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The Fred Lebow Mile at the 99th Millrose Games was something of a rematch of the women’s mile at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games, with six of the nine entrants having competed there.
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In the Boston race, Canadian Carmen Douma-Hussar edged USA outdoor 1500-meter champion Treniere Clement (second) and 2004 NCAA champ Tiffany McWilliams (third) in a close finish.
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McWilliams ran immediately to the front…
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…but she was not a pacer. She was going for the win.
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The defending champion, Douma-Hussar sat comfortably behind McWilliams, never falling below third.
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Clement placed third (behind Douma-Hussar and Amy Rudolph) in the 2005 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile last September.
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2004 Olympians Mestawot Tadesse of Ethiopia and Courtney Babcock of Canada were also in the hunt…
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…as was two-time (1999, 2001) NCAA 1500-meter champion Mary Jayne Harrelson.
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American Jenelle Deatherage was sixth at the 2005 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile and eighth at Boston.
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The pack passed the quarter mark in 65 seconds with McWilliams, Mardrea Hyman of Jamaica, Douma-Hussar, and Tadesse leading.
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The second quarter slowed to 70 seconds and the race got more strategic. Douma-Hussar moved up to second just before the halfway mark, which was passed in 2:15.6.
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Douma-Hussar, also the silver medalist at the 2004 world indoor 1500 meters, won the New York mile “triple crown” (New Balance Games, Millrose Games, and Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue) in 2005. She won’t duplicate that feat this year, however, having placed second at the New Balance Games on January 22.
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The pace held steady through three-quarters, reached in 3:26. It was shaping up to be a kicker’s race.
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Douma-Hussar stumbled badly just before the bell, but turned on the jets to take the lead on the back stretch...
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...and secure the win in 4:35.64. Babcock grabbed second (4:36.00) with a powerful move on the last curve.
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Malindi Elmore held on for third (4:36.28) to complete the Canadian sweep of the top three.
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Tadesse was fourth in 4:36.52, with McWilliams taking fifth (4:37.43).
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Harrelson placed sixth (4:43.35)…
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… and Deatherage nabbed seventh (4:47.32).
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Clement rounded out the finishers in 4:51.22. Hyman did not finish.
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