2017 Prefontaine ClassicMay 27, 2017 by Taylor Dutch
Prefontaine Classic Ladies Night: Women's 5K World Record Lives On
Prefontaine Classic Ladies Night: Women's 5K World Record Lives On
Tirunesh Dibaba's 14:11 5K world record remains unbroken after her sister Genzebe missed the mark in her attempt at the Prefontaine Classic. The younger Dibaba sister ran 14:25.22 Friday night at Hayward Field, missing the record by nine seconds but winni
Tirunesh Dibaba's 14:11 5K world record remains unbroken after her sister Genzebe missed the mark in her attempt at the Prefontaine Classic. The younger Dibaba sister ran 14:25.22 Friday night at Hayward Field, missing the record by nine seconds but winning the race against a star-studded field.
The 1500m world champion utilized the pace-setting from Meraf Bahta and Mary Kuria and eventually struck out on her own, splitting 8:39.2 at the 3000m mark. She remained consistent, splitting 69-second laps until the final quarter when she closed in 68 seconds, but the late surge wasn't quite enough to put the record in danger.
Behind Dibaba, Lilian Kasait Rengurek of Kenya finished second in 14:36 and Nike Oregon Project's Sifan Hassan closed for third in 14:41. Hassan's run is a personal best by 18 seconds.
The remainder of the pack closed over twenty seconds later, led by Gelete Burka in 15:06. 10K American record-holder Molly Huddle followed in eighth overall for a finishing time of 15:09 while fellow Americans Emily Sisson (15:10), Marielle Hall (15:11), and Kim Conley (15:14) closed for 10th, 11th, and 12th, respectively.
Celliphine Chepteek Chespol wins wild steeplechase
The 18-year-old steeplechase phenom was leading the race, stopped to fix her shoe, and still came back to beat Olympic finalist Beatrice Chepkoech and Olympic champion Ruth Jebet. Celliphine Chepteek Chespol not only won the steeplechase, but ran under the elusive nine-minute barrier. Her winning time of 8:58.78 is the fourth-fastest mark on the all-time list of performances, behind Jebet's world record of 8:52.78 set last summer in Paris.
Behind the top three, Olympic bronze medalist Emma Coburn finished less than a second behind her American record set at the Olympic Games last year. Coburn closed for fourth overall in a finishing time of 9:07.96. Fellow U.S. Olympian Courtney Frerichs finished in 9:19.09, a personal best by one second.
14-year-old Tamari Davis runs 23.21
Tamari Davis may be in eighth grade, but she raced like one of the best high school runners in the country. Davis blasted a winning time of 23.21 in the high school girl's 200m to beat a stacked field of talent. Her performance is an all-time best for her age group.
Charlene Lipsey breaks two minutes for the first time outdoors
Charlene Lipsey continued her breakthrough year with another personal best in the women's 800m. Lipsey ran 1:59.87 to win the USATF High Performance 800m and dip under her outdoor personal best by a second. Lipsey broke two minutes for the first time indoors last February when she finished second in 1:58 at the Millrose Games.
Gabriele Stafford wins High Performance 1500m, Gabe Grunewald continues to inspire
Gabriele Stafford stormed the homestretch to claim the IAAF world standard and win the USATF High Performance 1500m against Katie Mackey of the Brooks Beasts. Stafford finished in 4:07.43 and Mackey finished in 4:07.79 followed by a hard close from Emily Lipari who finished in 4:08.29.
Four-time cancer survivor Gabe Grunewald completed her fourth race since being diagnosed with cancer again in March. Grunewald finished in ninth overall with a time of 4:15. Her season is taking place just months after Grunewald underwent surgery to have part of her liver removed after doctors discovered a tumor. She plans to receive chemotherapy treatment in the summer, but until then, Grunewald has made it her mission to compete as much as she can.
The one and only
— TrackTown USA (@GoTrackTownUSA) May 27, 2017
GENZEBE DIBABA
Your #preclassic 5000m champ!#EugeneDL pic.twitter.com/oEO3ywVlVM
The 1500m world champion utilized the pace-setting from Meraf Bahta and Mary Kuria and eventually struck out on her own, splitting 8:39.2 at the 3000m mark. She remained consistent, splitting 69-second laps until the final quarter when she closed in 68 seconds, but the late surge wasn't quite enough to put the record in danger.
Behind Dibaba, Lilian Kasait Rengurek of Kenya finished second in 14:36 and Nike Oregon Project's Sifan Hassan closed for third in 14:41. Hassan's run is a personal best by 18 seconds.
The remainder of the pack closed over twenty seconds later, led by Gelete Burka in 15:06. 10K American record-holder Molly Huddle followed in eighth overall for a finishing time of 15:09 while fellow Americans Emily Sisson (15:10), Marielle Hall (15:11), and Kim Conley (15:14) closed for 10th, 11th, and 12th, respectively.
Celliphine Chepteek Chespol wins wild steeplechase
The 18-year-old steeplechase phenom was leading the race, stopped to fix her shoe, and still came back to beat Olympic finalist Beatrice Chepkoech and Olympic champion Ruth Jebet. Celliphine Chepteek Chespol not only won the steeplechase, but ran under the elusive nine-minute barrier. Her winning time of 8:58.78 is the fourth-fastest mark on the all-time list of performances, behind Jebet's world record of 8:52.78 set last summer in Paris.
Behind the top three, Olympic bronze medalist Emma Coburn finished less than a second behind her American record set at the Olympic Games last year. Coburn closed for fourth overall in a finishing time of 9:07.96. Fellow U.S. Olympian Courtney Frerichs finished in 9:19.09, a personal best by one second. 14-year-old Tamari Davis runs 23.21
Tamari Davis may be in eighth grade, but she raced like one of the best high school runners in the country. Davis blasted a winning time of 23.21 in the high school girl's 200m to beat a stacked field of talent. Her performance is an all-time best for her age group.
Charlene Lipsey breaks two minutes for the first time outdoors
Charlene Lipsey continued her breakthrough year with another personal best in the women's 800m. Lipsey ran 1:59.87 to win the USATF High Performance 800m and dip under her outdoor personal best by a second. Lipsey broke two minutes for the first time indoors last February when she finished second in 1:58 at the Millrose Games.
Gabriele Stafford wins High Performance 1500m, Gabe Grunewald continues to inspire
Gabriele Stafford stormed the homestretch to claim the IAAF world standard and win the USATF High Performance 1500m against Katie Mackey of the Brooks Beasts. Stafford finished in 4:07.43 and Mackey finished in 4:07.79 followed by a hard close from Emily Lipari who finished in 4:08.29.
Four-time cancer survivor Gabe Grunewald completed her fourth race since being diagnosed with cancer again in March. Grunewald finished in ninth overall with a time of 4:15. Her season is taking place just months after Grunewald underwent surgery to have part of her liver removed after doctors discovered a tumor. She plans to receive chemotherapy treatment in the summer, but until then, Grunewald has made it her mission to compete as much as she can.