ran around the track together. It was the last race of the day. It was such a fast race and Ingebrigsten is also loved in Eugene. I remember when he ran the Bowerman mile when he was 16 and broke 4 minutes then when his older brother also ran as a top miler. He has won the Bowerman mile now 3 years in a row.
There were a few Cole Hocker fans who were hoping for a race liked when Cole nipped Yared in the NCAA championships in Eugene. But it became clear that it was the rabbits, the Norwegian, and Goose which I was screaming from the 3rd row of section 204. I had my ND hat so it became clear why I was a fan. Amazing how they all ran so fast. I am sure it is fastest overall mile run ever since 11 runners were under 3:50. The attached article entitle "Yared Nuguse Shatters American Mile Record" shows all the runners times which had 11 personal bests and 5 national records.
Overall the meet was so well done with a British woman announcing the events while they were held. The Diamond League Races are so different than World or National championships events as it is more about the show. Although the Pre Classic has been part of the Diamond league since the beginning but it is usually earlier in the year. This was the 1st time the Diamond league championship was held in the Eugene so it is really well done. The previous championships since the Diamond league started in 2010 have all been in Zurich or Brussels except the Covid year when it was in Doha.
I took my son and his girlfriend and the meet went so fast with no prelims, just high level competition. The field events were all fun but the running events were epic. Even with the highlight being the men's mile, there were 4 other running events that stood out:
1. 400M hurdles where American Benjamen eeked out a Diamond League record win over Norwegian Gold medalist Warholm
2. 300OM womens steeplechase where Yavi just missed a world record (2d fastest ever beating the next runner by 5 seconds)
3.1500M women's World Record holder Kenyan Faith Kipyegon beat the field by 3 seconds.
4. 100M men with Americans Coleman & Lyles and Kenyan Omanyala all had 3 of the top 5 times this season.
Overall in Day 1 seven of the 15 events had Meet Records and a total of 11 National records were broken including 2 American Records, Yared's and Chase Ealey for the Women's shot put. It was also very international with the winners coming from 11 different countries: 4 Americans, 2 Kenyans, and 1 each from Japan, Italy, Korea, Grenada, Brunei, Czechslovakia, Venezuela, Jamaica, and Norway. !7 more events will be held again on NBC/CNBC. They are hoping for at least one world record. Ingebrigsten is going to run the 3k today and we will see what he still has it in him to win again.
run in that race. The only two times better than yesterdays top 2 were back in the last century on July 7, 1999 when Moroccan El Guerrouj edged Kenyan Ngeny. El Guerrouj has 8 different times on the top 25 list. Ingebrigtsen has 3 times with his 1st when he won in the mile in Eugene in 2021, then last year in Oslo when he beat that time in a close race with Australian Oliver Hoare. Prior to yesterday those three times were the only recent times with the previous being the 2014 Eugene win by Souleiman and 2007 previous American record by Alan Webb which Nuguse beat by 3 seconds.
So yesterdays six runners on the list is the only time that 1 race had more than two runners make the list. Obviously it was the top 6 in yesterday's Bowerman mile which included U of Oregon runner Cole Hocker who is now #25. He is the 4th American on the list behind #4 Nuguse, #10 Webb, and # 17 Steve Scot who ran a 3 minute 47.69 in 1982. just missing then wold record which was held by Brit Sebastian Cole. Lots of history when you talk about the mile and an incredible list of runners which Yared is now near the top.
and the meet. These two posts were MUCH appreciated. It sounds like you had fun. There's little better then a well run meet and this was a great one!
At some point, I've got to come to Track Town and take in an event.
is amazing. 3rd fastest of all time. Grant Fisher gets a new American record in 3k. 4 national records in this race. The 5k women's resulted in Ethiopian Tsegay getting a world record in 14 minutes breaking Faith Kipyegon's recent WR by 5 seconds. So Eugene will get at least 1 world record. Faith ran yesterday in the 1500 so didn't run today. I think sub 14 minutes will be in the future with these two women at their peak plus Chebet of Kenya who had a PB today 5 seconds behind Tsegay.
I'm watching today on TV since I am resting after a full day in Eugene with track event and Duck football game last night. Next week Coach Prime and 3-0 Buffs are coming to Autzen and I'll be there for that.
Reminds me of attending the semi- and final games in the NCAA Lax Championships in Philly this May when the Irish (finally) won the National Championship. The heat -- and tension -- just drained the energy. Happy but beat.
Heck of a meet.....thanks again for the posts.
Saw that grimace starting at the end of the back stretch. Bodes well for the Olympics 1500. 🙌