Webb Sets USA Championship Record to Win Exciting 1500 – By Sean Hartnett, Running USA wire

INDIANAPOLIS – (June 24, 2007) – Alan Webb of Reston, Va. returned to the winner’s circle taking a dramatic sprint win in a meet record 3:34.82 at the USA Outdoor 1500 Meter Championship on Sunday afternoon.

The fast paced race was much of Webb’s own doing as he moved to the front 200 meters into the race and pressed a robust pace through a 57.6 opening 400 and 1:56.2 at 800. Webb’s front running split the pack in two with half the field including Team Running USA’s Gabe Jennings dropped from contention half-way through the race.

Bernard Lagat, who won the 5000m title on Friday night, moved past Webb on the third lap with Leonel Manzano, Chris Lukezic and Said Ahmed a stride back. Webb, 24, pulled abreast of the two-time Olympic 1500m medalist Lagat on the final turn and unleashed a burst of speed over the final 50 meters that sealed the win and triggered an exuberant celebration as he hit the tape. Manzano of the University of Texas edged past Lagat at the line to finish second in a personal record 3:35.29.

Webb clocked 55.3 over the final lap, admitting, „the last 300 I felt great and I just let my body go. To lose the title and get it back was emotional. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it again.“

The 2004 Olympian, who won USA titles in 2004 and 2005, pared a tenth of a second off Steve Scott’s 25-year-old meet record.

Sunday, June 24, 2007
Men’s 1500m
1) Alan Webb (VA), 3:34.82*, $4000
2) Leonel Manzano (TX), 3:35.29, $3000
3) Bernard Lagat (AZ), 3:35.55, $2000
4) Chris Lukezic (VA), 3:36.95, $1000
5) Andrew McClary (CA), 3:39.81, $500
6) Said Ahmed (AR), 3:40.80
7) Russell Brown (CA), 3:41.80
8) John Jefferson (OR), 3:42.46
9) Garrett Heath (MN), 3:42.88
10) William Leer (MN), 3:44.20
11) Rob Myers (OH), 3:45.59
12) Gabe Jennings (CA), 3:47.54
*USA Championship record (previous record, 3:34.92, Steve Scott, June 20, 1982)

Complete 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships results and more at:
USATF.org

Source/Courtesy: Running USA – RunningUSA.org

Ryan Lamppa,
Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232
Ryan@RunningUSA.org |
www.RunningUSA.org