Gold medal for Asbel Kiprop of Kenya and silver medal for Silas Kiplagat of Kenya in the men's 1500 metres final (© Getty Images)
Eugene, Oregon Nobody does it better when it comes to the Mile than the Prefontaine Classic, and this year’s 38th edition will add to that with a grudge match of the two best milers in the world.
The Pre Classic, the fourth stop on the 2012 Samsung Diamong League series, will be held 1-2 June at Eugene, Ore. The meet features not one, but two world class competitions in the men’s Mile, an historic event with a following in the U.S. like none other. The more famous of the two races in Eugene is the Bowerman Mile, since 2000 named after legendary Oregon coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman. The more recent is named the International Mile, begun in 2010 as a result of athlete demand. It featured 10 runners under 3:58 in its inaugural year, and 8 runners under 3:58 last year.
Seeding of the Bowerman and International fields will be finalized over the next two and a half weeks leading up to the events, but sure to be included in the Bowerman are the top two milers in the world, Kenyans Asbel Kiprop and Silas Kiplagat.
The pair are fierce competitive rivals. Both are 22 years old, and have met 11 times throughout their young careers at either the mile or the 1500m. Kiplagat holds a 6-5 edge, but it’s not without controversy. Kiplagat’s latest win, at the 11 May Samsung Diamond League opener in Doha, Qatar, came as Kiplagat – in some viewers’ eyes – fouled Kiprop with about 100 metres to go. However, no foul was called. Kiplagat won the 1500m event in a world-leading 3:29.63, just 0.15 seconds ahead of Kiprop.
Kiprop, who won the gold medal at last year’s World Championships in Daegu as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 1500m, has been ranked No.1 in the world the last three straight years by Track & Field News. Kiprop is familiar with Pre and Eugene – he has run sub-3:50 Miles at Pre the last three years, winning the 2010 and 2009 Bowerman Miles. His best ever is 3:48.50 from his 2009 victory.
Kiplagat, the closest to recently challenge Kiprop, was silver medallist at last year’s World Championships. Kiplagat, who even defeated Kiprop at last year’s Bowerman Mile, has a 3:49.39 from last year.
American Matthew Centrowitz completes the sweep of last year’s World Championships 1500m medallists. He electrified American fans by earning a bronze medal in Daegu, but is at age 22 a relative newcomer to the international scene. His Mile best is “only” 3:53.92, a time he achieved winning this year’s venerable Wannamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in February.
But there are loads more fast Milers in this year’s Pre Classic, including the winner of last year’s Bowerman Mile, Haron Keitany of Kenya, who beat both Kiprop and Kiplagat as all three broke 3:50. Keitany has a best of 3:48.78 from 2009 when he was runner-up to Kiprop in the Bowerman Mile.
Centrowitz has an American teammate in the field, and perhaps the best veteran ever. Bernard Lagat has won five World Championships gold medals, but none of them the gold that he desires – the Olympic variety. Lagat, though 37, is still one of the best in the world – he proved so in Istanbul in March by winning the World Indoor 3000m title. He is a two-time winner of the Bowerman Mile with a PB in the Mile of 3:47.28.
The Kenyans and Americans will be surrounded by world-class competition, led by Mekonnen Gebremedhin of Ethiopia and Abdelaati Iguider of Morocco. Gebremedhin was third in the Bowerman Mile in 2010 and fourth last year, when he recorded his PB of 3:49.70. Iguider, a 2008 Olympic finalist at age 21, won the gold medal at this year’s World Indoor Championships in Istanbul. He hasn’t run the Mile distance since 2007, but his best 1500m time of 3:31.47 converts to a Mile time of 3:48.39.
It doesn’t stop there. The Bowerman Mile meet record is held by Daniel Kipchirchir Komen of Kenya, who ran 3:48.28 in 2007. Twice ranked No. 1 in the world by T&FN, he was sixth in loaded field last year at 3:50.29. New Zealand’s Nick Willis, silver medallist at the 2008 Olympics, is a two-time former runner-up in the Bowerman Mile whose 1500 best of 3:31.79 converts to a Mile time of 3:48.74. Amine Laalou of Morocco, a two-time Olympian in the 800m with a best of 1:43.25, is also quite fast in the Mile. Laalou has a best of 3:50.22 (as runner-up in the 2010 Bowerman Mile) and a 1500 PB of 3:29.53 that converts to a Mile of 3:46.30, which would make him the fastest in the field.
Several Americans are also aiming to run fast in Eugene, led by hometown favorite Andrew Wheating, on the comeback trail after being injured in 2011; American record holder Alan Webb (3:46.91 in 2007), fastest in the field but also seeking to bounce back after injury; and Russell Brown, who has thrown a first dart at the target of making the U.S. Olympic team by posting a PB 3:34.11 in the 1500m to become the fastest American thus far this year (that 1500 converts to a mile of 3:51.24). Among the other top Americans expected are Leonel Manzano (3:49.36 converted), David Torrence (3:51.39 converted), Lopez Lomong (3:49.18 converted), Will Leer (3:53.64 converted), Dorian Ulrey (3:52.45 converted), and Jeff See (3:55.47).
Organisers for the IAAF
Bowerman and International Miles
Silas Kiplagat (Kenya)
Asbel Kiprop (Kenya)
Abdelaati Iguider (Morocco)
Mekonnen Gebremedhin (Ethiopia)
Haron Keitany (Kenya)
Nick Willis (New Zealand)
Collins Cheboi (Kenya)
Russell Brown (USA)
Amine Laalou (Morocco)
Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (Kenya)
Matthew Centrowitz (USA)
David Torrence (USA)
Leonel Manzano (USA)
Andrew Wheating (USA)
Aman Wote (Ethiopia)
Bethwell Birgen (Kenya)
Bernard Lagat (USA)
Dawit Wolde (Ethiopia)
Tesfaye Cheru (Ethiopia)
Lopez Lomong (USA)
Nicholas Kemboi (Qatar)
Will Leer (USA)
Dorian Ulrey (USA)
Jeff See (USA)
Alan Webb (USA)
Gideon Gathimba (Kenya)
Mohamed Al Garni (Qatar)
Remmy Limo Ndiwa (Kenya)
Mohammed Shaween (Kuwait)
The Pre Classic, the fourth stop on the 2012 Samsung Diamong League series, will be held 1-2 June at Eugene, Ore. The meet features not one, but two world class competitions in the men’s Mile, an historic event with a following in the U.S. like none other. The more famous of the two races in Eugene is the Bowerman Mile, since 2000 named after legendary Oregon coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman. The more recent is named the International Mile, begun in 2010 as a result of athlete demand. It featured 10 runners under 3:58 in its inaugural year, and 8 runners under 3:58 last year.
Seeding of the Bowerman and International fields will be finalized over the next two and a half weeks leading up to the events, but sure to be included in the Bowerman are the top two milers in the world, Kenyans Asbel Kiprop and Silas Kiplagat.
The pair are fierce competitive rivals. Both are 22 years old, and have met 11 times throughout their young careers at either the mile or the 1500m. Kiplagat holds a 6-5 edge, but it’s not without controversy. Kiplagat’s latest win, at the 11 May Samsung Diamond League opener in Doha, Qatar, came as Kiplagat – in some viewers’ eyes – fouled Kiprop with about 100 metres to go. However, no foul was called. Kiplagat won the 1500m event in a world-leading 3:29.63, just 0.15 seconds ahead of Kiprop.
Kiprop, who won the gold medal at last year’s World Championships in Daegu as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 1500m, has been ranked No.1 in the world the last three straight years by Track & Field News. Kiprop is familiar with Pre and Eugene – he has run sub-3:50 Miles at Pre the last three years, winning the 2010 and 2009 Bowerman Miles. His best ever is 3:48.50 from his 2009 victory.
Kiplagat, the closest to recently challenge Kiprop, was silver medallist at last year’s World Championships. Kiplagat, who even defeated Kiprop at last year’s Bowerman Mile, has a 3:49.39 from last year.
American Matthew Centrowitz completes the sweep of last year’s World Championships 1500m medallists. He electrified American fans by earning a bronze medal in Daegu, but is at age 22 a relative newcomer to the international scene. His Mile best is “only” 3:53.92, a time he achieved winning this year’s venerable Wannamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in February.
But there are loads more fast Milers in this year’s Pre Classic, including the winner of last year’s Bowerman Mile, Haron Keitany of Kenya, who beat both Kiprop and Kiplagat as all three broke 3:50. Keitany has a best of 3:48.78 from 2009 when he was runner-up to Kiprop in the Bowerman Mile.
Centrowitz has an American teammate in the field, and perhaps the best veteran ever. Bernard Lagat has won five World Championships gold medals, but none of them the gold that he desires – the Olympic variety. Lagat, though 37, is still one of the best in the world – he proved so in Istanbul in March by winning the World Indoor 3000m title. He is a two-time winner of the Bowerman Mile with a PB in the Mile of 3:47.28.
The Kenyans and Americans will be surrounded by world-class competition, led by Mekonnen Gebremedhin of Ethiopia and Abdelaati Iguider of Morocco. Gebremedhin was third in the Bowerman Mile in 2010 and fourth last year, when he recorded his PB of 3:49.70. Iguider, a 2008 Olympic finalist at age 21, won the gold medal at this year’s World Indoor Championships in Istanbul. He hasn’t run the Mile distance since 2007, but his best 1500m time of 3:31.47 converts to a Mile time of 3:48.39.
It doesn’t stop there. The Bowerman Mile meet record is held by Daniel Kipchirchir Komen of Kenya, who ran 3:48.28 in 2007. Twice ranked No. 1 in the world by T&FN, he was sixth in loaded field last year at 3:50.29. New Zealand’s Nick Willis, silver medallist at the 2008 Olympics, is a two-time former runner-up in the Bowerman Mile whose 1500 best of 3:31.79 converts to a Mile time of 3:48.74. Amine Laalou of Morocco, a two-time Olympian in the 800m with a best of 1:43.25, is also quite fast in the Mile. Laalou has a best of 3:50.22 (as runner-up in the 2010 Bowerman Mile) and a 1500 PB of 3:29.53 that converts to a Mile of 3:46.30, which would make him the fastest in the field.
Several Americans are also aiming to run fast in Eugene, led by hometown favorite Andrew Wheating, on the comeback trail after being injured in 2011; American record holder Alan Webb (3:46.91 in 2007), fastest in the field but also seeking to bounce back after injury; and Russell Brown, who has thrown a first dart at the target of making the U.S. Olympic team by posting a PB 3:34.11 in the 1500m to become the fastest American thus far this year (that 1500 converts to a mile of 3:51.24). Among the other top Americans expected are Leonel Manzano (3:49.36 converted), David Torrence (3:51.39 converted), Lopez Lomong (3:49.18 converted), Will Leer (3:53.64 converted), Dorian Ulrey (3:52.45 converted), and Jeff See (3:55.47).
Organisers for the IAAF
Bowerman and International Miles
Silas Kiplagat (Kenya)
Asbel Kiprop (Kenya)
Abdelaati Iguider (Morocco)
Mekonnen Gebremedhin (Ethiopia)
Haron Keitany (Kenya)
Nick Willis (New Zealand)
Collins Cheboi (Kenya)
Russell Brown (USA)
Amine Laalou (Morocco)
Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (Kenya)
Matthew Centrowitz (USA)
David Torrence (USA)
Leonel Manzano (USA)
Andrew Wheating (USA)
Aman Wote (Ethiopia)
Bethwell Birgen (Kenya)
Bernard Lagat (USA)
Dawit Wolde (Ethiopia)
Tesfaye Cheru (Ethiopia)
Lopez Lomong (USA)
Nicholas Kemboi (Qatar)
Will Leer (USA)
Dorian Ulrey (USA)
Jeff See (USA)
Alan Webb (USA)
Gideon Gathimba (Kenya)
Mohamed Al Garni (Qatar)
Remmy Limo Ndiwa (Kenya)
Mohammed Shaween (Kuwait)
