The USATF Championships begin on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa. Yesterday we previewed the men’s and women’s sprints and hurdles. Today, we take a look at the distance events. Here’s a rundown of the women’s 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m and steeplechase.

Women’s 800m

Favorite: Ajee Wilson 

Challengers: Raevyn Rogers, Hanna Green, Ce’Aira Brown

Sleepers: Nia Akins, Laura Roesler 

Breakdown: Ajee Wilson has won the last two USATF outdoor titles and hasn’t finished outside the top three since 2012. Since Caster Semenya and Francine Niyonsaba have been sidelined due to IAAF regulations, Wilson has been the best 800m runner in the world, winning two Diamond League races. 

Rogers and Green have run 1:58 and are the only other women running this event who have gone under two minutes during the outdoor season.

Brown ran 1:59 indoors and has turned in strong 1500m performances this year.  

Complicating Factors: Kate Grace is entered in both the 800m and 1500m. I’m assuming she chooses the 1500m, but if for some reason she does run the 800m then she’d be in contention for a top-three spot. 

Wilson’s success means that she could be the eventual Diamond League winner. Good news for whoever places fourth in Des Moines. Akins was runner-up indoors and outdoors at the NCAA Championships. Roesler hasn’t run outdoors, but dropped a 1:59 during the indoor season. 

Women’s 1500m

Favorite(s): Shelby Houlihan

Challengers: Jenny Simpson, Kate Grace

Sleepers: Nikki Hiltz, Sinclaire Johnson, Dani Jones, Alexa Efraimson 

Breakdown: Houlihan snapped Simpson’s streak of five consecutive 1500m titles last year in Des Moines. Neither woman has raced a bunch this year, but we’ve seen enough to know that they are ready. 

Simpson doesn’t miss teams. Since 2007, she’s qualified for every Olympics/World Championships outdoors. That’s nine in a row. 

After those two there’s a slight opening for third. Houlihan’s teammate, Kate Grace, just dropped a 1:59 800m and is experienced in tactical settings. Nikki Hiltz is a roll this summer and can’t be counted out. Dani Jones won the NCAA 5000m on a limited race schedule and has a strong finish. Sinclaire Johnson, the NCAA 1500m champion from Oklahoma State, just ran 2:00 in the 800m after PRing in the 1500m at NCAAs.

Complicating Factors: There’s a chance Houlihan, or Simpson, goes on to win the Diamond League. With how competitive that event is in the world, I don’t think you can count on that, but it is a possibility that the U.S. could get four in this event. 

Women’s 5,000m

Favorite(s): Shelby Houlihan, Jenny Simpson (If they run)

Challengers: Karissa Schweizer, Rachel Schneider, Kim Conley, Marielle Hall

Sleepers: Elinor Purrier, Shannon Rowbury, Vanessa Fraser

Breakdown: This one is hard to forecast since the participants will be greatly impacted by the results in the 5000m and 10,000m. If Houlihan and Simpson run, they are the ones to watch. 

But even if they do compete, and qualify, there’s a good possibility they will focus on the 1500m and scratch out of the 5000m (the 1500m/5000m double isn’t possible at Worlds). Schweizer and Hall have the fastest U.S. times of the year, but it’s very close in that top tier. Shannon Rowbury shouldn’t really be classified as a sleeper given her track record. She just grabbed the IAAF standard at last week’s Stumptown Twilight so she only needs to worry about her place on Sunday.

Complicating Factors: The aforementioned on 10,000m and 5,000m. If Hall advances in the 10,000m and Houlihan and Simpson qualify in the 1500m, then the list of legit contenders shrinks. 

Women’s 10,000m

Favorite(s): Molly Huddle, Emily Sisson 

Challengers: Marielle Hall

Sleepers: Stephanie Bruce, Kellyn Taylor

Breakdown: Training partners Sisson and Huddle are coming off the London Marathon in the spring, but should have no problem getting their track legs back. The two ran 30:49 and 30:58, respectively, in March at the Stanford Invitational and will likely control this race from the front. Hall ran with Sisson last year at this meet and it’s a good bet that she follows the same playbook this time around. 

Complicating Factors: Right now, only three women have the standard--Huddle, Sisson and Hall. If nobody else runs 31:50 on Thursday, then that’s the team regardless of placing. The clock and the race are equally important. 

Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase

Favorite(s): Emma Coburn, Courtney Frerichs

Challengers: Colleen Quigley

Sleepers: Allie Ostrander, Mel Lawrence

Breakdown:  Coburn has the bye and doesn’t even need to run the final. But she’s got a streak of five U.S. steeple titles to attend to (and seven of the last eight), so I’m betting we see her on the start line on Sunday. Frerichs grabbed the American record from Coburn last year in Monaco. That remains Frerichs’ only win in the series. Coburn is 13-1 all-time include a win in their only head-to-head this year. 

Colleen Quigley was seventh at the Prefontaine Classic in 9:11, just a second off her lifetime best. 

Complicating Factors: Since Coburn has the bye, there will be an extra spot available. That’s shaping up to be a battle between Allie Ostrander and Mel Lawrence. Ostrander won her third straight NCAA steeplechase title in June and then set a personal best at the Prefontaine Classic. Lawrence set a personal best of 9:29 in Oslo.