Yomif Kejelcha breaks world indoor mile record in Boston
Just two weeks after his 1500m mark was broken, another of Hicham El Guerrouj's world indoor records fell as Yomif Kejelcha stormed to a 3:47.01 mile in Boston.
The Ethiopian had first come close to the Moroccan's world indoor mile record at the Millrose Games, as he ran 3:48.46 to miss it by just 0.01, and he was then in the race in Birmingham where El Guerrouj's world indoor 1500m record was broken, but by his compatriot Samuel Tefera with a time of 3:31.04 ahead of Kejelcha's 3:31.58.
In Boston the two-time world indoor 3000m champion's aim had been to break both the mile and 1500m world record marks in the same race. The Alberto Salazar-coached runner just missed the latter but his split time of 3:31.25 puts him third on the world indoor all-time list behind Tefera and El Guerrouj.
A lot goes into a 3:47 mile.
Kejelcha and his team of rabbits (Harun Abda, Christian Harrison, Erik Sowinski) plus NOP coaches Tim Rowberry and Alberto Salazar. pic.twitter.com/XaBOLwy1hg
— Jonathan Gault (@jgault13) March 3, 2019
Running behind three pacemakers, Kejelcha passed 809m in 1:52. He went on to hit the bell with 3:18.54 on the clock and ran a 28.47 last lap to eventually take 1.44 seconds off the previous world indoor record set by El Guerrouj in 1997.
Johnny Gregorek finished second in 3:49.98 to put himself second on the American indoor all-time list.
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