UTEP Freshman Emmanuel Korir Sets Record in 600M

UTEP freshman track and field distance runner Emmanuel Korir is now in the NCAA record books. The native of Iten, Kenya ran the 600 meters at a time of 1:14.97 at the Cherry & Silver Invitational held at Albuquerque Convention Center. Korir's time is the fastest ever run for a 600 meter race. However, since the event was not officially sanctioned by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), it is not considered a world record.

“Korir is a very special and talented athlete," UTEP head coach Mika Laaksonen said. "His best event is the 800 so the 600 is a good prep. With his stamina and his speed that’s the end result. I can’t wait to see what he does in the future."

To better illustrate just how fast Korir ran the 600m, his UTEP teammate Jonah Koech finished second nearly two and half seconds behind. Here is a phone video of the race shot by a fan.

The Miners return to the Albuquerque Convention Center for the New Mexico Classic on Friday February 3rd and Saturday February 4th.