Prefontaine Classic says farewell to East grandstands
EUGENE – The Prefontaine Classic returns to Hayward Field for the 44th consecutive year this Friday and Saturday, and most of the top track and field athletes in the world will be on hand to compete in their specialties. The “Friday Night at Pre” portion of the meet remains the best value in all of sports, as it has been free entry since its inception in 2008. Don’t let the “free” price tag fool you, Friday night is no mere sideshow. A legion of crazed distance running fans have been treated to some memorable performances in Eugene’s cool night air.
Pre’s Rock, a memorial to Steve Prefontaine on Skyline Blvd. in Eugene, is a popular spot during Pre-Classic weekend.
In 2008, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele ran 10,000-meters in 26:25.97, which is fourth fastest in world history. Running 75 times around Hayward’s oval in 2011, Kenya’s Moses Mosop broke the track World Records in the 25K (1:12:25.4) and 30K (1:26:47.4). Oregon’s Galen Rupp broke the American Record in the 10K in 2014, running a wicked fast 26:44.36, finishing his last 800-meters in 1:57. Those are just a few of the memorable performances and this year should be no different.
The pole vault opens the meet at 7:27 p.m. on Friday and features France’s reigning World Indoor Champion and World Record Holder Renaud Lavillenie facing off against 2017 World Outdoor Champion Sam Kendricks of Oxford, Mississippi. Joining them will be 18-year-old Mondo Duplantis and five other vaulters who have gone at least 19-5.5. Also, on Friday the Diamond League Men’s Javelin competition features German rivals Thomas Rohler and Johannes Vetter, the 2nd and 3rd farthest throwers in history with both having Personal Records well over 300-feet. The Hayward Field record of 286-7 is in serious jeopardy and we might see the first 300-foot throw on U.S. soil.
Don’t show up late on Friday or you will miss the meet, as the four running events are scheduled to last a little more than 40 minutes. Beginning with the National Women’s 800-Meter race at 7:30 p.m. and ending with a rarely run 2-Mile race at 8:06 p.m., featuring former Oregon Duck NCAA Champions, Edward Cheserek and Eric Jenkins. The former Ducks will be chasing the favorites from Ethiopia, 2017 Outdoor 5K World Champion Muktar Edris and two-time World Indoor 3K Champion, 20-year-old Yomif Kejelcha.
The main portion of the meet on Saturday will be televised live by NBC, beginning at 1 p.m. The meet is loaded in every event with former Olympic Champions, reigning World Champions and a few World Record Holders! Familiar names include; Justin Gatlin, Christian Coleman, Allyson Felix, Thomas Walsh, Ryan Crouser, Elaine Thompson, Katerina Stefanidi and Sandi Morris.
The “Pre” Classic is simply the best Track and Field meet in the United States and one of the best in the world every year. This edition will be special, as the historic 99-year-old East Grandstands – and for that matter, the entire stadium – is scheduled to be demolished and rebuilt into a luxurious and futuristic track and field playground after the NCAA Championships in two weeks. The proposed $200 Million facility, to be completed in 2020 and funded mainly by Phil and Penny Knight (Nike), is proposed to hold 12,900 permanent seats with the ability to expand to more than 30,000 spectators for the scheduled 2021 IAAF World Track and Field Championships.
Oregon fans will be treated to some familiar faces on Saturday, as three former Ducks that won NCAA Championships take to the track, headlined by 1,500-Meter-run Olympic Gold Medalist Matthew Centrowitz in the meet’s signature event, the Bowerman Mile. Centrowitz has been slowed by injuries over the past year, but showed his fitness a couple weeks ago, running a solid distance-double in less than an hour, (1:48 in the 800m, 3:39 in the 1,500m). Centrowitz, who set his Mile Personal Record (3:50.53) at the 2014 Pre Classic, faces most of the world’s best, including lifetime 3:47 Milers in Kenyan Silas Kiplagat and Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman.
Raevyn Rogers will have her work cut out for her in a women’s 800-meter race featuring three runners that joined the 1:55 club last year; Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba, and Ajee’ Wilson. Devon Allen has already been running well this season, setting a Personal Record in the 100-meter-dash (10.26) in Australia. Allen, whose PR of 13.03 is from the 2016 Olympic Trials at Hayward Field, seems poised for a breakout hurdles performance. He faces Omar McLeod and three other runners who have dipped under 13 seconds in the deepest hurdles race in Pre-Classic history. McLeod, the reigning Olympic and World Champion, is seeking a 3rd straight Pre-Classic title.
With Bend native Ashton Eaton retired and Portland’s Galen Rupp focusing brilliantly on the Marathon, the only former Oregon prep competing is Barlow H.S. alum Ryan Crouser. A former Texas Longhorn, Crouser set the Hayward Field record last year, 73-7.25, and threw the farthest in the world since 2003 when he set the Olympic Record of 74-4.75 at the 2016 Rio Games to win the Gold Medal.
IAAF Website: Schedule – Entries – Results
Pre-Classic: History/Records
Keep reading for full schedule and event previews.
