The Dream Mile — More History at Bislett?

Over the years the winners of this particular race represent the virtual history of middle distance running. The victory dais for the 4-lap-race has been graced by legends of the sport, such as New Zealand’s John Walker, the flying Moroccans, Said Aouita and Hicham El Guerrouj, Noureddine Morceli of Algeria, Burundi’s Venuste Niyongabo whilst more recently Kenyan dual World and Olympic Champion Asbel Kiprop, has been a three time winner of the event.
The British trio of Seb Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram were winners of the Dream Mile and all three established world records in doing so during those halcyon days of British middle distance.

The following countries’ mile records were set in the Dream Mile in a list that will prompt many memories. Great Britain (Cram), Spain (Gonzales), Qatar (Bashir), Burundi (Niyongabo), Australia (Mottram), Ethiopia (Mekonnen), New Zealand (Walker), Germany (Herold), Somalia (Bile), Portugal (Silva), Ireland (Flynn), Canada (Sullivan), France (Marajo), Brasil (De Souza), USA (Scott) and Saudi Arabia (Shaween), to name but a few. This traditional race just keeps growing in stature and indeed so many National mile records have been set during the Dream Mile, that the contribution this race has made to the sport cannot be underestimated.

There will be enormous local focus on Norway’s reigning European 1500m Champion Henrik Ingebrigtsen. The twenty-three-year-old is developing a very creditable big race reputation with a good tactical sense, having made both the Olympic and World Championships 1500m finals. This year his main aim is to defend the European title he won in Helsinki and achieve Norwegian records at 1500m and the Mile. He ran a new Norwegian record in Eugene last Saturday, but would dearly love to set a fresh standard on Norway’s most distinguished track and join the list of countries whose national mile record has been established in the Dream Mile!

Of course in 2014 the Dream Mile will again live up to its esteemed position in the athletic world by providing a field of outstanding competitors.

Last year’s Dream Mile winner and a conqueror of a class field in Eugene, Ayanleh Souleiman of Djibouti, has continued to improve and has recently added the World Indoor Championships gold medal to his growing collection of achievements. He races immediately behind the pace and is not afraid to strike for “home” a long way from the tape. Already this season he has recorded new personal best at Mile (3:47.22 in Eugene) and at 1500m (3:30.16).

One of middle distance running’s quiet achievers will also be making his presence felt in his Dream Mile debut. USA’s Matt Centrowitz has collected a silver and bronze medal at World Championships and is looking towards the Dream Mile as a stepping stone to the podiums in both Beijing and Rio. A training partner of Galen Rupp under the tutelage of Alberto Salazar, he is coming to Bislett very well prepared having achieved a personal best at 5000m (at the Eagle Rock meeting in California) and at the Mile in Eugene.