Prefontaine Classic
June 4, 2005 at Hayward Field, Eugene OR

Preview of the 2-mile

by Marc Davis

Race Day Weather Report: – Party Cloudy, 65 degrees at race time, with the winds at up to 12 miles/hour. Humidity should top off around 65%.

Key Competitors:

- Eliud Kipchoge (kip-CHO-geh) - Kenya: This guy is tough. He is the reigning 5000m World Champion from 2003. He’s only 20 years old, and has already run an amazing 12:46 for 5000 meters and 7:27 for 3000m. Basically, he is one of “the best”. With solid rabbits in Julius Achon and Martin Keino, he should have no problem hitting the projected 60-second pace per lap. I was hoping El G was still is this race, but in the end, unless the Americans have a miracle day, Eliud will be far ahead of the field. 1st or 2nd place for sure!

- Boaz Cheboiywo (che-BOY-wo) – Kenya: He spent most of the last few years here in the States running the NCAA seasons, so he’s very comfortable racing on US soil. He has run 7:38 for an indoor 3000 meters last year. So far this year he has gone 13:22 for 5000 meters at the Mt Sac Invite in April. He has decent speed with a 3:38 1500m PR, but he’s going to have to have a great day to keep up with fellow countryman Kipchoge. Maybe in the top 5.

- Luke Kipkosgei – Kenya: One of the “elders” of this African contingency at almost 30 years old, his PR’s of 12:56 for 5k and 7:27 for 3k make him a very solid name on the list. However, those times were set almost 4 or 5 years ago. That’s almost 2 careers ago for most of these guys. His most recent solid performance was last year with a 13:19 5k over in Europe. He’s been at the top, so he knows how to stay up with the big boys. Look for him in 3rd of 4th.

- Markos Geneti – Ethiopia: Could mess up the Kenyan sweep of this event with his 8:08 indoor 2 mile clocking last year, and his 8:14 indoor time so far this year. He ran 7:40 for an indoor 3k earlier this year, and won the Adidas meeting in Carson, CA with an impressive time of 7:38 for 3000m in VERY warm conditions. He knows how to win, knows how to run in extreme conditions, and is running well right now. Look for him in 3rd or 4th place.

- Shadrock Kosgei – Kenya: Not the fleetest of the group, but he’s strong with PR’s of 13:12 for 5k and 28:09 for 10k on the roads. He ran 13:24 about 2 months ago at the Carlsbad 5k, so he’s fit and ready to race. I think he will feel the burn around the 6th lap, but look for him to finish somewhere in the top 6.

- Dathan Ritzenhein – USA: I will tell you what; this guy is the real deal. I’ve seen him literally get knocked down at the start of a 5k, lost about 75 meters to the field, and he still get back up to finish strong in under 13:30. He has more endurance than most of the field with his 27:38 10k clocking from last year’s Stanford meeting. And he’s coming off of a VERY impressive 5k time of 13:22 set recently here in Eugene, and a 7:43 3k behind Geneti in Carson, CA. His 1500 time is not so great; so don’t look for him to be around in the last 400 meters. But if any of the Africans start to falter in the weather conditions, then look for him to finish in the top 5.

- Daniel Lincoln –USA: 2004 Olympian/3k Steeple. One of my favorite young US distance runners these days. Very versatile, he’s dominated on American soil in cross country, indoor and outdoor track, and even on the roads. He’s a big guy, so if it’s windy, he may get blown around a bit. But his range from the mile to the 10k gives him an advantage no matter how the race unfolds. I say he’s got a solid chance of top 6 in the race.

- Alan Webb – USA: 2004 Olympian/1500m. I saved the best for last. Well, maybe not the best in the field. But certainly the most talked about and curiously watched of all the runners on Saturday. His speed is unmatched, and now he’s added strength with a 13:30 5k recently in which he won the race at the Penn Relays. He’s always been strong in cross-country, which makes him deadly come outdoor track season. But I feel that around the 5th or 6th lap his lack of experience in the longer distances on the track may catch up. He’s practically a God here in Eugene after setting the High School Mile record of 3:53 back in 2001. So no matter where he finishes, I expect at least half of Hayward Field to be chanting his name every lap. Definitely top 5!

General View:

The weather could be the real factor here. Ever since the Prefontaine Classic has been moved to a mid-day event, the times have struggled to be amazing. Typically this time of year, the wind can be blowing hard, and the sun can really take the zap out of the record performances. When the race first came to light, and it seemed like is was going to be a great battle of Americans, I was very excited. However, with the strong Africans added to the field, I think it will simply be a chance for the US boys to set some really solid personal records. But then again, some of these young guys have been surprising the heck out of me lately.
I think Webb can go about 8:10 (which would give him the AR), with Ritz not far behind. Lincoln should be about 8:15 or so, which should set him up for another crack at the long standing US steeple record of 8:09. Jonathan Riley will certainly be in the mix with his 13:30 from the Stanford meet, and his two sub 7:52 3k’s from this past indoor season. But I think I will look for him around 8:18 to 8:20. Kipchoge should be well under 8:05 pace if the weather holds up. And his fellow countryman along with Geneti should be in tow around 8:10 and change.

Remember, don’t wait for the delayed TV coverage the next day!!! Make sure you check here Saturday afternoon at approximately 2:40pm (West Coast time) for my live lap-by-lap coverage. I will most likely give you 440 yard splits, as there should be cones to indicate the gradual progression of each lap to cover a full 2-mile (again folks, 2 miles is not 3200 meters! They have 3+ seconds to make up the difference). Plus, I hope to have some post-race interviews with the top finishers in the field.

 

 


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