LOMONG BREAKS USA INDOOR 5000M RECORD: 13:07.00
By David Monti
(c) 2013 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - Used with permission.

Running in a specially arranged race in the Columbia Final Qualifier meet in the Armory in New York City, two-time Olympian Lopez Lomong set a pending USA 5000m indoor record of 13:07.00, just eclipsing Bernard Lagat's mark of 13:07.15 set on the same track at the Millrose Games in 2012.  Lomong's mark had been reported at 13:06.99, but was later taken up to 13:07.00.

The race was arranged by Nike coach Jerry Schumacher with the goal of getting as many of his athletes the IAAF "A" standard of 13:15.00 for the 2013 World Championships.  In addition to Lomong, former Stanford star Chris Derrick got the standard with his 13:12.00 clocking in second place, making him the third-fastest American of all time behind Lagat and Galen Rupp (13:11.44).  Andrew Bumbalough finished third in 13:23.68.

Travis Mahoney of the NJ-NY Track Club, and Dan Huling of Schumacher's group, provided pacing, taking the nine-man field through the first kilometer in 2:38.9, and the 1600 (just short of 1 mile) in about 4:14.  Mahoney was the first to drop off, then Huling, and the field hit 3200m in about 8:25.  After that Evan Jager, the USA steeplechase record holder, fell back and Lomong and Derrick began to pull clear, eventually finishing 1-2.  Every athlete who finished set an indoor personal best.

Several hundred fans witnessed the race, according to New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg who attended the event and whose organization had provided travel assistance to the group.

RESULTS: 1. Lopez Lomong 13:07.00 AR, 2. Chris Derrick 13:12.00 PB, 3. Andrew Bumbalough, 13:23.68 PB, 4. Elliott Heath 13:33.22 PB, 5. Evan Jager 13:33.37 PB, 6. Matt Tegenkamp 13:35.46 PB, 7. Girma Mecheso 13:45.61 PB.

PHOTO: Evan Jager, Chris Derrick, Andy Bumbalough, Elliott Heath, Lopez Lomong, Matt Tegenkamp, and Dan Huling at the Armory in New York City just before Lomong broke the American indoor 5000m record (photo courtesy of the Armory)

ENDS