished 11thth in 7:56.97 to break the U.S. High School Record of 7:59.33, set by Drew Hunter (Loudoun Valley,VA) in 2016.
There was the usual post-meet celebration at Coogan’s, but no one knew at the time that it would be the last one, since the beloved gathering place shut its doors for good soon after due to the pandemic!
Results: https://results.nyrrmillrosegames.org
https://www.letsrun.com/events/2020-nyrr-millrose-games/
https://ny.milesplit.com/meets/373055-the-nyrr-millrose-games-2020/coverage#.YCEyKC1h3BA
Videos
M-800: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-jEfbgJB6Q
W-MILE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuQHaZ41wDE
W-800: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=aCj1g4teOsc
M-MILE(Subscription Required): https://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45365&do=videos&video_id=295023
Significant Birthdays
Born On This Day*
Shelby Houlihan 32 (1993) 2014 NCAA Champion—1500m (Arizona State)
Finished just out of the medals in the 1500-meters at the 2019 World Championships in Doha—placed 4th and set an
American Record of 3:54.99
Set an American Record of 14:23.92 for 5000-meters in 2020.
U.S. Titles (13)
2017: Indoors/Mile, 2-mile; Outdoors/5000
2018: Indoors/1500,3000; Outdoors/1500,5000
2019: Indoors/2-mile; Outdoors/1500, 5000; X-Country
2020: Indoors/1500, 3000
Finalist in the 5000-meters at the 2016 Olympics (11th) and 2017 World Championships (13th)
PBs: 1:59.92 (2019), 3:54.99 (2019/NR), 4:23.68i (2020/O.T.), 9:31.38/2m (2019),
14:23.92 (2020/#2 A-T U.S.)
Received a 4-year ban in 2021 after testing positive for a banned substance. Her appeal was denied by the Court
of Arbitration of Sport shortly before the beginning of the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. Would have been
considered a medal contender in the 1500 and/or the 5000 at the Tokyo Olympics.
The ban ended on January 13, 2025, and she returned to competition on February 1, running a quick 8:31.56 for
3000-meters
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelby_Houlihan
https://xc.tfrrs.org/athletes/3652110.html
Ban (It includes Houlihan’s Instagram post where she first revealed that she had tested positive)
Return: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko9HTNfq87g
https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a63640069/shelby-houlihan-first-race-back/
Genzebe Dibaba—Ethiopia 34 (1991) 2015 World Champion—1500m; Younger sister of Tirunesh Dibaba
5-time World Indoor Champion—2012 (1500), 2014 (3000), 2016 (3000), 2018 (1500,3000)
2016 Olympic silver medalist—1500m;
Suffering from an undisclosed illness, she finished 12th in the 1500 at the 2017 World Championships, then
withdrew from her heat of the 5000. A heel injury kept her out of 2019 World Championships in Doha.
Ran 1:05:18 in the half-marathon in Valencia, Spain, in December, 2020.
Made her marathon debut in Amsterdam in 2022—ran 2:18:05(was 2nd)
World Record holder (w/current all-time placing)
1500—3:50.07 (2015/#2)
Mile—4:13.31 (2016-indoors/#4 overall)
2000—5:23.75 (2017-indoors/#3 overall)
3000—8:16.60 (2014-indoors/#1 overall)
2-miles—9:00.48 (2014-indoors/#3 overall)
5000—14:18.86 (2015-indoors)
Other PBs: 1:59.37 (2017), 2:33.06i /1000m (2017/#8 All-Time), 3:55.17i (2014/#2 A-T),
4:14.30 (2016/#3 A-T Outdoors), 5:27.50/2k (2014/#5 A-T Outdoors) , 8:21.29/3k
(2019), 14:15.41(2015), 2:18:05 (2022)
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genzebe_Dibaba
WR Video(1500): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aE5ZMQwiUE
http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/genzebe-dibaba-comes-out-of-her-sisters-shadow
Zersenay Tadese—Eritrea 43 (1982) Winner of 12 medals in global competition
Gold(6)-20k (2006), XC (2008), ½-Marathon (2007,2008,2009, 2012)
Silver(3)-XC (2005), 10,000 (2009-WC), ½-Marathon (2010)
Bronze(3)-10,000 (2004 Olympics), XC (2008,2009)
PBs: 7:39.93 (2005), 12:59.27 (2006), 26:37.25 (2006), 58:23 (2010-World Record), 2:10:41 (2012)
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zersenay_Tadese
https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/eritrea/zersenay-tadese-14167401
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/scorching-5823-world-half-marathon-record-by-1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5tcgpHIaw0
