NEW YORK, NY - The 98th running of the Millrose Games will feature the most highly anticipated Wanamaker Mile in years, as American sensation Alan Webb takes on 2004 #1 world-ranked Bernard Lagat of Kenya in the Wanamaker Mile.

The second event of USA Track & Field's 2005 Indoor Visa Championship Series, the 2005 Millrose Games will be held Friday, Feb. 4, at Madison Square Garden. It will be televised on NBC from 2- 3:30 p.m., Eastern Time on Saturday, February 5.

'Wow' factor for Wanamaker

Monday's announcement that Webb, the 2004 Olympic Trials champion and national high school record holder, will run the Wanamaker Mile was a proud moment for Millrose meet director David Katz.

"I'm honored to announce a highly competitive field that is in keeping with the prestigious tradition of the Wanamaker Mile," Katz said "Re- establishing the quality of the race, especially by incorporating top Americans, was one of my biggest goals starting last summer."

The Wanamaker Mile is the event for which the Millrose Games is best known. The 2005 field also includes 2004 Olympic Trials third-place finisher Rob Myers, who owns a personal best of 3:53.78; Laban Rotich of Kenya, who upset Lagat last Saturday at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games; and Wanamaker runner-up James Thie of Great Britain.

Webb makes Millrose debut

Webb first became an international sensation as a high school senior in 2001 when he became the first U.S. schoolboy ever to run under 4 minutes indoors (3:59.86). The then broke Jim Ryun's national high school record with his time of 3:53.43 at the 2001 Prefontaine Classic.

Somewhat quiet years from Webb in 2002 and 2003 were followed up by an emphatic 2004 from the prodigy, who posted personal-best times of 3:50.73 in the mile and 3:32.73 in the 1,500m in 2004. He emphatically won the Olympic Trials to re-establish himself as the pre- eminent U.S. miler.

Lagat the favorite?

But Millrose will be no walkover for Webb. In fact, Lagat, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2000 bronze medalist, must be considered the favorite. The 30-year-old Kenyan, who lives in Arizona, has the benefit of international indoor experience under his belt, having won the 2003 Millrose Games as well as two (2001, 2003) world outdoor 1,500m silver medals. Lagat owns personal personals best of 3:47.29 in the mile, set in 2001, and a 1,500m best of 3:27.40.

Final fields for all events at the 2005 Millrose Games will be announced on Wednesday, February 1.

Race for the Championship

All Millrose participants will be striving to make an impact on the Race for the Championships and the title of Visa Champion. Shot putter Adam Nelson is the leader among the men, while Danielle Carruthers is in the lead for the women.