After his 3:34.49 performance at Heusden in 2014 narrowly missed the Belgian 1500m record (3:34.13, Christophe Impens ’96), and having opened up the 2015 season with a 3:35.95 in the 1500m at the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games in the Hengelo in late May, the Bislett Games Dream Mile appeared as the ideal setting for Pieter-Jan Hannes to make something special happen. He did not disappoint. In a world-class field that included Beijing Olympic Champion & two-time world champion Absel Kiprop, 3:47.88 mile-performer Silas Kiplagat (Eugene, 2014), and 2015 mile world leader Ayanleh Souleiman (3:51.10, Eugene), Hannes stayed in contention throughout the race. As the leaders came out of the final turn, Hannes moved past Souleiman and into 3rd place, which he maintained across the finish behind winner Kiprop (3:51.45) and runner-up Kiplagat (3:51.72). Hannes’ time of 3:51.84 surpassed the previous NR of 3:54.57 (Marc Corstjens, ’93) and ranks as the season’s top European performance in the mile, well ahead of Henrik Ingebrigtsen, Norway (3:53.43, Eugene) and Jabob Holusa, Czech Republic (3:53.46, Oslo).
Hannes will be making his next attempt at breaking Impens’ 1500m national record at the KBC Night of Athletics meeting in Heusden on 18-July.