Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha breaks world indoor mile record

Just two weeks after his 1500m mark was broken, another of Hicham El Guerrouj’s world indoor records fell as Yomif Kejelcha stormed to a 3:47.01 mile in Boston.

The Ethiopian had first come close to the Moroccan’s world indoor mile record at the Millrose Games, as he ran 3:48.46 to miss it by just 0.01, and he was then in the race in Birmingham where El Guerrouj’s world indoor 1500m record was broken, but by his compatriot Samuel Tefera with a time of 3:31.04 ahead of Kejelcha’s 3:31.58.

In Boston, the two-time world indoor 3000m champion’s aim had been to break both the mile and 1500m world record marks in the same race. The Alberto Salazar-coached runner just missed the latter but his split time of 3:31.25 puts him third on the world indoor all-time list behind Tefera and El Guerrouj.

Running behind three pacemakers, Kejelcha passed 809m in 1:52. He went on to hit the bell with 3:18.54 on the clock and ran a 28.47 last lap to eventually take 1.44 seconds off the previous world indoor record set by El Guerrouj in 1997.

Johnny Gregorek finished second in 3:49.98 to put himself second on the American indoor all-time list.

?WORLD INDOOR RECORD? 3:47.02 mile by Yomif Kejelcha ‼️ pic.twitter.com/c9rYDWRygE

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 3, 2019

One of the longest records in track and field has fallen. The 21-year-old record in the indoor mile has fallen as Yomif Kejelcha runs a 3 minute, 47 second mile pic.twitter.com/C3mLNgzQ7n

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March 3, 2019

Congratulations to Yomif Kejelcha who broke the WORLD RECORD in the men’s indoor mile with a time of 3:47.01 at BU’s Track & Tennis Center. Kejelcha broke the record of 3:48.45 set by Hicham El Guerrouj back in 1997. pic.twitter.com/mAXsDO9AGe

— BU Track and Field (@TerrierTFXC) March 3, 2019

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