Olympic 1500m champion Matthew Centrowitz out to break Nick Willis' mile record at Cooks Gardens

American Rio Olympic 1500m champion Matthew Centrowitz is out to break Nick Willis' mile record at Cooks Gardens next month. Photo / Getty Images

Olympic 1500-metre champion Matthew Centrowitz jnr is on a mission to break the Cooks Gardens track mile record when he steps out in the Sir Peter Snell International Track and Field meeting in Whanganui next month.

The American is the 2016 Rio Olympic winner and is a confirmed starter for the mile which also includes five Australian sub 4-min runners and at least one New Zealander who have cracked the 4 minute barrier.

The 28-year-old Portland-based runner, who has personal best mile times of 3:50.3 (outdoor – Eugene in 2014) and 3:50.63 (indoors – New York in 2016) will be making his only New Zealand appearance of the year in Whanganui and is aiming to beat the Cooks Gardens record of 3:52.75 set by Kiwi Olympian Nick Willis in 2006. Willis ran third to Centrowitz in Rio.

Willis, however, will not be on hand at Cooks Gardens on Wednesday, March 21 to witness the potential demise of his longstanding achievement.

Sports Heritage Trust director Russell Sears said Centrowitz had indicated he was keen to break records and set new times around the world and at home in the United States during 2018 and the Cooks Gardens mile record was too hard to resist.

Cooks Gardens is regarded by many as the home of the mile with the first New Zealand Mile Championship held at the Gardens in 1898 and won by Cantabrian Sam Penecost.

The New Zealand Mile Championship was made redundant by Athletics New Zealand in the 1968/69 season when metrics were introduced.

The Sports Heritage Trust in Whanganui has applied to have the championship reinstated, but until a decition is made will host the One Mile Championship during the Sir Peter Snell International meeting.

There have been 63 sub 4-min miles run by 41 different runners on the track since Peter Snell set his world record of 3:54.4 in 1962.

Olympic champions Snell, John Walker, Mo Farah (UK) and Kipchoge Keino (Kenya) have broken the 4min barrier on the track and world mile record holders Jack Lovelock, Snell, Walker and Steve Cram (England) have raced previously in Whanganui.

Centrowitz, who missed most of last season because of leg injuries, also plans to race in the Sydney Grand Prix (March 17) and the Queensland Track Classic (March 28) during his Australasian visit which replaces his usual campaign on the North American indoor circuit.

His best 1500m times are 3:30.40 outdoor (2015 in Monaco) and 3:35.01 indoor (New York in 2016). The rule of thumb is that a 3.42 or 3.43 1500m performance equates to a sub 4-minute mile.

His training partners include the legendry multi-Olympic title-holder Mo Farah and when he starts in the Whanganui mile he will emulate his father Matt Centrowitz who raced in the 1982 Whanganui road mile down Victoria Ave won by John Walker.

The Whanganui mile field on March 21 includes Australians Stewart McSweyn (Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 5000-10,000m runner with a fastest mile of 3:55); 2017 Sydney Albie Thomas Mile winner Jordan Gusman (FT 3:56); Gold Coast trial runner-up Jordy Williamsz (FT 3:56); Jack Rayner who beat Centrowitz in the 2017 Stanford 5000m (FT 3:58) and Rorey Hunter (FT 3:58).

In the absence of injured Nick Willis, who has run five sub 4min miles in Whanganui, the New Zealand contingent will include NZ world indoor champs rep Hamish Carson (FT 3:56), NZ under-18 1500m record holder Isaiah Priddey who clocked 3:44.34 to win the Cooks Gardens Classic 1500m in January; and Simon Rogers (Waitakere) who will be trying to follow in the footsteps of his father Tony who has recorded 3 sub 4min miles in the city.

Meanwhile, Tony Rogers will be one of the former sub 4-min milers confirmed coming for the Snell International Meeting. Others include Sir Peter Snell (USA), Bill Baillie, Rod Dixon and Dick Quax.

There is a Snell Mile Challenge on Sunday, March 18 (open to anyone), a Mo Masters Golf Day on the Monday, the Down Under Gala Dinner on the Tuesday night, and the international track meeting on the Wednesday night.

During the gala dinner former sub 4-munite milers attending will be presented with caps featuring a number to coincide with the order in which they achieved their individual milestone.