Mark Carroll succumbed to the superior speed of the 1,500 metre specialists when conceding his Wanamaker Mile title at the Millrose Games on Friday night. Yet his visit to Madison Square Garden still signalled a healthy progression towards the World Indoor Championships in Lisbon next month.

A race so often a showcase for the Irish instead became a showcase for the Kenyans.

Bernard Lagat had the most zip at the finish, winning in three minutes 58.26 seconds and just a stride ahead of Laban Rotich (3:58.40). Carroll closed fast, but not fast enough, and clocked 3:59.09 for third place.

Carroll admits that he is somewhat behind the form displayed at this time last year when he came into the race with a 3:54.98 mile in his legs from a couple of weeks before. He was also nursing a slight hamstring strain but the priority remains the 3,000 metres in Lisbon in the middle of next month.

James Nolan also made some progress towards his World Indoor ambitions by taking fifth in 4:01.08.

Danial Caulfield looked certain to provide at least some Irish joy when he closed on veteran American Johnny Gray in the closing stages of the 800 metres. But the 40-year-old held on to win in 1:50.40 to Caulfield's 1:50.41.

Maintaining the night of comebacks was American Regina Jacobs, who won the women's mile in 4:42.15 and Jamaica's Merlene Ottey, who took the 60 metres in 7.20 seconds. But the biggest cheer was reserved for Stacy Dragila when improving her indoor pole vault world record to 4.63 metres - the same height that the American cleared outdoors this summer before winning Olympic gold.