Cinnaminson’s Austin Gabay ran the 4th-fastest 1,500 ever by a South Jersey runner Friday night at the Duke Invitational on his home track in Durham, N.C.
Gabay ran 3:40.73, the equivalent of a 3:58.39 full mile. After covering the first 300 in 43.53 – which is 58.04 pace for 400 meters – he ran his last three laps in 59.56, 59.54 and 58.10.
His previous 1,500 PR was a 3:42.94 in a meet at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., last April. The 3:40.73 is No. 3 on the all-time Duke list, behind only Olympian Bob Wheeler, who ran 3:39.0 in 1972, and Nick Dahl, who ran 3:39.10 in 2022.
Here’s a look at the all-time South Jersey 1,500 alumni top-10:
3:36.98 … Ford Palmer [Absegami], July 18, 201, Heusden-Zolder, Belgium
3:38.91 … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], May 17, 2013, Los Angeles
3:40.09 … Mark Sivieri [St.Augustine], May 31, 1996, Eugene, Ore.
3:40.73 … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], April 12, 2024, Durham, N.C.
3:40.90 … Rob Novak [Bordentown], May 22, 2010, Los Angeles
3:41.35 … Karl Savage [Eastern], June 26, 2004, Bloomington, Ind.
3:41.70 … John Richardson [Ocean City], June 15, 2007, Bloomington, Ind.
3:41.97 … Terrance Armstrong [Camden], July 10, 1998, Montréal
3:41.99 … Jimmy Wyner [Mainland Reg.], May 30, 2009, Greensboro, N.C.
3:42.82 … Brian Gallagher [Sterling], May 10, 1998, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Gabay will finish his college eligibility next year with a grad season at Butler University in Indianapolis.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 