Cameron Myers runs 3:46.06, an Oceanian record, to win the Bowerman Mile
The Australian beat Yared Nuguse by half a second at Hayward Field, the first Australian to win the race; Robert Farken set a German record in seventh.
Photograph: Hayward Field, University of Oregon, Eugene, home of the Prefontaine Classic, by Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsCameron Myers won the Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday afternoon in 3:46.06, an Oceanian record and the first win in the race by an Australian.
The pacemaker, Abraham Alvarado, took the field through 400 m in 55.82 and 800 m in 1:52.03. Myers was in front at 1200 m, in 2:49.73, and stayed there. Yared Nuguse was second in 3:46.61, a season's best, and Ethan Strand third in 3:46.97, a personal best. Hobbs Kessler ran 3:47.38 and Timothy Cheruiyot 3:47.39, both lifetime bests, with the Olympic 1500 m champion Cole Hocker sixth in 3:47.57. Robert Farken was seventh in 3:47.76, a German record. Vincent Ciattei, Azeddine Habz and Gary Martin were all under 3:49.
Myers had won the 1500 m in Paris a week earlier and goes to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow at the end of the month. Australian Athletics quoted him as "super excited"; the time says more. Ten men broke 3:49 in one race.
Jessica Hull was the other Australian in the distance events, fifth in the women's mile in 4:18.03 behind Nikki Hiltz.
A mile is four laps and one decision. Myers made his at 1200 m and nobody answered.
Sources: Diamond League results; Athletics Weekly; Australian Athletics; Wikipedia.
