Prefontaine Classic: Kipyegon returns to world-record venue as Kenya eyes glory
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon reacts after winning and beating the world record in the women's 1500m during the "Meeting de Paris" Diamond League athletics meeting at the Charlety Stadium in Paris on July 7, 2024. Kipyegon clocked 3min 49.04sec, improving by 0.07sec her previous best set in Florence in June 2023. (Photo by Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)
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Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon headlines Kenya's charge at Saturday night's Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, returning to the Hayward Field track where she rewrote history with her women's 1500m world record of 3:48.68 last year.
The Kenyan track queen will contest the women's mile, an event in which she also holds the world record of 4:07.64, as she takes on another world-class field featuring compatriot Dorcus Ewoi, Australia's Jess Hull, and Britain's Georgia Hunter Bell the athletes who have consistently challenged her on the global stage.
Another intriguing Kenyan battle comes in the women's 800m, where world silver medallist Lilian Odira faces Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson.
Both athletes are still searching for their first Diamond League victory of the season, with Hodgkinson arriving in Eugene after a national record 1:54.33 in Stockholm.
The women's 3000m steeplechase is equally loaded as world champion Faith Cherotich renews her rivalry with Bahrain's Olympic champion Winfred Yavi, Uganda's Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai, and former world champion Norah Jeruto in one of the deepest fields assembled this year. Kenya’s prodigy Doris Lemngole will also be on the hunt .
Kenya will also have an eye on the men's Bowerman Mile, where world 1500m bronze medallist Reynold Cheruiyot and 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot will be ready to wrestle against a formidable challenge from Olympic champion Cole Hocker of the United States, defending champion Niels Laros of the Netherlands, Yared Nuguse and Azeddine Habz.
For the women, Margaret Akidor has entered the two-mile race.
In April of 1969, Steve Prefontaine set his first high school national record by running 8:41.5 as a 17-year-old in the two-mile race at the Corvallis Invitational.
His time stood as the best by an Oregon high schooler in the distance for more than 50 years.
Prefontaine would go on to break American records 14 times and, at one point, owned eight American records from 2000m to 10000m and from two miles to six miles.
For the first time since 2022, the Prefontaine Classic will feature a Women’s Two Mile race.
Akidor won the 5000m at the 2024 Monaco Diamond League meeting and holds a personal best in the 3000m of 8:29.88.
Akidor finished fourth in the world-record setting 5000m race at last year’s Prefontaine Classic.
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