The field opened with a blistering first 100 meters (sub 13 seconds) and then the pace slowed down so much the next 200m that some in the crowd started to boo, but the 300m mark was still reached in 44.11 and the quarter in 59.11 with Webb in the lead, Said Ahmed of Arkansas and Charlie Gruber in 2nd and 3rd respectively, with the co-favorites expected to challenge Webb, Michael Stember and Jason Lunn, in 3rd and 4th respectively.

Webb slowly increased the pace the next 200m (28.8) and then reached 2 laps to go at 1:42.84 (58.73 for the lap from 300 to 700). Webb reached 800m in 1:57.05 and then with the blink of an eye put on a tremendous burst to blow the race wide open. He quickly opened a 10 and then 20 meter gap on the field. Michael Stember was not immediately behind Webb and was slow to react. He didn't totally commit to covering Webb's move, but did move up a little bit from the pack. Ahmed was in 3rd at this point, but what mattered was that Webb continued to power on and move away from the field. 1000 meters was reached in roughly 2:23.8. With 400 meters to go (2:37.71) the race was over unless Webb fell apart in the over 100 degree heat on the track,

Webb reached 1200 in 2:52.48 (55.43 for the 400). The other guys were way back as they never tried to cover Webb's move. Stember's will had been broken and he appeared to give up and the others blew by him on the back stretch. Webb coasted home for the win in 3:36.13 (58.51 last lap) The race was on for 2nd between Charlie Gruber and Rob Myers and Gruber would come out on top. Georgetown's Christopher Lukezic, who didn't make the NCAA final moved up nicely late to finish 4th (he was last during the first 800).