Meet Information
Location: Olympic Stadium (London, United Kingdom)
Time: Friday events start with the women's pole vault at 12:55 p.m. CT
Live Stream Information
Original Entries Here 

One year after the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, track and field returns to London’s Olympic Stadium for the 2013 Anniversary Games on July 26 and 27. This year’s field brings back many of the same stars that competed last summer as well as some new stars like Mary Cain and Kori Carter. 

After Saturday, the World Championships are only two weeks away in Luzhinski Stadium in Moscow, which means this weekend’s action could be the final test for many of these elite athletes. 

Chris Chavez breaks down the action and what to watch for this weekend.

Men’s 3,000-meter run - Saturday @ 12:32 p.m. CT
Contenders
Mo Farah, Dathan Ritzenhein, Ben True, Andrew Bumbalough and Cam Levins

Cam Levins returns to action for the first time since the Canadian National Championships and the Prefontaine Classic. He’s been training with the Oregon Project in St. Moritz. Teammates Dathan Ritzenhein and Mo Farah will get one final race in before Moscow. Farah is coming off the European record of 3:28.81 in Monaco, where the world’s six fastest times of the year were run and Farah finished second. 

Farah returns to the site of his two Olympic victories and the sold-out crowd is expected to make noise for him. On June 30, Farah fought in the final lap against Yenew Alamirew and Hagos Gebriwhet over 5,000-meters. In this race there will only be three Africans racing. The only one with a better personal best than Farah is Tariku Bekele. Bekele’s season best over 5K on the year is 13:13, which is far from his12:52.45 from Berlin. Has Father Time caught up with the Bekele Brothers?

*On Run Junkie this week, Ryan Fenton and Alex Lohr debate what it would take for Farah to be the Greatest of All-Time*

Ryan Hill gets one final tune up for the 5K and his first taste of Diamond League action. He managed to defeat Ben True, Hassan Mead and Andrew Bumbalough in the Des Moines tactical affair, but lost to all three in Heusden’s KBC Nacht. All three are slated to race, but nothing changes the fact that Hill will be the one headed to Moscow. 

Women’s 1,500-meter - Friday @ 2:36 p.m. CT

Contenders
Mary Cain, Katie Mackey, Mary Kuria, Sifan Hassan, Gabe Anderson, Hannah England, Siham Hilali

Mary Cain will make her 2013 European debut. Last year, she finished sixth in her first international championship as ran 4:11.01 at the World Junior Championships. This will also be her first race since finishing second at the U.S. Outdoor Championship. 

Katie Mackey (4:04.60) is the only American in the field with a faster time on the year than Cain. Sifan Hassan (4:03.73) of Ethiopia and Mary Kuria (4:03.56) of Kenya also have faster season bests. 

Cain was spotted cheering on Jordan Hasay during her 10,000-meter race against the clock for the A-Standard in Portland. If she continued training with coach Alberto Salazar’s group after Des Moines, she may have been doing altitude training in St. Moritz. 

Men’s 800-meter dash - Friday @ 3:33 p.m. CT
Contenders
Nick Symmonds, Duane Solomon and Brandon Johnson

Nick Symmonds, Duane Solomon and Brandon Johnson face off for one final time before the World Championships. Could the American Record of 1:42.60 by Johnny Gray fall before Moscow? Solomon wasn’t so quick to bite on the chase after his race in Monaco. He’s focused on winning and executing the perfect race plan to upset Mohammed Aman on the World Championship stage. Symmonds and Solomon agree this is the best team the United States has assembled for the 800-meter distance in the last 20 years. 

Tyler Mulder hopes to one day wear the United States uniform on the World Championship or Olympic stage. His first step would be to run faster than 1:44.34, which he set in Monaco. Mulder has the 16th best time in the world. 

Women’s 3,000-meter run - Friday @ 2:15 p.m. CT
Contenders
Shannon Rowbury, Dolores Checa, Molly Huddle, Chelsea Reilly, Mercy Cherono

Not many of the women in the race have run a 3,000-meter race in 2013. Shannon Rowbury has the fastest personal best in the field. She will be using this race as a transition from the 1,500-meter race in Monaco to the 5,000-meter race in Moscow. 

Treniere Moser will be running the 1,500-meter race in Moscow, but will get one last test of strength as they move up in distance. 

The Jordan Hasay vs. Sheila Reid rivalry is alive again. Flashbacks from the 2011 NCAA women’s cross-country championship return as the two have gone different paths in their career since. Reid will focus on the 1,500-meter distance in Moscow, while Hasay takes on the 10,000-meter run. This will be Hasay’s long awaited Diamond League debut. 

Men’s Emsley Carr Mile - Saturday @ 9:16 a.m. CT
Contenders
Ayanleh Souleiman, Galen Rupp, Matt Centrowitz, Collins Cheboi, Nixon Chepseba, Augustine Choge, and Silas Kiplagat

Ayanleh Souleiman looks to head into Moscow with serious thoughts about doubling in the men’s 800 and 1,500. He has the fastest seasonal best in the field with his 3:50.40, which he ran at the Prefontaine Classic. Mohamed Moustaoui has the fastest personal best in the field with his 3:50.08, which was set in 2008. His best accomplishment of 2013 is running 3:33.18 in Paris.

Looking to stop them will be Galen Rupp and Matthew Centrowitz of the Nike Oregon Project. Rupp made an attempt at the indoor American Record in January, but fell just short running 3:50.92 at the Terrier Classic. It will be interesting to see how that feat translates to the outdoor track.

Centrowitz ran a personal best of 3:51.79 at the Prefontaine Classic, but was upset with his performance. Knowing there is more in the tank and with much more training since the meet in May, Centrowitz could get closer to that 3:50-range after a 3:33.58 in Monaco.

Do not count out Jordan McNamara. He was the top American at Oordgem and won the 1,500-meter race in Heusden. After getting edged out at the line in Lignano by Ben Blankenship, McNamara gets his first taste of high caliber action since Des Moines. His form is coming around this time of year and knows he can make a national team in the near future. 

Men’s 100-meter dash - Friday @ 3:48 p.m. CT
Contenders
Usain Bolt, Nesta Carter

Usain Bolt said he would be training hard for two weeks after his victory in Paris. Bolt’s biggest challenger will be fellow Jamaican Nesta Carter, who has the world leading time after Tyson Gay’s positive test with a 9.87 set in Madrid on July 13. British favorite James Dasalou has also run faster than Bolt on the year. 

Women’s 400-meter hurdles - Friday @ 2:41 p.m. CT
Contenders
Top 5 in the World Led by Kori Carter

Kori Carter is back. The former Stanford athlete races for the first time since her absence at the U.S. Championship. She is still the world leader in 2013, but will not compete in Moscow. With the four next fastest times in the world also competing, this could be the closest Carter comes to competing at Worlds in 2013.

Women’s 800-meter run - Friday @ 2:56 p.m. CT
Contenders
Brenda Martinez, then a toss-up

American Brenda Martinez enters with the fastest personal best in the field. She talked to Flotrack after her 1,500-meter race in Monaco, about those tough workouts she did leading up to Des Moines and her training afterwards. Teen sensation Jessica Judd was originally entered in the race, but withdrew on Wednesday. 

Men’s 400-meter dash - Friday @ 3:21 p.m.  CT
Contenders
Kirani James vs. Luguelin Santos vs. Tony McQuay

Gold medalist Kirani James returns to London for a rematch against silver medalist Luguelin Santos. James remains the only runner under 44 seconds on the year.

Men’s 200-meter dash - Friday @ 2:46 p.m.
Contenders
Warren Weir, Jason Young and Nickel Ashmeade

Wallace Spearmon returns to the track since being named Gay’s replacement on the U.S. 200-meter roster, after the U.S. Champion tested positive for a performance enhancing drug on July 15.

Track and field looks to move forward with a cleaner generation and this race has six runners born in 1989 or later. Jamaican Warren Weir leads the charge with the fastest personal best of 19.79. Fellow countryman Jason Young is the only other runner under 20.00 in the race. 

Weir's confidence level may be riding high at the moment as he's got his mind on other questions in life.