Kyle Merber and three other runners delivered the goods Friday night at SBCC’s La Playa Stadium, breaking the four-minute barrier in the Hoka One One Elite Mile. With hundreds of spectators urging them down the homestretch of Nick Carter Track, Merber (3:57.74), Eric Avila (3:57.91), Daniel Estrada (3:57.92), and Graham Crawford (3:59.92) surged under 4:00, the first milers to accomplish that feat on the track in Santa Barbara County.
Merber, a 27-year-old competitor from Long Island, N.Y., is on a roll when it comes to setting milestones. Last September, he recorded the first sub-4:00 outdoor mile in the state of Alaska, clocking 3:59.36 in Anchorage. In both his breakthroughs, Merber was energized by vocal crowds. “It’s great to get people inspired to come out to a meet,” he said.
Four others finished less than a second from the magic number Friday, including Olympic medalist Leo Manzano (4:00.59) and UCSB grad Shyan Vaziri (4:00.90).