Walt Murphy is one of the finest track geeks that I know. Walt does #ThisDayinTrack&FieldHistory, an excellent daily service providing the true geek’s stories about our sport. You can check out the service for FREE with a free one-month trial subscription! (email: [email protected] ) for the entire daily service. We will post a few historic moments each day, beginning February 1, 2024.
This Day in Track & Field–February 16
by Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected]), used with permission.
(c)Copyright 2024-all rights reserved. May not be reprinted or retransmitted without permission.
(’63 Mason-Dixon, ’68 NYAC-Boycott, Coghlan, ’13-Millrose/Born On This Day-Kallur Twins, Cathy Freeman, Cacho/R.I.P.-Ferdinand Bie[Jim Thorpe Connection])
2019—An Ethiopian broke the World Record in the Men’s 1500 meters at the IAAF World Indoor Tour meeting in Birmingham, England, but it wasn’t pre-race favorite Yomif Kejelcha, who had come oh-so-close to breaking Hicham El Guerrouj’s record (3:48.45) for the Mile the week before when he ran 3:48.46 in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games at NY’s Armory. Instead, it was his countryman, Samuel Tefera, the 2018 World Indoor Champion at the distance, who overtook Kejelcha with 100 meters to go to win in 3:31.04, breaking El Guerrouj’s 22-year-old mark of 3:31.18. Kejelcha finished 2nd in 3:31.58, the 3rd-fastest time in history.
The pacers did an excellent job in setting up the record, with the Netherlands’ Bram Som, 4 days short of his 39th birthday, taking the field through 400-meters in 55.69, and former Villanova star Jordy Williamsz leading at the 800m (1:52.70) and 1000m (2:21.27) splits.
It was “only” a British Record, but Scotland’s Laura Muir won the Women’s Mile in 4:18.75, good for the #3 position on the All-Time indoor list (at the time, now #8 performer). Along the way, she also lowered her British Record for 1500-meters to 4:01.83
IAAF/World Athletics Report: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/report/world-indoor-tour-birmingham-tefera-record
Video(1500): https://www.runnerstribe.com/latest-news/video-samuel-tefera-3-31-04-1500m-indoor-wr-birmingham-2019/
2021—Baylor’s K.C. Lightfoot cleared 19-5 ¾ (5.94) in the Pole Vault in Lubbock, Texas, breaking South Dakota’s Chris Nilsen’s Collegiate Record of 19-5 ½ (5.93).
2021—Texas A&M frosh Athing Mu made her collegiate debut on her home track, running 2:01.07 for 800-Meters to break Sammy Watson’s American Junior Indoor Record of 2:01.78.
2023—Anna Hall got the U.S. Indoor Championships in Albuquerque off to a rousing start by setting an American Record of 5004 points in the 5-event Pentathlon. She smashed the previous mark of 4805 that was also set in Albuquerque in 2014 by Sharon Day-Monroe.
Albuquerque, New Mexico 2023-02-16
photo credit: © 2023 Kevin Morris
Hall, the bronze medalist in the Heptathlon at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene (she would win silver in 2023), needed to run 2:05.10 in the final event, the 800m, to break the World Record of 5013, set by Ukraine’s Nataliya Dobrynska in 2012. She went for it in Albuquerque’s thin air but fell just short with her time of 2:05.70. She’s now #2 on the All-Time World list, moving ahead of Great Britain’s Katrina Johnson-Thompson (5000).
Albuquerque, New Mexico 2023-02-16
photo credit: © 2023 Kevin Morris
“I knew the altitude was going to be a little bit of a factor (in the race),” Hall said. “I know I’m going to notice it, but I was just telling myself that the adrenaline makes up for it, and it just means that it will hurt more, but it doesn’t mean that I have to run slower. I ran it the same way I would no matter where I was in the world, and I just gave it everything I had and waited to see what happened.”
Albuquerque, New Mexico 2023-02-16
photo credit: © 2023 Kevin Morris
The former Florida Gator, who still trains in Gainesville, got off to a good start by setting personal bests in the 60m-Hurdles (8.04) and the High Jump (6-3 ¼ [1.91]. She followed with a decent throw of 45-3 ½ (13.80) in the Shot Put and a leap of 20-9 ¾ (6.34) in the Long Jump.
https://www.usatf.org/news/2023/hall-shatters-american-record-in-pentathlon-on-day
(There are some reports stating that she had indoor bests in the SP and LJ, but that’s not the case).
Interview: https://www.dyestat.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=videos&video_id=349691
Videos(for subscribers): https://www.usatf.tv/gprofile.php?do=videos&mgroup_event_id=25&mgroup_id=45365&year=2023
From Hall’s Twitter account
Anna Hall@annaahalll
# 2 in world history and not going to lie it stings
but American Record ️
the best is yet to come!!
