By Larry Fine
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canadian Cam Levins claimed a startling double by winning the mile then upsetting celebrated training mate Galen Rupp half an hour later in the two-mile race at the Armory Track Invitational on Saturday.
Levins, a Canadian Olympian in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters in 2012, stunned himself with the twin triumph, particularly a two-mile win in which he overtook Rupp halfway through the final lap and powered to victory.
"I guess I am kind of shocked the more I think about it that I beat him," Levins said of the Olympic 10,000m silver medalist who was running his first race of the year.
"I guess I always just figure if I try and stay close to him in races I'm going to run well. I'm just happy to be competitive with him."
Levins, 25, won the mile in three minutes 54.74 with a strong finishing kick ahead of Chris O'Hare of Britain in 3:57.26.
In the two-mile, the 25-year-old Canadian ran second for most of the two-mile race ahead of Rupp, who surged past him going into the final lap.
But Levins responded and sped past a fading Rupp to win in 8:15.38, nearly two seconds ahead of Rupp.
"I'd have to say it's one of my best days in competitive running," said Levins, who in 2012 became the first Canadian named most outstanding in U.S. college athletics while at the University of Southern Utah.
Another featured runner also fell flat at the Armory as promising young Mary Cain finished fifth behind fellow-American Ajee' Wilson in the women's 800 meters.
Wilson, who ran a world leading 1:57.67 last year, won in 2:01.63 ahead of compatriot Treniere Moser in 2:01.79. Cain, 18, straggled in at 2:02.75.
A world best was set in the rarely run men's distance medley relay over 400, 800, 1,200 and 1,600 meters as Americans Mike Berry, Erik Sowinski, Matthew Centrowitz and Patrick Casey, respectively, finished in 9:19.93, breaking the old mark of 9:25.97 set by the University of Texas in 2008.