Purrier St. Pierre Headlines Stellar WHOOP Women’s Wanamaker Mile Field
U.S. indoor Mile record holder & Tokyo Olympian ready to defend crown on Saturday, January 29 at The Armory; watch the 114th Millrose Games LIVE on NBC from 2:30-4:30pm EST
NEW YORK - Defending champion and American record holder Elle Purrier St. Pierre leads a deep WHOOP Women’s Wanamaker Mile field in the 114th Millrose Games that includes the last two event champions, as well as all three athletes who represented the United States in the Tokyo Olympic 1500 meters.
The Millrose Games will take place Saturday, January 29th at The Armory’s New Balance Track & Field Center.
“I am really looking forward to racing the Wanamaker Mile this year,” Purrier St. Pierre said. “This race has always been a special one for me and I certainly missed it last year. It's one of the most prestigious and historic races, it's always fun and always competitive, just the way I like it.”
Purrier St. Pierre set her dazzling American indoor Mile record of 4:16.85 at the 2020 Millrose Games, clocking the second fastest women's time in indoor history and also making the Vermont native the second fastest U.S. woman ever for the iconic distance. Since that breakout performance, she has added the American 2 Mile record to her resume, won the 1500m at the Olympic Trials in a meet record time, and reached the Olympic finals in Tokyo. Purrier St. Pierre, 26, will return to Millrose looking for an encore to her greatest performance.
Konstanze Klosterhalfen, the 2019 Wanamaker Mile champion and the German national record holder in nine events, chased Purrier St. Pierre all the way to the line in the 2020 race, setting her personal record and a German record of 4:17.26. Klosterhalfen took the bronze medal in the 5000m at the 2019 World Championships, and placed eighth in the Tokyo Olympics 10,000m finals.
NOTE: In late January 2022, Tokyo Olympic 800m champion Athing Mu also is entered in the women’s Wanamaker Mile; see Start List below with indoor Mile PR.
Also in the field are Cory McGee and Heather MacLean, who placed second and third at last year’s Olympic Trials behind Purrier St. Pierre. McGee was a 10-time All-American at the University of Florida and placed 12th in the Tokyo Olympic finals. MacLean is a four-time school record holder at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and in 2017 became the first woman in school history to earn All-American honors in cross country.
Last year’s breakout star Josette Norris joins the mix, after a spectacular season where she broke 4 minutes in the 1500m and placed third in the Zurich Diamond League final. Hailing from Tenafly, NJ, Norris adds local flavor to the field.
Other major threats will be Jessica Hull, the Australian 1500m and 5000m record holder and four-time NCAA champion for the University of Oregon who reached last year’s Olympic finals where she finished 11th along with World Championships finalist Nikki Hiltz, British Olympian Kate Snow and Spanish Olympian Ester Guerrero.
Rounding out the field is Olympic Trials 4th place finisher Shannon Osika and both the 2021 NCAA indoor Mile and 1500m champions in Sage Hurta and Anna Camp Bennett, respectively.
The Millrose Games is the most storied event in indoor track & field. Stay tuned over the coming weeks as more athletes are announced for the 114th Millrose Games. The Millrose Games is anticipated to be the most thrilling edition of the meet to-date, with dozens of Olympians competing on The Armory's “Fastest Track in the World.”
Millrose Games alumni earned 29 medals at the Tokyo Olympics, including 13 gold medals. With highest-level competition at the youth, high school, collegiate, club and professional levels, there is truly something for everyone at the Millrose Games.
Tickets can be purchased by going to https://www.millrosegames.org/get-tickets
