KEY POINTS:
Nick Willis doesn't really know how to feel after finishing 10th in the final of the 1500m at the World Athletic Championships in Osaka.
"I was really shooting - I knew I would need to finish top five to be really happy, top seven for a push, so a little behind where I would like to be, but that's racing," he said.
Willis was unable to claw his way through the wall of runners down the finishing straight coming through in 3m 36.13s, less than 2s behind winner Bernard Lagat of US.
Willis was at the rear of the field from the start with the pace being drawn out by American Alan Webb and Shedrack Korir of Kenya.
The first lap came up in 58.63s and the 800m in 1m 58.08s.
Willis moved up to third to last going into the next lap and was running comfortably on the pole line.
Willis was well placed into the final 200m, but was unable to make any impression on the leading bunch.
The Commonwealth Games champion said that he was really hoping the pace would be a little more relaxed in the first two laps so he could wait till the last 400m for a kick.
"My best hope would have been people running wide on a slow pace, and getting the pole. But when the Kenyan took off with 800m to go he really put in a surge and we all covered it.
"But then it slowed down again," said Willis immediately after the race.
"The pace was a bit too honest and it took the sting out of my kick a bit."
Willis said that it was a very talented field.
"Anyone could have finished in any of those positions so it was a pleasure to be a part of the race and it will definitely feed the fire for Beijing," he said.
Lagat shot out of the pack in the final 50m to take victory in 3m 34.77s.
