51st Prefontaine Classic Preview
- West Coast XC
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Prefontaine Classic - July 3 - 4
Hayward Field - Eugene, OR
Watch the preview HERE
Watch the meet live HERE
The Prefontaine Classic returns to the two day format over the Fourth of July weekend. Here are distance races to watch.
Friday
The first distance race of the evening is the women's 1500 and high school athlete Ellery Lincoln of Lincoln is entered among the pros and college athletes. Lincoln ran the sixth fastest high school 1500 of 4:07.99 a few weeks ago at the U20 qualifier at Hayward Field. Pros Gracie Morris, Lindsey Butler and Annika Reiss are among the Americans in the field. Many of the finalist at June's NCAA 1500 meter final are in the race including Salma Elbadra of South Carolina, Wilma Nielsen of Oregon, Carlee Hanson of BYU and Sadie Engelhardt of North Carolina State who ran for Ventura High School. Julia Whittaker of Stanford, who ran in the Paris Olympic 800 meter final, moves up the the 1500.
Bowerman Mile is on Saturday, but Friday's mile will be a great warm up. Ollie Hoare has the Australian mile record of 3:47.48 and is entered in Friday's mile. NCAA 1500 meter runner up Trent McFarland of Michigan is on the mile list. Other notable athletes include Luke Houser, who ran at Woodinville High School, Abraham Alvarado, Wes Porter, Liam Murphy and Carter Cutting of BYU who prepped locally at Wilsonville High School. Another story to follow is Jackson Spencer of recently graduated Herriman High School. Spencer ran 3:57.24 at the Hoka Festival of Miles in early June and is looking to best Alan Webb's high school record of 3:53.43. Webb's high school record was run 25 years ago at the Prefontaine Classic.
High school phenom Cooper Lutkenhaus will race the 800 Friday night. The last time Lutkenhaus raced at Hayward Field, he qualified for the US world team last summer. Since qualifying for the US team, Lutkenhaus has lowered the U18 world record to 1:42.08. Lutkenhaus will race against his US world teammates Donovan Brazier and Bryce Hoppel.
Grant Fisher holds the American two-mile record of 8:03.62 and can he break eight minutes Friday night at the Prefontaine Classic. He will have company with Cooper Teare, who prepped at St Joseph Notre Dame, Parker Wolf, Marco Langdon, who just signed a pro contract with Diadora, Mohamed Abdilaahi, Eduardo Herrera, who ran at Madera South, and Ky Robinson.
Saturday
Ethiopian athletes should lead the women's 2-mile including Marta Alemayo, Aynadis Mebratu, Aleshign Baweke, who has run the second fastest 5000 meter in 2026, Asayech Ayichew and Hirut Meshesha. Americans in the race include Shelby Houlihan, Karissa Schweizer, Margot Appleton, Elise Stearns and Ella Donaghu, who ran at Grant High School.
Most of the starters from the 2025 World Championship in Tokyo will line up in the women's steeplechase. Faith Cherotich of Kenya, Winfred Yavi of Barhrain and Kenya's Peruth Chemutai raced in Tokyo last September and have all run 8:51 this year in the steeple. Doris Lemngole of Alabama has the NCAA record in this event and is listed in the race. Emma Coburn is returning to Prefontaine after a four year absence from injury. Lexy Halladay-Lowry, Olivia Markezich, who prepped at Bear Creek and Angelina Napoleon who ran in Tokyo for the US and are listed in the steeplechase.
Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain leads the 800-meter field and is the defending Olympic champion in the event. Sanu Jallow who ran for Arkansas when she broke the NCAA 800 meter record in a time of 1:56.85. Jallow recently signed with Brooks Beasts. Anias Bourgoin of France, Americans Addison Wiley and Raevyn Rogers are in the field.
The women's mile will showcase Faith Kipyegon of Kenya who has the world record of 4:07.64. Who can stay with Kipyegon? Birke Haylom of Ethiopia, Georgia Hunter Bell of Great Britain, Jessica Hull of Australia and Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia will try. Americans will also give it a shot with Nikki Hiltz, who prepped at Aptos High School, Heather MacLean and Emily Mackay listed in the mile.
Niels Laros of the Netherlands ran by Yared Nuguse at the finish at last year's Bowerman mile to win in a time of 3:45.94 and they will be back at this year's Bowerman Mile. Cole Hocker, winner of the 2024 Olympic 1500, is also entered in the Bowerman mile. Cam Meyers ran 3:28.00 in the 1500 last week at the steamy Paris Diamond League to set the Australian record. Azeddine Habz set the French mile record (3:46.45) at last year's Bowerman Mile will be in this deep field with Kenya's Reynold Cheruiyot and Timothy Cheruiyot. The next generation of American milers are in the Bowerman Mile like Ethan Strand, Vince Ciattei, Gary Martin, who just signed with Brooks Beasts and NCAA 800 meter champion Colin Sahlman and prepped at Newbury Park High School.
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