Milestone for O’Sullivan, Win for Rotich

NEW YORK —  Marcus O’Sullivan got his 100th sub-four minute mile, but Laban Rotich got the win.

O’Sullivan, 36, became only the third miler in history to run 100 sub-four minute miles, joining Steve Scott, who has 136, and New Zealander John Walker, with 124, in the elite club.

But O’Sullivan, from Ireland, couldn’t contend with the Rotich, as the 5-foot-4, 99-pound Kenyan competing in his first indoor race in the United States ran away from the rest of the 10-man field in winning the famed Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

Coming off two of the fastest 1,500-meter indoor races in history, both on 200-meter flat track in Europe, Rotich wasn’t fazed by boarded, banked, 11-laps-to-the-mile Garden track.

After letting his compatriot, Robert Kibet, set a blistering pace for the first five laps, Rotich burst into the lead and never was seriously challenged. He finished in 3:55.69, with American Paul McMullen second at 3:57.46 and O’Sullivan third at 3:58.10. Collegiate champion Seneca Lassiter of Arkansas made it four under four minutes, clocking 3:59.60.

Meanwhile, Maurice Greene, who set the world indoor record in the 60-meter dash 10 days earlier, continued his sparkling sprinting.

Greene, the world 100-meter champion and ranked No. 2 in the world, won the 60 in 6.46 seconds, shattering the meet and Madison Square Garden records of 6.52 set by Andre Cason in 1992.

Jon Drummond, Greene’s training partner, also went under the previous Millrose and Garden records, finishing second in 6.50.