Salazar: Kejelcha Aiming At 1,500, Mile WRs

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor 

Yomif Kejelcha is going for a world record Sunday – and possibly two – in the Bruce Lehane Invitational Mile at Boston University.

The world record attempt will begin at 4 p.m. EST and follows the conclusion of the three-day IC4A/ECAC Championships. Both events will be carried live on RunnerSpace.

Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar said Wednesday that Kejelcha is fit and ready to go.

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“I would say he’ll be the most rested that he’s been right now before any race this season,” Salazar said. “He’s not in better shape than he was at Millrose, because there hasn’t been enough time to do better workouts.”

Kejelcha missed Hicham El Guerrouj’s 1997 world record in the indoor mile by .01 seconds Feb. 9 in the Wanamker Mile at the NYRR Millrose Games, running 3:48.46.

That race was preceded by a Thursday workout that Salazar estimates was, “a little bit too hard.”

“It’s a fine line between over-doing it and under-doing it to get your legs feeling just right,” Salazar said.

A week later, Kejelcha ran in Birmingham, England to go after El Guerrouj’s 1,500-meter world record (3:31.18), which he set 10 days before he ran the mile record in 1997.

Fellow Ethiopian Samuel Tefera stole Kejelcha’s thunder, however, when he ran 3:31.04 to eclipse the record, and Kejelcha finished second in 3:31.52. At Millrose, Kejelcha’s en route time was 3:33.17.

In Boston, with Erik Sowinski employed as a pace-setter and FAT timing at the 1,500-meter mark, Kejelcha could nail down both records.

“He likes the 1,500 (meters), but I think the mile is more prestigious,” Salazar said. “He’s going for the 1,500 record, and afterwards just hope to maintain so he can get the mile as well.”

Sowinski plays a key part in the effort and Salazar believes he is the right man for the job.

“(Pacing) is crucial,” Salazar said. “You don’t want any big swings. Sometimes it’s a hard thing for a pacer to stay cool, and not overcompensate, if an early lap goes too slow. We want it to be as even as possible, 28.3 seconds for each 200.”

That means Sowinski will try to arrive at 800 meters in 1:52, and 1:53 at 880 yards.

“Sowinski, to me, is the most consistent middle-distance front runner in the world,” Salazar said. “He can run 1:46 in his sleep.”

Salazar has been public over the past couple of months about the world-record attempts, saying that they add excitement to the sport.

Kejelcha is a bit more modest in declaring his intentions, but Salazar said he is excited to do it.

“He’s gung-ho for it,” Salazar said. “He’s very shy and humble, so getting him to say ‘I want to break the record,’ it’s hard for him.”

The Nike Oregon Project group, aside from Kejelcha, had a big day Sunday at the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships in New York. Donavan Brazier ran an all-time world best in the 600 meters, with Clayton Murphy winning the 1,000 meters and Craig Engels winning the mile.

“It was a great day for us, obviously,” Salazar said.

A rumored 800 meters will not be part of Sunday’s schedule. Murphy has experienced some tenderness in his hamstring and is ready to end the indoor season. And Brazier, who earlier broke the American record at the NYRR Millrose Games in the 800, is content to stop as well.

The Oregon Project has evolved in recent years with new athletes coming in, half of whom are coached by Salazar and the other half by Pete Julian.

In addition to Kejelcha, Salazar oversees the training of marathoners Galen Rupp and Jordan Hasay, and middle-distance stars Murphy and Sifan Hassan.

Julian coaches Brazier, Engels, Shannon Rowbury, Japanese marathoner Suguro Osako and Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen.

Sunday's world record attempt by Kejelcha will also include a second story line. Jesse Garn will handle the pacing for Engels, Johnny Gregorek, Henry Wynne, Kyle Merber and others who will attempt to meet the IAAF World Championships “A” standard, which is 3:36 for 1,500 meters.