After Bowerman win, Oslo locks Asbel for Dream Mile

The Dream Mile is synonymous with the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Oslo, and the organisers of the famous ExxonMobil Bislett Games have announced a star-studded line-up for this year’s race on 7 June, including 1500m world champion Asbel Kiprop.

Kiprop, is a multiple winner of the Dream Mile and returns to Oslo with a dual purpose: winning and winning in a fast time.

He will face opposition from the likes of Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman, who is not only the fastest man in the field with a personal best of 3:47.32 but claimed the world indoor record for 1000m during the winter.

Kiprop’s compatriots Silas Kiplagat and Elijah Manangoi are also both major threats

Kiplagat has run under 3:50.00 for the mile on two occasions and has gone below 3:30:00 for 1500m on four separate occasions while Manangoi was a relative unknown until last season when not only did he surprise by making the Kenyan 1500m team for the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 but then got the silver medal in the Chinese capital.

This will be Manangoi’s first mile race but with a 1500m personal best of 3:29.76, he will be looking at something under 3:50.00.

Four years ago at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games, an unheralded young Algerian athlete by the name of Taoufik Makhloufi won the 1500m on the pre-programme.

What followed in that Olympic year is now history as Makhloufi went on to win the gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Makhloufi has since established himself as one to the world’s leading middle-distance runners with outstanding 800m and 1500m personal bests of 1:43.53 and 3:28.75 and he is also expected provide stern opposition to the East African contingent.

In addition, the field also contains Czech Republic’s 2016 world indoor championships 1500m silver medallist Jakub Holusa and Australia’s Ryan Gregson.

Domestic interest will be provided by Norwegian record holder Henrik Ingebrigtsen.

The 25-year-old from the west of Norway ran his national mile record of 3:50.77 in the Bislett stadium two years ago and would like nothing more than to go under 3:50.00 in front of a home crowd.

This year, Ingebrigtsen will face competition from his younger brother Filip, 23, who has already run 3:37.04 this year, making him the second fastest Norwegian ever in the 1500m, only Henrik has gone faster.

-Report by Organisers for IAAF

Tags:

Oslo Asbel Kiprop Bowerman Mile Bislett Games Dream Mile

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