Jakob Ingebrigtsen Runs Fastest Mile In 24 Years With 3:43.73, Tows Yared Nuguse Under Alan Webb's 2007 American Record By Nearly Three Seconds

By David Woods for DyeStat

Tim Healy photos

EUGENE, Ore. – In the book “Endure,” written by Tim Hutchinson and published in 2018, there is a scientific analysis of all the components influencing running and other endurance sports. But a central theme was this: It is mostly the mind.

So it was Saturday that in the Bowerman Mile, it was not only Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Yared Nuguse challenging each other and the world record. It was the two of them exploring the outer reaches of their brains and bodies.

“We’re not here to do anything else than to push ourselves out there and see how fast we can run,” Ingebrigtsen said. “So, of course, that’s what this sport is all about – to push the limits.”

Slowly, then swiftly, and finally inexorably, the 22-year-old Norwegian and 24-year-old American separated from the fastest milers in the world.

INTERVIEWS | PHOTOS by Tim Healy and Becky Holbrook

In a Eugene Diamond League/Nike Prefontaine Classic race featuring the buzz and energy of old Hayward Field – an environment not exceeded at last year’s World Championships  – Ingebrigtsen and Nuguse completed historic seasons. Not in this century – not since 1999 – had anyone run a mile so fast.

“I feel like that was truly a Hayward Magic moment,” Nuguse said.

Ingebrigtsen held on to win in 3:43.73, a Pre Classic record in the Diamond League final. Nuguse was a step and half behind in 3:43.97.

Not since Monaco on July 7, 1999 – when Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj set a world record of 3:43.13, beating the 3:43.40 by Kenya’s Noah Ngeny – had anyone run sub-3:44.

At Friday’s news conference, Ingebrigtsen told Nuguse to stay close to him, and he’d break the American record. Nuguse almost did more.

While Ingebrigtsen was his imperious self afterward, there was doubt about the outcome. Not the self-doubt Nuguse claims he has, but doubt Ingebrigtsen could avoid being overtaken, as he was in the 1,500 meters at the past two World Championships.

Nuguse thought he had a chance. No. He knew he had a chance.

“You could see today, he was smelling it,” said Ray Flynn, the former Irish miler who is Nuguse’s agent.

At every 100-meter checkpoint from 200 meters to the end, Nuguse was two- to three-tenths behind Ingebrigtsen. It was 3:28.9 to 3:29.2 at 1,500.

“Coming to the last 200, I knew I had a little more because I always do,” Nuguse said. “I kept pushing it. Obviously, he’d have a little more, too, and I couldn’t close that gap.”

He obliterated the American record of 3:46.91, set by Alan Webb in a Belgian village in July 2007. Running is such a side hustle for Nuguse – whose career goal is dentistry – that he had never heard of Webb until his On Athletics teammates clued him in.

“He’s not a running geek. He’s just free,” Flynn said. “He runs, and he loves running.”

Webb had predicted 3:46.1 for Nuguse, who outdid the most far-fetched scenarios. Usually undemonstrative, he waved at the crowd afterward and pumped his right arm.

“I have, like, goals I feel are achievable,” Nuguse said. “Then I get to a certain time, ‘Nah, we’re not going to do that yet.’ I feel like it’s always coming later, and it always ends up coming sooner than I think.”

He capped one of the most extraordinary seven-month periods in U.S. middle-distance running. Beginning in February, he set American records indoors in the mile and 3,000 meters, outdoors in the 1,500 and mile, and won two Diamond League races. He was fifth in the World Championships at Budapest, or 0.87 behind winner Josh Kerr of Great Britain.

Budapest was also the sole blot on Ingebrigtsen’s year. He set world records for two miles and 2,000 meters, European records for 1,500 (twice) and mile, won European indoor titles at 1,500 and 3,000, won world gold at 5,000. And Ingebrigtsen is coming back to race Sunday’s 3,000 at Pre.

He said this race was comparable to his European 1,500 record of 3:27.14  – set July 16 at Chorzow, Poland – and complained afterward about the backstretch wind, inadequate pacing and inability to see wavelights at midday. He said he was not necessarily aiming at the world record but asked for pacemaking one tenth under it.

“Definitely some things that’s possible to improve,” Ingebrigtsen said.

Top nine ran to personal bests.

Great Britain’s George Mills continued his late-season surge to seize third in 3:47.65. Mario Garcia Romo broke Jose Luis Gonzalez’s 38-year-old Spanish record to place fourth in 3:47.69, and Kenya’s Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot was fifth in a World Under-20 record of 3:48.06.

Cole Hocker, after missing two months of winter training with Achilles injuries, bettered his PB by more than two seconds to place sixth in 3:48.08. It was redemptive for Hocker, a former Oregon miler who missed last year’s World Championships after an injury scuttled his bid to make the U.S. team. He was seventh at Budapest.

“That was really special,” he said. “That’s kind of what I told myself warming up, on the line. Just don’t sacrifice this opportunity. I don’t think I did.”

Hocker climbed to No. 4 on the all-time U.S list behind Nuguse, Webb and Steve Scott. Hocker was just ahead of Norway’s world bronze medalist, Narve Gilje Nordas, 3:48.24. Hocker, still just 22, said he would go home to Indianapolis to rest before buildup to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“The medals are in mind. Let a alone a medal, but I want to go for a gold medal,” Hocker said.

Niels Laros, 18, completed his breakthrough season by finishing ninth in a Dutch national record of 3:48.93.

Nuguse, Mills, Romo, Cheruiyot, Hocker, Laros – all of them – can thank Ingebrigtsen. He joked nobody's thanking the main pacemaker, him.

Nuguse did.

“He elevates all of us and pushes all of us to achieve things we didn’t think we could achieve,” he said.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007