Mary Cain broke the world junior record for the 1,000 metres at the Boston University Multi-Team Meet on Thursday (January 16), boasting a fruitful start to her early move as a professional athlete.
The 17-year-old, who announced she would compete as a full-time athlete last year, ran a time of 2:39.25, shaving under a second off the previous time held by American Diana Richburg, who set the record back in 1982.
The record gives Cain another accomplishment to add to her already impressive CV, including US Junior Indoor Records for: 1,500 metres; the mile; 3,000 metres and two miles.
Cain, who was awarded the 2013 IAAF Rising Star Award is starting to live up to the heavy expectation and huge potential already under the watchful eye of Mo Farah’s coach, Alberto Salazar.
She will now look ahead to her next competition, The Terrier Invitational, next weekend, which is held at the same arena she ran in on Thursday night in Boston.
The young American will compete in the mile with one eye on the world junior record for the event, aiming to out-do Ethiopia’s Kalkidan Gezahegne 2010 time of 4:24.10.
But while she may still be celebrating her remarkable time, she will surely give a pat on the back to her fellow Oregon Project team mate, Galen Rupp, as he also had his fair share of success at the same meet.
Rupp, 27, ran a swift 13:01.26 over 5,000 metres, wiping nearly six seconds off the national record and placing him seventh on the all-time list for the event, too.
The 2012 Olympic 10,000 metre silver medallist previously held the record back in 2011, but Bernard Lagat regained it in 2012. The record then went again, this time to Lopez Lomong early last year.
Rupp seems to be enjoying the fact that he will feel less pressure now that his friend and training partner, Farah, has decided to focus on the marathon this year instead of the ‘shorter’ distances.
Signs are positive for Salazars group. With the indoor season in its infancy, the ultimate goal to have Cain or Rupp, or perhaps both, medal at the World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland, seems very viable.
