SYMMONDS OPENS OUTDOOR SEASON WITH 1:46
By David Monti
(c) 2009 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

U.S. Olympic Trials champion Nick Symmonds opened his outdoor season yesterday on the Nike campus in Beaverton, Ore., clocking 1:46.25 for 800m.  His was just one of four elite events incorporated into the Nike Mile, a series of track races held for Nike employees.

"I wasn't really sure because I've only done one or two speed sessions," Symmonds told RunnerSpace.com in a video interview.  "I was injured for most of March and part of April, so my training is a little bit behind where it was last year.  My goal was just to come out here and open up in 52, and if I felt comfortable, close in 54."

Kara Goucher doubled in the 800m and the mile; the races were held just 15 minutes apart.  Finishing fourth behind Briton Jemma Simpson, who ran 2:02.93, Goucher clocked a personal best 2:06.79.  She then finished a close second in the mile to training partner and Olympic 10,000m teammate Amy Begley.  Goucher clocked 4:37.58, just 4/100ths behind Begley.

"I was really happy with that," Goucher said to RunnerSpace.com about her 800m personal best.  "I came back to run the mile, and I thought it would feel really easy.  I wanted to run 4:35.  I almost bailed with a lap to go I felt so bad."

Steeplechaser Tom Brooks won the elite mile in 3:59.31 and was the only man to break four minutes.

Videos of all the races, including athlete interviews, can be viewed at http://www.runnerspace.com/NikeMile.