The Bowerman Mile “had nothing to do with the World Record,” said Jakob Ingebrigtsen. “I set the lights for my own liking, and it just happened to be a 10th of a second faster than the World Record.” Nonetheless, chaser Yared Nuguse shattered the AR. (VICTOR SAILER/PHOTO RUN)
EUGENE, OREGON, September 16 — A pair of American Records late in an action-packed session that began on the track with a No. 4 all-time clocking in the men’s 400H highlighted Day 1 of the annual Prefontaine Classic — this year serving as the Diamond League Final.
The Pre meet’s iconic Bowerman Mile, ringing down the proceedings as Day 1’s final event, quickly — blindingly so in pace terms — turned into a dual between brash Olympic 1500 champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Yared Nuguse, the unassuming American the Norwegian had suggested should stick close if he had record aspirations.
That’s what Nuguse did to wrap his first season of DL circuit racing. He stuck 0.2, a step behind Ingebrigtsen’s torrid tempo, virtually throughout. In the final 200, he looked to have a shot at passing, but twice No. 1 Ranker at 1500 Ingebrigtsen got to the line first. With astounding numbers on the clock.
Ingebrigtsen’s 3:43.73 — though Hicham El Guerrouj’s 24-year-old 3:43.13 World Record lived to see more days — rewrote the all-time list’s No. 3 mark.
Nuguse at 3:43.97 demolished Alan Webb’s 3:46.91 American Record set in ’07 and pushed Noureddine Morceli’s 3:44.93 — a World Record when the Algerian ran it in ’93 — back to No. 5 on the all-time list. Nuguse’s inspired miling reduced his PR from the 3:47.38 indoor AR he ran in February at the start of his remarkable novice campaign on the international circuit.
Ingebrigtsen — who’ll turn 23 this week and has unabashedly declared his intent to establish himself as the greatest middle distance runner of all-time (though he missed on attempts to capture global 1500 titles this year and last) — and 24-year-old On AC miler Nuguse made for a characteristic study in personality contrasts with their post-race comments.
While the Norwegian complimented Nuguse on his time, he half-jokingly cracked, “There’s too much disrespect in this sport. Nobody’s thanking the main pacer.”
Acknowledging the contribution of primary rabbit Erik Sowinski, Ingebrigtsen also mentioned that midday scheduling for the race made it difficult in the bright sunlight to see the Wavelight pace guide for the tempo he had requested.
“I wanted to have this race to be a time trial against the clock to see what I’m capable of in the mile. I don’t run the distance too often. So it’s all about trying to get a good time when I get a chance.”
Nuguse, when asked how he would have responded a year ago to the suggestion he’d run 3:43 this season, said, “I would said you’re crazy. I think I have this like constant, at least a little bit, of self-doubt at all times [laughs]. And so I have goals that I feel are achievable but then I get to a certain time it’s like, ‘Nah, we’re not gonna do that yet.’
“Like, I always think it’ll come later or something and there’ll always be something coming way sooner than I think. So that’s basically been this entire year and I’ve been really, really happy with it because of that.”
See box for Jeff Hollobaugh’s account of the race.
Ingebrigtsen Takes Trophy, Nuguse Webb’s AR
Maybe it wasn’t rocket science, but Jakob Ingebrigtsen proved to be very prescient the day before at the press conference, when he responded to Yared Nuguse’s stated goal of breaking the American Record in the mile by saying, “Just stick to me as long as you can.”
The final event on Saturday was one that put the Hayward faithful at fever pitch, and few were disappointed with the fastest — and deepest — mile ever run on U.S. soil. As usual, Erik Sowinski drew pacing duties, and after Aussie teen phenomenon Cameron Myers led through the 400 in 55.38, he took the lead and brought the race through 800 in 1:51.67, just a few 100ths behind the pace in Hicham El Guerrouj’s 3:43.00 WR. Ingebrigtsen stayed close behind and Nuguse followed dutifully.
At 900, with Ingebrigtsen getting antsy, Sowinski swung wide and let the Norwegian take over. He and Nuguse moved away from the field, covering lap 3 in 56.06 (2:47.73). El Guerrouj had hit 2:47.91. Ingebrigtsen strained hard in an effort to get conquer his first WR in a standard event, but he was unable to shake Nuguse. On the final turn, it appeared that the American might even have a chance to win.
On the straight, Nuguse swung wide, but this time, the 22-year-old Ingebrigtsen still had plenty of fight. He came across the line first in 3:43.73, a European Record and the No. 3 time in history. For the distance-mad fans, the bigger thrill was probably Nuguse’s 3:43.97 American Record that sliced nearly 3 seconds off Alan Webb’s 3:46.91 from ’07.
PRs fell for the next 6, as Britain’s George Mills ran 3rd in 3:47.65, ahead of Spain’s Mario Garcia (3:47.69 NR) and Raynold Kipkorir’s World Junior Record 3:48.06. Cole Hocker finished 6th in 3:48.08. A record 11 men broke 3:50 — the old best was 6 in one race. Understandably, the list of best-ever-marks-for-place was rewritten, with new standards from 4th to 13th.
Said the winner, planning to double back in the 3000 Sunday, “Today I wanted to race where I could challenge myself to really set out at a decent pace, somewhat conservative, and then I go as hard as I could the last two laps to try to run as fast as I could. So it was very good.”
He added, “But now it’s all about getting back home to the hotel, eat, sleep, try to prepare as good as I can and we’ll see tomorrow. Hopefully getting married next weekend, so I think I have to prepare for that as well.”
Nuguse said he tried hard to win: “This is going to be my last chance for a while to beat him, I might as well just pour my whole heart into it. It was the perfect race because I just felt very unbothered the entire time, so it was all just really gritting it out and seeing who could run faster… That third lap, I feel like having that crowd just going nuts was really huge. I could just feel they were all cheering for me for once, [while] I feel like in Europe they’re mostly cheering for him.” /Jeff Hollobaugh/
“My confidence is kind of back and my far throws are back,” said Chase Ealey. More than just back. Her big throw was AR far. (VICTOR SAILER/PHOTO RUN)
Ealey AR Takes Shot Crown
A half-hour or so earlier, Chase Ealey had exploded to an AR in the women’s shot. The 2-time world champion was down to Canada’s Sarah Mitton and Maggie Ewen when she stepped into the ring in round 2. She straight away ended that state of affairs.
Ealey punched the ball out to 67-7½ (20.61) to claim a lead she would never relinquish, but also add 4 inches to her PR set winning the USA title last year. Of even more import, the shot landed just ¾ (2cm) short of Michelle Carter’s 67-8¼ (20.63) standard set in winning Rio Olympic gold.
Ealey was not finished. In round 3 she stepped up and bombed a new PR and definitive demolition of Carter’s AR, 68-1½ (20.76).
Although the exceedingly pleased Ealey fouled her next three efforts, her new record held up for the DL Final win from Mitton at 65-5 (19.94).
“I think I could’ve got a bigger one today,” Ealey said. “But it’s just like, you know, after I threw a PB, an American Record, I kind of got a little excited. And I may have lost a little bit, but I think I have a lot bigger throws in me, especially for next year.”
A fuller account of the spectacular women’s shot as well as all DL Final events will appear in a series of by-event reports coming to trackandfieldnews.com soon. Don’t miss them, for quality was superb in all the day 1 events.
Of particular spectacular note was Rai Benjamin’s tooth-and-nail victory in the men’s 400H in 46.39, the No. 4 all-time mark, ’23 world leader and DL Record. See box below with Tom Casacky’s race report.
Epic 400H Showdown To Benjamin
This, the first track event of the meet, was a harbinger of the fabulous marks that would follow.
History’s three fastest were matched again, 23 days after their Budapest showdown. And now they were four, after Kyron McMaster’s World silver and defeat of Karsten Warholm at Zürich.
As usual, Warholm was off fastest, but a lane inside McMaster stayed very close. At hurdle 5, it was Warholm (20.22), McMaster (20.29), trailing Rai Benjamin (20.68) and Alison dos Santos (20.84). Around the curve, Benjamin methodically closed the gap, gaining with every step. He caught McMaster between hurdles 9 and 10, was still 0.18 behind Warholm at the final barrier, then ran him down for a decisive victory.
His 46.39 is the No. 4 all-time mark, a yearly world lead, and a meet and Diamond League Record. “Being a sprinter, that’s what I am. Went back to my old race model. Just tried to channel that today and feel like I did a really good job. I’m not really too caught up in this win. What matters is winning at major championships and I haven’t done that yet, so I need to do that.” /Tom Casacky/
Also checking in with a No. 4 all-time clocking and leaving a preposterously deep women’s 1500 field far in her wake was WR holder Faith Kipyegon in 3:50.73 from Ethiopian Diribe Welteji, who moved to the No. 6 all-time performer slot with her 3:53.93 clocking ahead of Laura Muir at 3:55.16. See box.
Kipyegon Runs Away To Meet Record
Another bravura performance by Faith Kipyegon brought the Hayward Field crowd to its feet as the Kenyan legend dominated the proceedings with a stunning meet record 3:50.72, the No. 4 time in history.
Brooks Beast Laurie Barton set the pace, hitting the first two laps perfectly at 62.64 and 62.62 (2:05.26). Kipyegon immediately moved to 2nd, with Ethiopian Diribe Welteji next and Laura Muir a stride behind. Yet Kipyegon let Barton slip away, and by 700 there was a 10-meter gap.
On the next turn, Kipyegon moved, leaving the pack behind and catching Barton at the 800. On the backstretch, she continued to stretch her margin, as the audience grew ever louder, realizing a record might be at play. At the bell (2:51.13) she had 20m on the field.
Kipyegon drove as only she can, her fans standing, as she strained for the line to cross in 3:50.73. After her, Welteji closed hard for a PR 3:53.93 to move to No. 6 all-time. Muir finished 3rd in 3:55.16, her No. 2 time ever and her seventh under 3:56. PRs went to Freweyni Hailu in 4th (3:55.68) and Australia’s Linden Hall in 5th (3:56.92 NR). The Americans finished far back, with Cory McGee 10th (4:01.28) and Sinclaire Johnson 12th (4:03.21).
Said the smiling victor, a local favorite who has now won the Prefontaine race a record 6 times (passing Suzy Hamilton’s 5), “I didn’t watch the clock, I was just running my race and see what will happen at the finish line. So it was amazing, to run a meeting record, just fantastic. I didn’t worry about anything, I was just going and not looking back who is following me, just go to the tape and see what I was going to run.” /Jeff Hollobaugh/
Sieg Lindstrom is Track & Field News's Editor. He fell in love with the sport as a high school distance runner, and has covered 9 editions of the Olympics and 16 outdoor World Championships. In a feverish effort to brush up his résumé before he was hired, he also attended the ’84 Olympics and ’87 Worlds as a fan.
