Adrian Blincoe
New Zealand
Age: 28
Coached by famed miler Marcus O’Sullivan, Blincoe has followed in his mentor’s footsteps to become a star miler himself. The Philadelphia resident was second in the 2008 New Balance Games mile. Blincoe competed in the 5000 meters at the 2008 Olympics; previously he starred at Villanova University, where he earned a degree in accounting.

Nate Brannen
Canada
Age: 26
A Canadian Olympian, Brannen was 10th in the 2006 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile. He posted a 3:39.10 in the 1500-meter semifinals at the Beijing Olympics but did not qualify for the final. In his most recent race in New York City, he finished third in the RBK Grand Prix in May. Brannen was a multiple NCAA champion for the University of Michigan, and he won the silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games 1500 meters.

Bernard Lagat
USA
Age: 33
Although Lagat made no excuses for his sub-par performances in Beijing, he was injured and ill before his first Olympic races as an American citizen. The Kenyan-born superstar won gold medals in the 1500 meters and 5000 meters at the 2007 IAAF World Outdoor Championships. He’s the only man ever to achieve that double at Worlds, and he also achieved that feat at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials. Lagat has won the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games six times. While competing for Kenya, he earned silver in the 2004 Athens Games 1500 meters and bronze in the 2000 Sydney Games 1500 meters.

Will Leer
United States
Age: 23
Leer just missed qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team, finishing fourth in the 1500-meter final at the Trials. He ran the first sub-4:00 mile of his career in January 2008 at the
Washington Indoor Preview in Seattle. He dominated the 2007 NCAA Division III
Championships, winning at 1500 meters and 5000 meters on the same day. He now runs for Oregon Track Club Elite.

Chris Lukezic
United States
Age: 24
Lukezic was seventh at the 2007 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile and he has top-10 finishes this year at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, the RBK Boston Indoor Games, the Stanford Cardinal Invitational, and the RBK NYC Grand Prix. A two-time USA Junior champion and a semifinalist at the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Lukezic finished seventh in the final at the 2006 World Indoor Championships. The Seattle native trains alongside Alan Webb with the DC Elite club.

Jon Rankin
United States
Age: 26
The former UCLA star returns to Fifth Avenue after his third-place finish last year.
Rankin is coached by Joaquim Cruz, who in 1984 won an Olympic gold medal in the 800 meters. He ran his 3:54.24 personal best in the mile in England in 2007. This year, he won the CIGNA Falmouth Mile on August 9 in a meet-record time of 3:56.45.

Chris Solinsky
United States
Age: 23
Solinsky finished fifth at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials 5000 meters in a very competitive race won by Bernard Lagat. At this year’s USA Indoor Championships, he broke from the pack in the 3000-meter race to take the lead with three laps to go, but was overtaken by his training partner, U.S. Olympian Matt Tegenkamp. During his career at the University of Wisconsin, Solinsky won both the 3000 meters and 5000 meters at the Big Ten Conference Championships in 2006.

Kevin Sullivan
Canada
Age: 34
A three-time Olympian, Sullivan won the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile in 2006 and finished second to Alan Webb last year. One of the most successful middle-distance runners in Canada’s history, he reached the 1500-meter semifinals at the Beijing Olympics. He holds Canadian records in the 1500 meters (3:31.71), mile (3:50.26), and the indoor 3000 meters (7:43.89). Sullivan, who draws inspiration from British running great Sebastian Coe, has competed in every IAAF World Championships since 1993.

Nick Symmonds
USA
Age: 24
Symmonds is making his Fifth Avenue Mile debut. He came from behind to win the 800-meter final at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, squeezing through the pack and surging to victory in a personal-best time of 1:44.10. In Beijing, Symmonds barely missed reaching the final. Last year, he earned his first national title at the AT&T USA Indoor Championships, and won his first international title at the Osaka IAAF Grand Prix in Japan.

Nick Willis
New Zealand
Age: 25
New Zealand’s record-holder at 1500 meters (3:32.38), Willis won the bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics 1500 meters. He became the first New Zealander to medal in the event at the Olympics since John Walker’s Montreal victory in 1976. In 2006, he became
the first New Zealander to win gold in the 1500 meters at the Commonwealth Games. He trains with fellow Fifth Avenue Mile competitor Nate Brannen.