All photos shot by Jason Suarez for Citius Mag. Follow Jason on Instagram at @NotAfraid2Fail

From NYRR – The men’s and women’s professional athlete fields featured 29 athletes who had competed in this summer’s IAAF World Championships in London, all of whom looked for one last fast performance to end their 2017 season.

In the men’s race, a steady pack held together through the quarter-mile mark, cracking slightly as Drew Windle and Craig Engels dashed ahead to take the $1,000 prime for leading at the halfway point.

As the pack’s pace wound up in the second half, Nick Willis of New Zealand used his experience with the course to power away in the final quarter-mile. The Kiwi became a four-time 5th Avenue Mile winner in 3:51.3, tying Isaac Viciosa of Spain for the most victories by a male athlete in event history. Finishing second was Chris O’Hare of Great Britain in 3:52.0, with American Ben Blankenship third in 3:52.3.

In the grand finale, the women’s pro race featured Jenny Simpson of the United States looking to break her own record with a sixth win on 5th Avenue, and she delivered on her pre-race goals. Keeping toward the front of the pack for all 20 blocks, she held off persistent challenges from Jessica Judd and Laura Weightman of Great Britain to break the tape in 4:16.6, equaling the event record time set by PattiSue Plumer in 1990. Weightman would finish second in 4:17.6, as Judd rounded out the top three in 4:18.3.

The women’s race also rewrote the 5th Avenue Mile record books, as runners recorded five of the top 10 times in event history today. Brenda Martinez of the United States—the 2012 5th Avenue Mile winner—placed fourth today in 4:18.4, while Great Britain’s Eilish McColgan ran 4:19.2 for fifth.