Klosterhalfen ready to defend women’s Wanamaker Mile title
German Olympian to face formidable field including American stars Elinor Purrier & Nikki Hiltz and Canadian Gabriela DeBues-Stafford at The Armory; live national NBC broadcast
From NYRR
NEW YORK – Defending champion and World Championship medalist Konstanze Klosterhalfen of Germany, 2018 NCAA champion Elinor Purrier, Canadian record holder Gabriela DeBues-Stafford and Pan American Games champion Nikki Hiltz of the United States will lead the NYRR Wanamaker Mile women’s field at the 113th NYRR Millrose Games on Saturday, February 8 at The Armory’s New Balance Track & Field Center.
The signature event at the NYRR Millrose Games has taken place every year on the women’s side since 1976 and will be broadcast live nationally on NBC for the fourth consecutive year from 4:00-6:00pm ET, in addition to streamed live online on NBC Sports Gold.
“This year’s women’s NYRR Wanamaker Mile will feature some of the sport’s biggest rising international stars, including Konstanze, Elinor, Gabriela, and Nikki, who will headline a world class field,” said NYRR Millrose Games Meet Director Ray Flynn. “We are excited to fill The Armory and cheer on these tremendous athletes.”
Klosterhalfen led the NYRR Wanamaker Mile wire-to-wire last year, winning the race in 4:19.98 and breaking a 31-year-old German national record in the process. She went on to win a bronze medal over 5000 meters at the IAAF World Championships in Doha in October. The 22-year-old, who competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is the indoor German national record holder over the Mile, 1500 meters, 3000 meters and 5000 meters.
“I'm happy to be back in here to race the NYRR Wanamaker Mile again,” said Klosterhalfen. “Last year was my first time in New York and the atmosphere was great. I hope it'll be a good start into my 2020 season.”
Purrier was the runner-up at the 2019 New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile and represented the U.S. at the 2019 World Championships, qualifying for the final in the 5000 meters. She was an 11-time All-American at the University of New Hampshire, where she won the 2018 NCAA Indoor Mile title.
“The first time I ever ran in the NYRR Wanamaker Mile was when I was in college and it has been a special race to me ever since,” Purrier said. “It was the first time I had the chance to compete on such a big stage and against some of the world's best runners. It was one of the best opportunities I was given as a young emerging runner and certainly was a building block that helped establish my career. Now, as I represent New Balance, and return to the start line I feel very excited for this opportunity once again. Being invited to the NYRR Wanamaker Mile is a great privilege as it is one of the most pristine, competitive and fun indoor races.”
DeBues-Stafford is the Canadian record holder in the Mile, 1500 meters and 5000 meters, and finished sixth last year in the 1500 meters at the World Athletics Championships, smashing her own national record in the process. She represented her country at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the last two World Indoor Championships, and has won four consecutive national 1500m titles.
Hiltz represented Team USA at the World Championships last year after winning gold over 1500 meters at the Pan American Games. She also secured victories at the BAA Mile, adidas Boost Games Mile and the USATF Road Mile Championships. In her last trip to New York, she finished fourth at the 2019 New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile.
The NYRR Wanamaker Mile men’s field was announced earlier this month and will be headlined by Olympian and 2018 champion Chris O’Hare of Great Britain, 2017 champion Eric Jenkins of the United States, four-time Olympian Nick Willis of New Zealand and World Championship medalist Filip Ingebrigtsen of Norway.
Robby Andrews, a 2016 Rio Olympian, and Robert Domanic have been added to the Wanamaker Mile men’s field with Johnny Gregorek, Charlie Grice, Morgan McDonald and Josh Kerr no longer competing in the event.
The NYRR Millrose Games highlights the year-round partnership between The Armory Foundation, which oversees the premier indoor track & field center in America, and New York Road Runners, the world’s largest community running organization.
For more information and to purchase tickets, go to: nyrrmillrosegames.org
