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≡ PREFONTAINE CLASSIC ≡
The 50th edition of the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon was designed to be special and it was, started with mid-70s temperatures and sunshine, leading to two world records, an American Record, lots of drama and world-leading performances in nine events!
● Men/200 m: 19.76, Letsile Tebogo (BOT)
● Men/Mile: 3:45.94, Niels Laros (NED)
● Men/10,000 m: 26:43.82, Biniam Mehary (ETH)
● Men/Shot Put: 22.48 m (73-9), Joe Kovacs (USA)
● Men/Hammer: 83.16 m (272-10), Rudy Winkler (USA) ~ American Record
● Women/1,500 m: 3:48.68, Faith Kipyegon (KEN) ~ World Record
● Women/Steeple: 8:45.25, Winfred Yavi (BRN)
● Women/5,000 m: 13:58.06, Beatrice Chebet (KEN) ~ World Record
● Women/Long Jump: 7.07 m (23-2 1/2), Tara Davis-Woodhall (USA)
The women’s 5,000 m was set up to challenge Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay’s 14:00.21 world record, and there were four in contention with eight laps left, with Olympic champ Beatrice Chebet (KEN) and Tsegay ahead of Kenyan Agnes Ngetich, the star of the Grand Slam Track circuit. Those three were alone a lap later, with Chebet leading. They passed the bell at 12:56, with Ngetich letting go, but Chebet still strong. Then Chebet exploded, blew away Tsegay, passed three lapped runners (in a 5,000!) and smashed the world record at 13:58.06, the first time ever a woman has run under 14 minutes!
Ngetich was second in 14:01.29 (no. 3 performer all-time), then Tsegay at 14:04.41 (no. 5 performance all-time). Kenyan Margaret Akidor was fourth, but was back at 14:30.34; Weini Kelati was the top American, in 10th at 14:38.15.
Kenya’s three-time Olympic 1,500 m winner Faith Kipyegon – coming off her “Breaking4″ attempt – headlined the women’s 1,500 m, and with two laps to go, Kipyegon, Olympic silver winner Jess Hull (AUS) and Diribe Welteji (ETH) had broken away. It was Kipyegon and Hull with 500 m to go and at the bell, then Kipyegon expanded the lead on the backstraight and roared to the finish alone in a world record of 3:48.68, smashing her own mark of 3:49.04 from 7 July 2024, almost exactly a year ago!
Welteji passed Hull around the bend and was second in 3:51.44 (now no. 8 all-time), with Hull at 3:52.67. Americans Nikki Hiltz (3:55.96) and Sinclaire Johnson (3:56.93 finished 5-6.
Those were the world records, but there were seven more world-leading performances:
Paris Olympic 200 m champion Letsile Tebogo (BOT) was in front off the turn, but was pressured on the straight by American Courtney Lindsey. But as Lindsey slowed, Tebogo had plenty left and won in a world-leading 19.76 (wind +0.7 m/s), over Lindsey’s seasonal best of 19.87 and Alexander Ogando (DOM: 19.94).
The men’s Bowerman Mile saw Olympic 1,500 m bronzer Yared Nuguse pressing pacesetter Abraham Alvarado from the start, with world 1,500 m leader Azzedine Habz (FRA) the main challenger with 600 m left. Nuguse and Habz were alone at the bell, and Nuguse pushed hard on the back straight, building a 5 m lead.
Inevitably, Nuguse tired down the straight and while Habz could not capitalize, 20-year-old Niels Laros (NED), a Paris Olympic finalist, charged down the straight on the inside and leaned hard to win in a national record (and world outdoor leader) 3:45.94 to 3:45.95 for Nuguse. Habz was third in 3:46.54 and then Paris winner Cole Hocker in 3:47.43.
Ethiopia swept the men’s non-Diamond League 10,000 m, with 18-year-old Biniam Mehary, the Paris Olympic 5,000 m sixth-placer, out-leaning 2024 Olympic 10,000 m silver winner Berihu Aregawi, in a world-leading 26:43.82 to 26:43.84, with Tokyo 2020 10,000 m winner Selemon Barega third in 26:44.13. Conner Mantz was the top American, in 12th at 27:35.22.
Three-time Olympic silver winner Joe Kovacs had been fairly quiet this season, but he blew up the men’s shot with a world-leading 22.35 m (73-4) in the second round, then improved to 22.48 m (73-9) in round three!
Nigeria’s Chuk Enekwechi got an African Record of 22.10 m (72-6 1/4) in round two, but was passed for second by Roger Steen of the U.S., with a lifetime best in round five at 22.11 m (72-6 1/2)!
The first fireworks of the day came in the morning, in the men’s hammer that started at 10 a.m. Olympic champ Ethan Katzberg (CAN) had the early lead at 80.16 m (263-0), but then two-time U.S. Olympian Rudy Winkler bombed his third throw out to a world-leading and American Record 83.16 m (272-10) and no one else came close! Winkler is now no. 18 all-time and upped his own American mark of 82.71 m (271-4) from 2021.
He also had following throws of 80.87 m (265-4) and 81.08 m (266-0), any of which would have won as Katzberg stayed second with his initial toss. Two-time U.S. Olympian Daniel Haugh finished fourth at 78.55 m (257-8).
Paris Olympic winner Winfred Yavi (BRN) and Uganda’s Tokyo Olympic winner Peruth Chemutai led the women’s Steeple with four laps to go, but with Olympic bronzer Faith Cherotich (KEN) close. Yavi took the lead and made a move with 500 m to go and she took the bell with a 3 m lead. That expanded to 20 m by the final water jump and won going away in a world-leading 8:45.25, the no. 3 performance in history!
Yavi was pushing so hard, she nearly tripped in the final two steps, but stayed up. Cherotich was second with a lifetime best of 8:48.71 (no. 4 all-time), then Chemutai in 8:51.77. American Gabi Jennings was sixth at 9:06.61, a lifetime best.
The women’s long jump had Tokyo Olympic champ Malaika Mihambo (GER) in front at 7.01 m (23-0) in the fourth round, with World Indoor winner Claire Bryant of the U.S. second at 6.80 m (22-3 3/4) and Paris Olympic champ Tara Davis-Woodhall third at 6.75 m (22-1 3/4). But Davis-Woodhall got the last chance, and made the most of it. With the crowd clapping behind her, she got all of the board and soared to a world-leading 7.07 m (23-2 1/2) win, with +1.9 m/s wind aid! She really is the drama queen of the event.
The U.S. scored wins in six more events:
The women’s 100 m placed Grand Slam Track star and world leader Melissa Jefferson-Wooden against Paris champion Julien Alfred (LCA) and 2023 World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson. The race was only about Jefferson-Wooden and Alfred and the American nursed a small lead all the way to the tape, winning in 10.75 (wind: -1.5 m/s) to 10.77, with Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV: 10.90) third and Jamaican champ Tina Clayton (11:02) fourth.
Richardson, running only her second 100 of the season, was eighth, but in a seasonal best of 11.19.
In the non-Diamond League women’s 100 m, Jacious Sears of the U.S. won in a seasonal best of 10.85 (+1.7), moving to equal-4th on the 2025 world list, ahead of Aleia Hobbs (10.90) and Liberia’s Thelma Davies (10.96).
Paris 400 m hurdles superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had her eye on the American Record of 48.70 in the women’s 400 m and she had the lead by 200 m. She charged down the straight, but gave back a little of her lead to Aaliyah Butler in the final meters to win in 49.43, a seasonal best. Butler followed in 49.86, then Bella Whittaker in 50.81.
Two-time World Champion Chase Jackson of the U.S. scared her recent American Record, winning the women’s shot at 20.94 m (68-8 1/2), the no. 2 throw in American history. World Indoor winner Sarah Mitton (CAN) reached 20.39 m (66-10 3/4) and Jaida Ross of the U.S. got third with a lifetime best of 20.13 m (66-0 1/2) for third.
Olympic champ Valarie Allman of the U.S. took the air out of the women’s discus early, reaching 69.48 m (227-11) in the first round! Two-time Olympic champ Sandra Elkasevic (CRO) settled into second in at 66.97 m (219-8) in round one, then Allman improved to 70.68 m (231-11) in round four! That secured her 26th win in a row.
Fellow American Cierra Jackson moved into second with a lifetime best at 67.82 m (222-6) in round five – her only fair throw – leaving Elkasevic in third.
The men’s Invitational Mile was a fabulous win for ex-North Carolina star Ethan Strand, the NCAA Indoor mile runner-up, who won in 3:48.86 – no. 2 in 2025 – just ahead of Vince Ciattei (3:49.68) and Gary Martin (3:49.73).
Plenty of drama in the rest of the events:
Jamaican Olympic runner-up Kishane Thompson took over the men’s 100 m by the 40 m mark and roared away to an unchallenged 9.85 (+0.4) win. American Trayvon Bromell got a good start, but Britain’s Zharnel Hughes came on late to get second 9.91 to 9.94.
Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith won the men’s 400 m, holding off Khaleb McRae of the U.S. into the straight, then World Indoor winner Chris Bailey in the final 50 m, in a season’s best 44.10 to 44.15. Jacory Patterson of the U.S. moved up for third in 44.31, with McRae in 44.45.
Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, the 2022 Worlds winner in Eugene, held off Paris winner Rai Benjamin of the U.S., 46.65 to 46.71, with NCAA winner Ezekiel Nathaniel (NGR: 47.88) in third. Benjamin was coming on around the turn, but dos Santos scored his first win over Benjamin since the 2022 Worlds and only his third win all-time, in 12 races against the U.S. star.
The men’s vault was down to three by 5.80 m (19-0 1/4), with two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks and fellow American Austin Miller over, along with world-record man Mondo Duplantis (SWE). Only Duplantis could go higher, clearing 6.00 m (19-8 1/4) on his second try, then heading straight to a world-record try of 6.29 m (20-7 1/2), missing three times.
The non-Diamond League men’s discus was won by world-record holder Mykolas Alekna (LTU), the only one to reach 70 m to 70.97 m (232-10) in the second round. Ralford Mullings (JAM) was next best at 68.98 m (226-4), with Sam Mattis the top American in fifth at 65.06 m (213-5).
The women’s 800 m had Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu-Nikolayev, but World Indoor silver winner Jemma Reekie (GBR) led at the bell, with world leader Tsige Duguma (ETH) taking over on the backstretch and holding off Prudence Sekgodiso (RSA) down the final straight, 1:57.10 to 1:57.16. Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi moved up for third in 1:57.89; Reekie was seventh (1:58.86); Mu-Nikolayev fell back with 200 m to go and was 10th in 2:03.44.
The non-Diamond League women’s 100 m hurdles had former world-record holder Keni Harrison out well, but overtaken by Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent, who held on to win in 12.32 (+0.4), ahead of current world-record holder Tobi Amusan (NGR: 12.38), with Harrison third (12.50), just ahead of Paris Olympic winner Masai Russell (12.50). Americans Alia Armstrong and Tia Jones both fell early on.
The non-Diamond League women’s hammer saw Canadian Olympic champ Cam Rogers score a win and national record at 78.88 m (258-9) in the fourth round, taking over from world leader Brooke Andersen of the U.S., who reached 76.95 m (252-5) in the final round.
The Diamond League heads right back to Europe, with the Herculis meet in Monaco on 11 July.
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