Josh Kerr will go head-to-head against Yared Nuguse in the Wanamaker mile while Georgia Bell makes her Millrose debut

The 117th edition of the Millrose Games, set to take place on Saturday (February 8), is living up to its reputation as the premier indoor meet of the season, delivering yet another highly anticipated field of athletes.

One year after stealing the spotlight with standout performances, Josh Kerr and Yared Nuguse return to New York’s World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meet with hopes of making a similar impact. But this time the two will go head-to-head.

In 2024, Kerr smashed Mo Farah’s world indoor record of two miles as he clocked 8:00:67 while Nuguse clinched the Wanamaker Mile title for the second consecutive year, clocking the third-fastest time in history of 3:47.83.

Soon after, the pair faced each other at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, where Kerr emerged victorious with 3000m gold.

Neither athlete has raced since September, with Kerr’s last appearance being his win at the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York. Now, both will line up for the Wanamaker Mile as Nuguse enters the race holding two of the top three fastest indoor mile times ever, including the North American indoor record (3:47.38).

Kerr, meanwhile, owns the European record at 3:48.87. Both athletes will have their sights set on Yomif Kejelcha’s world indoor record of 3:47.0, which could very well be challenged on Saturday.

However, Kerr and Nuguse will not have an easy path to victory. Hobbs Kessler, the world road mile champion, finished second in last year’s Wanamaker Mile with 3:48.66, ranking fifth on the all-time indoor list.

Lining up alongside him, Andrew Coscoran of Ireland and France’s Azeddine Habz are coming off impressive performances, with the duo claiming the top spots in the 3000m in Boston last weekend, both setting national indoor records.

Four-time German indoor champion Robert Farken will also challenge the field alongside the UK 1500m champion Neil Gourley.

On the women’s side, the Wanamaker Mile is equally competitive. Georgia Bell, the Olympic 1500m bronze medallist, will make her Millrose Games debut against a stacked field, including world indoor silver medallist Nikki Hiltz, current world leader Elise Cranny, Boston mile champion Heather MacLean and Kenyan indoor record-holder Susan Ejore-Sanders.

Last year saw Bell shave over seven seconds off her 800m personal best, dropping it to 1:56.28, and set a British record in the 1500m with 3:52.61. Her breakthrough year began at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow last year where she finished fourth in the 1500m as well as winning the UK Indoor Championships.

Joining Bell on the Olympic 1500m podium in silver position was Australia’s Jess Hull who will take on the 3000m in New York. She finished fourth at the World Indoors last year, setting an Oceanian indoor record of 8:24.39.

The field will also include Melissa Courtney-Bryant from Britain who won the 3000m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston last weekend with 8:28.69 to go No.2 on the UK all-time rankings.

Olympic finalist, Whittni Morgan, who currently holds the 5000m world lead, will also compete alongside Ethiopia’s Tsigie Gebreselama and Axumawit Embaye. Sarah Healy who is fresh off a 3000m Irish record (8:35.19) in Boston will also compete.

Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker is set to challenge himself and step up to the 3000m. Double Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher will also compete as he will be looking for victory after setting the American record in the two miles last year (8:03.62).

Lining up alongside them will be multiple French record-holder Jimmy Gressier, Commonwealth 1500m champion Olli Hoare and Australia’s Stewart McSweyn.

The men’s 800m will see Bryce Hoppel attempt to defend his title after securing victory last year. If Hoppel, who finished fourth at the Olympics while setting the American outdoor record, secures a win it will be his third time winning in New York.

However, the world indoor champion will be up against an in-form Josh Hoey, who recently shattered the American 1000m record. Hoey also comes in with the momentum from a strong 1500m win in Boston last weekend, where he clocked 3:33.66, nearly five seconds faster than his previous best, as he finished ahead of Fisher.

In the women’s 800m, Olympic finalist Shafiqua Maloney, currently the world leader, headlines a strong field that also features Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin, alongside US athletes Nia Atkins and Addy Wiley.

Meanwhile, the hurdles promises high drama as defending Millrose Games champion Devynne Charlton returns, having set a world indoor record of 7.67 at this meet last year before lowering it even further to 7.65 in Glasgow.

This time, she will face Olympic gold medallist Masai Russell as well as Ackera Nugent, Denisha Cartwright and Olympic finalist Grace Stark.

The men’s 60m hurdles will see an all-American line-up featuring Dylan Beard, Freddie Crittenden, and Cordell Tinch.

Elsewhere, the women’s 60m sprint will see the same four sprinters from last weekend’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. Jacious Sears, who emerged victorious in that race, will take on Destiny Smith-Barnett, Celera Barnes and Zoe Hobbs.

A showdown in the men’s 60m is also on the cards as Italy’s 2021 Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs and 2016 world indoor champion Trayvon Bromell go head-to-head once again, following their clash in Boston. PJ Austin, who finished ahead of both athletes in that race, will also be in the mix.

Teenage sensation Quincy Wilson, fresh off setting a world under-18 indoor best of 45.66 over 400m in Boston, will take on the 600m.

He’ll line up against Brandon Miller, who holds the second-fastest indoor time ever in the event (74:03) and is chasing Donavan Brazier’s world best of 73.77. Alexis Holmes is expected to lead the charge in the women’s race.

In the pole vault, all eyes will be on two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist Katie Moon as she makes her return to the Millrose Games. After securing silver in Paris, Moon will be looking to surpass Jenn Suhr’s long-standing American record of 5.03m.

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