2022 Pre Classic Preview: Star-Studded Matchups Everywhere You Look

By Jonathan Gault
Could 27, 2022

One of many complaints about observe & area is that the most important stars don’t race one another sufficient. And whereas that’s true for some occasions, the other state of affairs — a sport the place the easiest athletes race one another each single week — isn’t essentially the answer, both. There’s something to be stated about constructing an aura and anticipation.

Ideally, one of the best of one of the best would race one another roughly 3 times a season — early within the 12 months to put down a marker, Worlds/Olympics for the glory, and the Diamond League remaining as a season finale. This weekend’s Prefontaine Traditional — seven weeks out from Worlds, and held on the identical observe — is the right time for that first encounter, and we’re going to get it in a variety of occasions.

The Bowerman Mile, for instance, would be the first time Olympic champ Jakob Ingebrigtsen and world champ Timothy Cheruiyot have squared off in 2022, and so they’ll be joined by the red-hot Abel Kipsang, American stars Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare (making their Diamond League debuts) and three:58 highschool miler Colin Sahlman. We have now a equally stacked matchup within the girls’s steeple with Olympic champ Peruth Chemutai dealing with Diamond League champ Norah Jeruto and American Olympic medalists Courtney Frerichs and Emma Coburn.

And there are a selection of occasions the place the Pre area is only one identify away from a stacked deck. There’s no Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce within the girls’s 100, however Elaine Thompson-Herah vs Sha’Carri Richardson is value it, if solely to see how the latter responds to a different beating. The ladies’s 1500 has international medalists Religion Kipyegon, Laura Muir, Gudaf Tsegay, and Elle Purrier St. Pierre (however no Sifan Hassan, who emotionally was spent after the Olympics after which had just a few setbacks as soon as she acquired again into coaching however is coaching properly now). And the boys’s 100 (Trayvon Bromell, Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles, Andre De Grasse, Erriyon Knighton) remains to be one of many races of the day, even when Olympic champ Marcell Jacobs is out because of damage.

By Saturday night, we’ll have a significantly better concept of the place the race for gold at this 12 months’s World Championships stands in a variety of key occasions…however with sufficient time for issues to alter earlier than the large present at Hayward Subject in July. Simply the way it must be.

Now for the dangerous information. Have you ever seen the forecast for Saturday? Proper now Climate.com is looking for high-50s and rain throughout the meet on Saturday afternoon, with winds of 8-10 mph and gusts doubtlessly over 20 mph, popping out of the S or SW that means the sprints will likely be run right into a headwind (the end stretch runs from the N to the S).  Good factor we’ve acquired so many prime matchups as a result of the instances are unlikely to be quick.

The climate for Friday’s US 10,000 champs and WR makes an attempt seems to be superb nonetheless so in the event you missed out preview of that catch up now:  LRC Friday previews Your Guide to the World Record Attempts at the 2022 Pre Classic *2022 USA 10,000 Champs Preview: Can Grant Fisher & Elise Cranny Make It a Bowerman TC Sweep?

Beneath, a take a look at the highest occasions to look at on Saturday at Pre.

*How to watch *Schedule/entries/results
*All LRC 2022 Pre Classic coverage

Males’s 1500 (12:29 p.m. PT): Neil Gourley hopes to lastly break 3:35

Entries: Colby Alexander, Robby Andrews, Vince Ciattei, Neil Gourley, Charlie Hunter, Hobbs Kessler, Caleb Lakeman, Luke McCann, Christian Noble, Sam Prakel, Jonas Raess, Thomas Ratcliffe, Marc Scott, Samuel Tanner

That is the race often often known as the Worldwide Mile (the B warmth behind the Bowerman Mile), but it surely’s a 1500 this 12 months as a result of a bunch of those guys will likely be chasing the World Championship normal of three:35.00. Nobody needs it greater than Neil Gourley, who has been flying all over the world this 12 months making an attempt to hit the usual and has to date managed 3:35.32 in Boston, 3:35.87 in Belgrade, and three:35.43 at Mt. SAC. Even a slower time must be sufficient to place him in a robust place along with his world rating, however the 2019 British champ will wish to get underneath the barrier as soon as and for all so he can put all his power into specializing in subsequent month’s (very robust) British trials. The climate might make that tougher, however Cooper Teare ran 3:34 on this observe in comparable circumstances on Could 6, so it may be performed.

New Zealand’s Sam Tanner, who gave Gourley battle at Mt. SAC final weekend, and World Indoor 3k bronze medalist Marc Scott of Bowerman TC can be operating. People Vincent Ciattei, Colby Alexander, Hobbs Kessler, Sam Prakel, and Christian Noble are all entered as properly; solely Alexander has the Worlds normal.

Whereas Kessler hasn’t run as quick in 2022 as he did in 2021, he informed us on Thursday he feels his coaching is forward of the place it was final 12 months:

Males’s 5,000 (1:10 p.m. PT): That is going to be good

Entries: Moh Ahmed, Berihu Aregawi, Selemon Barega, George Beamish, Bethwell Birgen, Paul Chelimo, Luis Grijalva, Jacob Kiplimo, Sam Parsons, Matthew Ramsden, Brett Robinson, Samuel Tefera, Getnet Wale

Of the highest 10 runners on this planet proper now at 5,000 meters, not less than eight of them are competing at Pre this weekend: Joshua Cheptegei, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Jacob Kiplimo, Selemon Barega, Berihu Aregawi, Moh Ahmed, Paul Chelimo, and Grant Fisher. Cheptegei, Ingebrigtsen, and Fisher are all entered in separate occasions, however the remainder of these names will likely be operating within the loaded 5,000 on Saturday afternoon. With out Ingebrigtsen and Cheptegei within the area, the winner right here can’t essentially be referred to as the World Championship favourite, however that is more likely to be probably the most aggressive 5,000 wherever on Earth earlier than Worlds, so a win is a pleasant feather within the cap.

Barega, coming off an Olympic title within the 10k and a World Indoor title within the 5k, is one of the best wager. The Ethiopian federation is reportedly choosing its 5,000 crew based mostly on season’s greatest and previously has been reluctant about permitting athletes to double. However right here’s my proposal: if Barega wins this race, Ethiopia ought to put him on the 5,000 crew proper now. It’s an ideal disgrace he wasn’t allowed to double in Tokyo final 12 months. If Barega proves health and desires to strive the double, the Ethiopian federation must make it occur as he’s their largest male star proper now.

Additionally, what’s 2018 and 2022 World Indoor 1500 champ Samuel Tefera doing on this race? The truth that he’s right here and never within the Bowerman Mile is puzzling, however it is going to be intriguing to see what he can do. He’s by no means run a 5000 however ran 7:37 within the lone indoor 3000 of his profession earlier this 12 months.

Girls’s 100 (1:33 p.m. PT): Elaine Thompson-Herah & Sha’Carri Richardson return to Pre

Entries: Dina Asher-Smith, Teahna Daniels, Shericka Jackson, Mujinga Kambundji, Sha’Carri Richardson, Marie-Josee Ta Lou, Twanisha Terry, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Briana Williams

The final girls’s 100 at Pre featured a heavily-anticipated showdown between Jamaican Olympic gold and silver medalists Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and American star Sha’Carri Richardson. The Jamaicans confirmed up, with ETH operating a pb of 10.54 — a time many within the sport (together with this author) regard because the world report given the questions on FloJo’s 10.49. Richardson, racing for the primary time since serving a one-month ban for hashish, was a complete nonfactor, ending final in 11.14.

SAFP’s smirk ultimately 12 months’s Pre was legendary

Thompson-Herah is again and in high-quality type as soon as once more, operating 10.94 final week in Kingston right into a 1.8 m/s headwind (value 10.80 in nonetheless circumstances). The one approach she doesn’t win this race is that if she decides she doesn’t wish to run in chilly, wet circumstances and scratches (which appeared to be the case final week when she withdrew from the Birmingham DL solely to race that very same weekend in Kingston).

Richardson, in the meantime, will likely be trying to construct on her begin ultimately week’s Duval County Problem, the place she ran 11.37 into the wind in her first race of the 12 months and 11.27 in her second. With Olympic bronze medalist, world 200 champ Dina Asher-Smith, and world indoor champ Mujinga Kambundji all entered, Richardson and People Teahna Daniels and TeeTee Terry can have their arms full.

Girls’s 1500 (1:49 p.m. PT): Kipyegon, Muir, and Tsegay set to do battle

Entries: Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, Freweyni Hailu, Jessica Hull, Sinclaire Johnson, Tigist Ketema, Religion Kipyegon, Cory Ann McGee, Laura Muir, Winnie Nanyondo, Josette Norris, Shannon Osika, Elle Purrier St. Pierre, Gaia Sabbatini, Nozomi Tanaka, Gudaf Tsegay

That is one of the best girls’s distance race at Pre, with a stellar worldwide area and lots of the prime People all entered. Again-to-back Olympic champion Religion Kipyegon will likely be favored — she’s the best feminine miler of all time, and she or he’s coming off her greatest season ever. There are two girls — Olympic silver medalist Laura Muir and World Indoor champ Gudaf Tsegay — that might be able to hold along with her, then a spot to the likes of Freweyni Hailu and Gabriela DeBues-Stafford (each of whom have run 3:56).

That is additionally an enormous check for the People. The 5 girls above are all stars and that listing doesn’t embrace Sifan Hassan (although who is aware of what’s up along with her contemplating she hasn’t raced in 2022 and simply scratched the 2-mile at Pre). That’s quite a lot of expertise standing between the US and a medal. Can anybody shut the hole?

Elle Purrier St. Pierre has one of the best probability to do it — and you may argue she belongs within the dialogue above contemplating she beat GDS for silver at World Indoors within the 3k in March. Nonetheless, Purrier St. Pierre hasn’t actually combined it up with one of the best on this planet within the 1500 but — her greatest races final 12 months have been home efforts, and she or he was damage on the Olympics — so that is her alternative to indicate she belongs. Josette Norris was third within the DL remaining final 12 months and fifth at World Indoors and shouldn’t be missed both.

Basically, this race is a preview of USAs minus indoor champ Heather MacLean. Between Purrier St. Pierre, Norris, Cory McGee, Sinclaire Johnson, and Shannon Osika, mainly all the foremost gamers are right here. The outcomes will inform us rather a lot in regards to the present pecking order.

Girls’s 800 (2:06 p.m. PT): With Mu out, will Britannia rule?

Entries: Natoya Goule, Keely Hodgkinson, Sage Hurta, Michaela Meyer, Halimah Nakaayi, Jemma Reekie, Raevyn Rogers, Ajee’ Wilson, Allie Wilson

This was presupposed to be a matchup of two of the game’s brightest younger stars, Olympic champion Athing Mu of the US and Olympic silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson of Nice Britain. However Mu, who regarded good in her final race (50.42 400 in Puerto Rico on Could 12) withdrew from the meet earlier this week with no clarification and is as a substitute on the NCAA West Regionals in Arkansas with the Texas A&M crew. Mu’s agent Wes Felix didn’t reply to a request for remark from LetsRun.com; Pre Traditional media chief Jeff Oliver stated he had no particulars why Mu withdrew. Is it an excessive amount of to ask {that a} uncommon American Olympic champion not less than give a purpose as to why she’s not operating the most important common season meet of the 12 months within the US?

With out Mu, Hodgkinson, who impressively received her outside opener in Birmingham final weekend, will likely be favored, however she received’t have it straightforward in opposition to a area that includes in-form People Raevyn Rogers (Olympic bronze medalist), Ajee’ Wilson (World Indoor champ), and Allie Wilson (world chief at 1:58.18). Reigning world champ Halimah Nakaayi of Uganda is entered as properly.

Girls’s steeplechase (2:14 p.m. PT): An enormous check for the People

Entries:, Mekides Abebe, Peruth Chemutai, Jackline Chepkoech, Rosefline Chepngetich, Celliphine Chepteek Chespol, Emma Coburn, Courtney Frerichs, Workua Getachew, Norah Jeruto, Winfred Mutile Yavi, Katie Rainsberger, Zerfe Wondimagegn

Norah Jeruto — now (lastly) representing Kazakhstan — picked up the place she left off final 12 months in her season opener by operating 9:04 at 5,000+ toes to win in Nairobi earlier this month. She’s the sensible decide to defend her Pre Traditional title after operating a pb of 8:53 (#3 all-time) right here final August.

The query in Eugene isn’t just whether or not People Courtney Frerichs and Emma Coburn can problem her, however which American? Coburn has dominated the pair’s rivalry for therefore lengthy however had an terrible Olympics and took a very long time to return. She lastly did final week at Mt. SAC, however didn’t look again to her outdated self but, closing out her 4:09 1500 with a 67-second final lap. Frerichs, in the meantime, hasn’t raced since March however has PR’d in each races this 12 months (14:48 5k indoors, 31:23 10k open air). Saturday’s consequence will likely be telling about the place issues stand between the 2 proper now.

Males’s Bowerman Mile (2:39 p.m. PT): Ingebrigtsen goes for repeat as Hocker & Teare make DL debuts

Entries: Timothy Cheruiyot, Ignacio Fontes, Jake Heyward, Ollie Hoare, Cole Hocker, Filip Ingebrigtsen, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Vincent Kibet Keter, Abel Kipsang, Clayton Murphy, Will Paulson, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, Colin Sahlman, Cooper Teare

The Bowerman Mile might have been bumped from its conventional meet-ending spot this 12 months, however the 2022 version is as sturdy as ever with storylines up and down the sector. Jakob Ingebrigtsen is the headliner in any area he enters and after a month of coaching in Flagstaff, must be able to roll on this one. Distinction that to his prime rival on this race, Kenya’s Abel Kipsang, who has been racking up the SkyMiles. Right here’s what Kipsang has been as much as over the past month:

Clearly the person is in sensational type, however you need to suppose all that journey will take its toll in some unspecified time in the future. Who’re you choosing, the man who’s operating his fourth race in 4 weekends on 4 continents, or the man who’s been holed up at altitude getting ready for this race for the final three weeks?

Two-time Bowerman Mile champ Timothy Cheruiyot is the one different man with a practical shot to topple Ingebrigtsen, although he’s much less doubtless than Kipsang contemplating Kipsang has crushed Cheruiyot head-to-head twice within the final month. In reality, contemplating the touring and racing Cheruiyot and Kipsang have performed — and the truth that Ingebrigtsen had COVID at World Indoors and nonetheless completed forward of Kipsang — it wouldn’t be a shock to see a repeat of final 12 months’s Bowerman Mile where Ingebrigtsen crushed everyone.

From a US standpoint, what higher place to see Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare make their Diamond League debuts than Hayward Subject? Not solely will they get an enormous check in opposition to the likes of Ingebrigtsen, Kipsang, and Cheruiyot, however Hocker may even get the possibility to finish his private drought in opposition to Teare — regardless of profitable NCAA indoors, NCAA open air, USA open air, and USA indoors within the final 14 months, Hocker is 0-4 in opposition to his coaching associate in 1500/mile races. Nonetheless, solely 21% of Letsrun nation thinks that Hocker will beat Teare in a ballot we ran on the homepage.

Excessive schooler Colin Sahlman may even be a preferred storyline at Pre as he seems to be to decrease his 3:58.81 pb. Alan Webb‘s 3:53.43 highschool report was already a troublesome ask and could also be unimaginable if the climate is poor, however on the very least Sahlman can have a possibility to wrest the highschool lead away from LRC podcast guest Gary Martin, who ran 3:57.98 in Pennsylvania two weeks in the past (although even that could possibly be robust in these circumstances). It’s a disgrace the climate isn’t higher, as a result of Sahlman has been in nice type this 12 months (1:48/3:39 already open air) and has the closing velocity over the past lap the place he would possibly be capable of make issues attention-grabbing and mow down a pair fading execs over the ultimate 100.

MB: Colin Sahlman in 2022 Prefontaine meet mile. How fast will he run?

ICYMI: Matthew Centrowitz withdrew from this occasion earlier this week because of a knee damage, which turned out to be fairly critical: he underwent surgery on Thursday and can miss the whole observe season.

Males’s 100 (2:52 p.m. PT): Who’s one of the best within the US?

Entries: Kenny Bednarek, Trayvon Bromell, Christian Coleman, Andre De Grasse, Fred Kerley, Kyree King, Erriyon Knighton, Noah Lyles, Letsile Tebogo

Okay, so Olympic champ Marcell Jacobs is out because of damage. However that is nonetheless an unimaginable area pitting world champs Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles in opposition to 2021 US champ Trayvon Bromell and 2021 Olympic medalists Kenny Bednarek, Fred Kerley and Andre De Grasse. And as if that wasn’t sufficient, we’ve acquired not one, however two teen phenoms. You understand all about Erriyon Knighton, however what about Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo? The reigning world U20 champ, the 18-year-old Tebogo ran 9.96 on April 30 to develop into the youngest man in historical past to interrupt 10 seconds within the 100. That’s proper. Youngest ever. That report might not final lengthy — Knighton might break it or Saturday, or maybe subsequent weekend on the NYC Grand Prix, the place there must be higher climate — however Tebogo is a critical dash expertise in his personal proper. And if Knighton one way or the other wins this race…properly, it’s throughout for everybody else for the subsequent decade. Happily for them, he hasn’t but proven the identical skill at 100 as 200.

Of the veterans, Bromell, Kerley, and Lyles all come into this race in nice type, although Kerley and Lyles’ most spectacular work has come at 200 this spring (Bromell ran 9.75 with a +2.1 wind again on April 30). Coleman ran a reasonably ho-hum 10.09 in his 100 opener in Tokyo on Could 8, however he did win the race. This, nonetheless, will likely be his first time taking up American rivals at 100 meters for the reason that 2019 Worlds. Is he nonetheless the person, or has somebody surpassed him?

The US is so deep that we already know not less than one of many daring names on this race (Lyles, Bromell, Kerley, and Bednarek) received’t be on the 100-meter crew this spring, and doubtlessly extra if Oregon’s Micah Williams continues on his present trajectory. So who’s primary? I’d rank them Bromell-Coleman-Kerley in the event you requested me proper now, although that would utterly flip inside 48 hours. However whoever wins it will stake their declare as the most important challenger to Jacobs in Eugene at Worlds this summer season.

Come again to LRC for extra Prefontaine protection. At 5 pm ET, we’ll be doing a reside present from Eugene telling you the within scoop we discovered from the second press convention.

Extra: Your Guide to the World Record Attempts at the 2022 Pre Classic *2022 USA 10,000 Champs Preview: Can Grant Fisher & Elise Cranny Make It a Bowerman TC Sweep?
*Live From Eugene – The Inside Scoop From Thursda’ys WR Press Conferences
*All LRC 2022 Pre Classic coverage*How to watch *Schedule/entries/results