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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 9:55 a.m., Sunday, September 21, 2008

Running: Willis outleans Lagat to win Fifth Avenue Mile

Associated Press

NEW YORK _ Olympic bronze medalist Nick Willis of New Zealand outleaned American Olympian Bernard Lagat to win the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile on Sunday.

Willis finished in 3 minutes, 50.5 seconds to edge Lagat by 0.1 seconds.

Great Britain Olympian Lisa Dobrisky beat American Olympian Shannon Rowbury to become the race's first British champion since Paula Radcliffe in 1997. Dobrisky (4:18.6) and Rowbury (4:19.2) had the race's second- and third-fastest times ever.

Lagat went out quickly and led the pack at the halfway mark in 1:52. Willis, who was third in the 1,500 meters in Beijing, fought back in the closing meters to win his first race this year.

Canadian Olympian Nate Brennen, Willis' former teammate at the University of Michigan, was third in 3:51.9.

Dobrisky ran shoulder-to-shoulder with Rowbury and Kenya's Rose Kosgei before breaking free down the final stretch.