After how fast and smooth Yared Nuguse ran late Saturday night in New York City, chasing the once celebrated 4-minute mile on the track might become passé.
With his dominating performance in the Wanamaker Mile, Nuguse might have signaled a new era in the classic imperial distance — the quest for the world’s first sub-3:47 mile on an indoor track. The 23-year-old American middle-distance phenom and former Notre Dame standout sprinted away from a strong field to win the world’s most famous indoor mile race in 3:47.38, the second-fastest time in history.
That eclipsed Bernard Lagat’s American record by more than two seconds and came within a half a stride off of Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha’s 2019 world indoor record of 3:47.01.
In the final race of the 115th Millrose Games at The Armory Track & Field Center, Nuguse made it look relatively easy. The On Athletics Club runner charged ahead at the end of the penultimate lap of the eight-lap race, opened up a gap over the UK’s Neil Gourley and OAC training partners Mario Garcia Romo of Spain and Oliver Hoare of Australia, then surged full speed ahead into the final…
