A trio of top American middle-distance runners—Jenny Simpson, Mary Cain, and Matthew Centrowitz—will lead deep men’s and women’s professional fields at the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile on Saturday, September 13, 2014, it was announced today by Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. Simpson will attempt to become the first three-time winner of the women’s race and Centrowitz will try to repeat his 2012 victory. Cain, the 2014 World Junior champion at 3000 meters, will make her NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile and professional road race debut.

“The mile is a very familiar distance in running and serves as the backdrop for one of NYRR’s most unique and celebrated events, the Fifth Avenue Mile,” said Wittenberg. “In a footrace from the Met to Grand Army Plaza, Jenny, Mary, Matthew, and the rest of the professional field will take center stage on one of the world’s most popular streets as they headline a celebration of running with thousands of others of all ages and abilities, from the kids in our youth mile, to the seniors in the George Sheehan Memorial Mile.”

Simpson is one of the most decorated middle-distance athletes in American history. This summer, she lowered her 1500 personal best to 3:57.22 and captured the IAAF Diamond League series title in that event against the strongest competition in the world. In addition to Cain, Simpson will face 2012 Fifth Avenue Mile championBrenda Martinez of the United States, 2014 European Championships and Commonwealth Games medalistLaura Weightman of Great Britain, 2011 World Championships silver medalist Hannah England of Great Britain, and Kenyan distance standout Sally Kipyego.

“A dash down New York City's Fifth Avenue is the perfect final mile to my season,” said Simpson. “It will be fun to return home and do what I do best: the mile, in front of American fans.”

Cain took a chance in the fall of 2013 and decided to forgo her collegiate eligibility to turn professional as a member of the Nike Oregon Project. Her decision paid off: She won the 2014 Wanamaker Mile at the NYRR Millrose Games and the IAAF World Junior Outdoor Championships 3000 meters at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, OR. 

"I am very excited to be coming home for the Fifth Avenue Mile!” said Cain. “It'll be my first time competing in this historic road race, so I can't wait! I'm feeling really strong right now—training's going well and I have started to acclimate to living at the University of Portland! No matter what, this will be a lot of fun!"

Centrowitz has medaled in the 1500 meters at the last two IAAF World Championships: bronze in 2011(Daegu, South Korea) and silver in 2013 (Moscow, Russia). He’ll face tough competition from Kenyan Augustine Choge, the fastest miler in the field; American mile standout Will Leer; and Ciaran O’Lionaird, a 2011 World Championships 1500-meter finalist from Ireland.

"I've only had the privilege to race the Fifth Avenue Mile once in my professional career, and I can safely safe it's one of the most exciting races I've been part of,” said Centrowitz. “New York has always been a second home to me. Winning in 2012 was one of the highlights of the season and I'll be looking for the same result this year."

Featured Athlete Backgrounds and Notable Performances

• ·         Simpson, 28, of Boulder, CO, is the defending Fifth Avenue Mile champions. She won the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Championships at 1500 meters and returned to take the silver in 2013. This past summer, she captured the IAAF Diamond League series title at that distance. A former American record-holder in the 3000-meter, Simpson set a 1500-meter personal best of 3:57.22, the second-fastest performance in history by an American. 
• ·         Cain, 18, of Portland, OR, is the reigning World Junior Champion at 3000 meters and the reigning Wanamaker Mile champion. A native of Bronxville, NY (about 15 miles north of the Fifth Avenue Mile finish line), Cain holds several national junior records, and in 2013 she became the youngest American ever to qualify for an IAAF World Championships team.
• ·         Martinez, 26, of Big Bear, CA, is the 2012 Fifth Avenue Mile champion and the 2013 IAAF World Outdoor Championships 800-meter bronze medalist. She has the second-fastest 1500-meter personal best in the field (4:00.94) behind Simpson, and she represented the United States at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships at that distance.
• ·         Weightman, 23, of Great Britain, is the 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medalist and European Outdoor Championships bronze medalist at 1500 meters. The 2012 London Olympic 1500-meter finalist boasts a 1500-meter personal best of 4:00.17, the third-fastest in the field.
• ·         England, 27, of Great Britain, was the 1500-meter silver medalist at the 2011 IAAF World Outdoors Championships. She competed at the 2012 London Olympics in that same event and has run under4:29 at the Fifth Avenue Mile 5 times, one sub-4:29 performance away from tying the event record of six set by Shannon Rowbury of the United States.
• ·         Kipyego, 28, of Kenya, is the 10,000-meter silver medalist at the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Championships and the 2012 London Olympics. She has run the fastest 10,000 meters in the world this year and is the reigning NYC Half Champion, setting an event record (1:08:31) in her debut at the distance.
• ·         Centrowitz, 24, of Portland, OR, captured the bronze medal at the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Championships 1500 meters and improved to silver in 2013; he finished fourth in that event at the 2012 London Olympics. The 2012 Fifth Avenue Mile champion, Centrowitz is the seventh-fastest American all-time in the 1500 meters (3:31.09).
• ·         Choge, 27, of Kenya, was the 3000-meter silver medalist at the 2012 World Indoor Championships. He has run the fastest mile in the field (3:50.01) and the only sub-3:30 time for 1500 meters (3:29.47). Choge was the 5000-meter gold medalist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games at the age of 19 and represented Kenya at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
• ·         Leer, 29, of Marina Del Rey, CA, is the reigning Wanamaker Mile champion. The third-fastest miler in the field, Leer won both the 1500- and 3000-meter races at the 2013 U.S. Indoor Championships.
• ·         O’Lionaird, 26, of Ireland, took the 3000-meter bronze medal at the 2013 European Indoor Championships and was a 1500-meter finalist at the 2014 European Outdoor Championships and the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Championships. 

(i) = indoors; (r) = roads 

The professional men’s race will start at 12:45 p.m. and the professional women’s race will start at 1:00 p.m.New this year, the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile will feature a “Selfie Station.” Runners and fans are invited to snap a selfie with the professional runners after the race at the awards stage from 1:45 to 2:15 p.m. and upload the photos to social media using the hashtag #5thAveMile. 

The 34th Annual NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile will feature a wheelchair and handcycle race at 8:45 a.m. Age group races, organized from youngest to oldest, will take place from 8:55 to 10:55 a.m. The George Sheehan Memorial Mile, run in two heats, will take place at 11:15 a.m. for men and women ages 60 to 69 and 11:35 a.m. for men and women 70 years of age and older. The media mile, featuring local members of the media, will start at noon, followed by the women’s and men’s NYRR Road Championship races at 12:15 p.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively. The final race of the day will be the kids’ race for children between the ages of eight and 14 at 1:15 p.m.