June 29, 2010
For Immediate Release                  

MAGNIFICENT MILE AT THE PRE CLASSIC
 

            Eugene , Oregon —There have been some great racers and great races in the Bowerman Mile over the 36 years of the Prefontaine Classic.  But there has never been a field as talented and deep as in this year’s meet on Saturday, July 3^rd at Hayward Field.

            Imagine this:  the Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10 milers from last year, as ranked by Track & Field News magazine, are in the Bowerman Mile.  That’s right, 7 of the top 10 milers from 2009 are in the race, led by Beijing Olympic gold medalist Asbel Kiprop of Kenya.   
   
            We know that defending Pre champion Kiprop has a feel for racing at Hayward Field. His 3:48.50 to win last year's race was his first-ever sub-3:50, and left him only 0.23 seconds shy of breaking the meet record set by Daniel Komen in ’07.

    Then there's Osaka World Championships gold medalist Bernard Lagat of the U.S.  Lagat is on the cusp of tying two Bowerman Mile records: if he can win, it will be his third, equaling the record held by Duck legend Joachim Cruz, who won in 1985, '85 and '88. Lagat has also broken the 4:00 barrier 6 times in the Bowerman, trailing only the 7 of Canada's Kevin Sullivan.

    And let’s not forget the Osaka World Championships gold medalist Youssef Kamel of Bahrain . So loaded is this field that Morocco’s Amine Laalou, who ranked 10^th in the world last year at 1500 meters, has already run a quick 1:43.71 800 meters in 2010, while Kiprop has run even faster, 1:43.45.

            Americans Lopez Lomong and Leonel Manzano, who went 1-2 at last weekend’s USA Track & Field Championships, join Lagat as the top domestic challengers to the invasion of the world’s best milers.

            Tickets for the Prefontaine Classic are still available at preclassic.com or from 1-800-WEBFOOT.

BOWERMAN MILE (MEN) 

Asbel Kiprop (Kenya)
Youssef Kamel (Bahrain)
Haron Keitany (Kenya)
Bernard Lagat
Mohammed Moustaoui (Morocco)
Nicholas Kemboi (Kenya)
Leonel Manzano
Amine Laalou (Morocco)
Daniel Komen (Kenya)
Gebremedhin Mekonnen (Ethiopia)
Lopez Lomong
Lachlan Renshaw (Australia)--pace
Gideon Gathimba (Kenya)--pace

                                                                                            #          #          #