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Racing
Picture courtesy of @bilbaoatletismo
Making his 10k road racing debut on New Year's Eve, Evan ran a strong race from start to finish, placing second overall in 28:56 at the San Silvestre Vallecana race. He ran with the lead pack for the entire race, only losing to defending champion Kaan Kigen Ozbilen (formerly Mike Kigen). Accompanied by 40,000 runners, the Madrid race ranks as one of the top 20 largest in the world.
Nike and Madrid sure know how to put on a road race!!! 40,000+ people! #werunmad @nikerunning
A video posted by Evan Jager (@evanjager) on
The IAAF Diamond League named Evan's fall and near sub-8 steeplechase finish in Paris as their Moment of the Year. Part of their celebration was creating this lovely 4+ minute video, showing the determination and heartbreak of Evan's American record race. Here's to an even better 2016!
It's time to ring in the Olympic year and what better way than hitting the roads and racing on New Year's Eve. Evan joins 40,000+ runners in Madrid tomorrow at the San Silvestre Vallecana, racing the 10k course against some notable competition, including fellow steeplechase star Ezekiel Kemboi.
According to the IAAF:
“The race is held on a slightly downhill 10km point-to-point course and starts alongside Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium before finishing on the pitch of another Spanish first division club Rayo Vallecano in Madrid’s southern suburbs.
The men’s contest looks to be a three-horse battle in the guise of last year’s winner Kaan Kigen Ozbilen of Turkey – formerly Mike Kigen of Kenya – and two of the world’s best steeplechasers: four-time world champion Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya and US record-holder Evan Jager.”
The year ahead promises to be one filled with exciting races, furious finishes and of course the Olympic Games in Rio. Here's to starting off 2016 on the right foot!
Kemboi, Jager and Masai Among Vast Array of Talent in Madrid (IAAF)
Evan's season moves on, as the IAAF Diamond League season wraps up in Zurich and Brussels over the next two weeks. The first stop is Switzerland at the Weltklasse Zurich meeting this Thursday, where Evan looks to avenge his sixth place effort at the World Championships, as he competes against Jairus Birech, Ezekiel Kemboi and many other top rivals in the 3,000m steeplechase.
The second, and final, stop of the season takes place at the Memorial Van Damme contest in Brussels on Friday, September 11, where Evan is set to race 5,000 meters and looks to potentially lower his personal best in the event of 13:02.40. That PR performance came in 2013 on the same track in Brussels.
Zurich Diamond League
Thursday, September 3
3,000m Steeplechase
Brussels Diamond League
Friday, September 11
5,000m
After leading part of the race Monday in Beijing at the IAAF World Outdoor Championships, Evan slipped back to sixth place over the final 300 meters. The American record holder left the track disappointed, but appreciates all of the support from his friends, family and fans and looks forward to getting back out on the track soon.
A very conservative early pace led to a furious dash to the finish, but Evan succeeded on finishing top three, automatically advancing to the finals at the IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Beijing, China.
Evan led a few different moments in the race, always looking in control and only shifting gears over the final 70 meters of the race, passing two runners and finishing a half step behind Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto.
Finishing second in 8:41.51, Evan now shifts his focus to the 3,000m steeplechase final, which takes place Monday morning (in the United States) at 9:15am EST.
Full Results | IAAF World Championship Website
Letsrun caught up with Evan afterward, reviewing his race, the close finish and the final ahead.
