Everything You Need to Know About the 2019 Prefontaine Classic – runnersworld.com

The most competitive and prestigious track series in the world will make its U.S. stop this weekend at the 2019 Prefontaine Classic. On Sunday, June 30, some of the best talents in track and field will descend on Stanford, California, to face off against each other in the seventh competition of the Diamond League series.

While the competition is usually hosted annually in Eugene, Oregon, this year’s meeting will take place at Cobb Track and Angell Field at Stanford University due to construction at Hayward Field. The venue may be different, but the same stacked field will be set to toe the line.

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How to Watch the Prefontaine Classic

The Prefontaine Classic will be broadcast live on NBC and NBC Sports Gold on Sunday, June 30, at 1 p.m. Pacific standard time.

What to Watch at the 2019 Prefontaine Classic

Competition will be fierce across all the events, but there are six specific storylines that we will have our eyes on at this year’s event. Here’s what to watch for when you tune in this weekend.

Sha’Carri Richardson Makes Pro Debut

Just three weeks after she set the track on fire at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, 19-year-old Sha’Carri Richardson will make her debut as a professional in the 100 meters at Prefontaine.

The highly anticipated race follows Richardson’s stunning performance at the NCAA championships in Austin, Texas, where she broke the collegiate record with a 10.75 clocking in the 100. In the same day, she ran 20.17 in the 200 meters, which broke the world U20 record set by Allyson Felix in 2004.

Two weeks later, she announced her decision to sign a professional contract with Nike after competing at LSU for one year. The young pro will face a stacked women’s sprint field, which includes 2008 and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica. Fraser-Pryce recently ran the second-fastest time in the world in 2019 when she finished second in 10.73 to 2016 Olympic champion Elaine Thompson at the Jamaican Championships.

Caster Semenya to Race 800 Meters

Initially entered in the 3,000 meters, Caster Semenya was placed in the 800 meters at Pre, which will be her first 800 since a Swiss Supreme Court ruling allowed her to race her primary distance while she appeals a new IAAF testosterone rule.

The two-time Olympic champion from South Africa competed in one 800 meters (1:54.98 victory in Doha) this season before the IAAF imposed the rule, which bans her from competing in races between 400 meters and the mile unless she suppresses her testosterone levels. Semenya refused and filed an appeal. Since then, the Swiss Supreme Court lifted the rule for her, enabling her to compete in her primary distance while the appeal is pending.

The Fastest Man of 2019 Takes on Pre

The fastest man of 2019 is American Christian Coleman, and he will be testing himself on U.S. soil after winning the Oslo Diamond League meeting in a world-leading time of 9.85 on June 13.

Last year, Coleman won his first world title when he earned gold in the 60-meter dash at the IAAF World Indoor Championships. With the IAAF World Outdoor Championships taking place this summer in Doha, Qatar, Coleman will be on a quest to achieve another gold after earning silver in the 100 meters behind fellow American Justin Gatlin. Gatlin, a five-time Pre champion himself, will also toe the line on Sunday.

A Stacked Women’s Field in the Steeplechase

One of the deepest women’s steeplechase fields outside of the world championships will assemble in Stanford, and it includes the best of the U.S.

Emma Coburn, the 2017 world champion, American record-holder Courtney Frerichs, 2016 Olympic finalist Colleen Quigley, and three-time NCAA champion Allie Ostrander will compete against each other and a stacked international field.

Watch: Colleen Quigley wins her first national title at the 2019 USATF Indoor Championships.


Shelby Houlihan Looks to Build on Breakthrough Streak

Shelby Houlihan, the 5K American record holder, will be making her outdoor season debut in the 1500 meters at Pre after an indoor season that included a title in the two mile at the USATF Indoor Championships.

The last couple of years have included a series of breakthroughs for the Bowerman Track Club star. In 2018, she broke the American record in the 5K with a 14:34 clocking. On Sunday, Houlihan will face world indoor silver medalist Laura Muir, 2016 Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon, fellow American standouts Kate Grace and Alexa Efraimson, and NCAA champions Dani Jones of Colorado and Oregon graduate Jessica Hull.

A Men’s Mile Showdown

The men’s one mile will end the competition with a showdown between an Olympic champion, several medalists, and record holders. Matt Centrowitz, the 2016 Olympic champion, will make his highly anticipated 2019 season debut against a field that includes 18-year-old European gold medalist Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and two-time world indoor champion Yomif Kejelcha.