Prefontaine Classic - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Prefontaine Classic is one of the premier track and field

Track and field

Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

meets in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at the University of Oregon

University of Oregon

-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...

's Hayward Field

Hayward Field

Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, is one of the best-known historic track and field stadiums in the United States. Nearly a century in age, it was the home of the University of Oregon's football team from 1919 through 1966, and has been the home to the Ducks' track and field teams since 1921...

in Eugene

Eugene, Oregon

Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

History

Originally started as the Hayward Field Restoration Race, in 1975 the name was changed to the Prefontaine Classic after legendary University of Oregon distance runner and Olympian Steve Prefontaine

Steve Prefontaine

Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine was an American middle and long-distance runner. Prefontaine once held the American record in the seven distance track events from the 2,000 meters to the 10,000 meters...

was killed in a car accident a week prior to the meet. Nike

Nike, Inc.

Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...

has been the primary sponsor since 1978.

World records

Over the course of its history, four world records have been set at the Prefontaine Classic.

Year	Event	Record	Athlete
2011	30000 m (track)	1:26:47.4	Moses Mosop Moses Mosop Moses Cheruiyot Mosop is a Kenyan middle and long distance athlete. He competed for Kenya at the 2004 Olympic Games and went on to take 10,000 metres bronze at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics...
2011	25000 m (track)	1:12:25.0+	Moses Mosop Moses Mosop Moses Cheruiyot Mosop is a Kenyan middle and long distance athlete. He competed for Kenya at the 2004 Olympic Games and went on to take 10,000 metres bronze at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics...
1982	5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...	15:08.26	Mary Decker Slaney Mary Decker Mary Slaney is an American former track athlete. During her career, she won gold medals in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters at the 1983 World Championships, and set 17 official and unofficial world records and 36 US national records.-Biography:Mary Decker was born in Bunnvale, Hunterdon County, New...
1975	220 yard dash	19.92	Don Quarrie Don Quarrie Donald O'Riley Quarrie C.D is a former Jamaican athlete, one of the world's top sprinters during the 1970s....

Alan Webb's high school record

At the 2001 Prefontaine Classic Alan Webb

Alan Webb (athlete)

Alan Webb is an American athlete. He holds the American record in the mile, with a time of 3:46.91. He competes professionally for Nike.-High school:...

ran 3:53.43 in the mile and broke Jim Ryun

Jim Ryun

James Ronald Ryun is an American former track athlete and politician, who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing the 2nd District in Kansas. In the 2006 election, Ryun was defeated by Democratic challenger Nancy Boyda...

's national high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

record that had stood for 36 years. This also was the fastest mile by an American in three years.

Maria Mutola in the 800 m

Maria de Lurdes Mutola has won 16 consecutive (1993-2008) women's 800 m races at the Pre Classic.

Men

Event	Record	Athlete	Date	Video
100 m 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...	9.80 (+1.3 m/s)	Steve Mullings Steve Mullings Steve Mullings was a sprint athlete who specialized in the 100 and 200 metres events.Mullings began his international athletics career with a bronze medal win in the 100 m at the Pan American Junior Championships...	4 June 2011	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NudzWFDh5xE&feature=related
200 m 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...	19.72 (+1.8 m/s)	Walter Dix Walter Dix Walter Dix is an American sprinter who specializes in the 100 meters and 200 meters. He is the fourth fastest 200 m runner ever with a best of 19.53 seconds, and has broken the 10-second barrier in the 100 m with a best of 9.88 seconds.Dix was a highly successful amateur...	3 July 2010
400 m 400 metres The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...	43.92	Michael Johnson Michael Johnson (athlete) Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...	24 June 2000
800 m 800 metres The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...	1:43.68	Abubaker Kaki Khamis Abubaker Kaki Khamis Abubaker Kaki Khamis is a Sudanese runner who specializes in the 800 metres. He is a two-time World Indoor Champion over the distance and also won gold at the 2007 All-Africa Games. He represented Sudan at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Career:...	4 June 2011	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq5hPVFXkaw
1000 m	2:13.62	Abubaker Kaki Khamis Abubaker Kaki Khamis Abubaker Kaki Khamis is a Sudanese runner who specializes in the 800 metres. He is a two-time World Indoor Champion over the distance and also won gold at the 2007 All-Africa Games. He represented Sudan at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Career:...	3 July 2010
1500 m 1500 metres The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...	3:32.81*	Daniel Kipchirchir Komen Daniel Kipchirchir Komen Daniel Kipchirchir Komen is a Kenyan middle distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres.He graduated from Timboroa High School in 2003...	10 June 2007
Mile Mile run The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...	3:48.28	Daniel Kipchirchir Komen Daniel Kipchirchir Komen Daniel Kipchirchir Komen is a Kenyan middle distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres.He graduated from Timboroa High School in 2003...	10 June 2007
3000 m 3000 metres The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...	7:35.44**	Eliud Kipchoge Eliud Kipchoge Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long distance runner who has won medals at Olympic and World level....	4 June 2005
Two miles Two miles The 2 mile is a historic running distance. Like the mile run, it is still contested at some invitational meets, perhaps because it provides an easier record to break for meet promoters , as well as its historical chronology. It is largely superseded by the 3000 m and 5000 m, and by the 3200m in...	8:03.50	Craig Mottram Craig Mottram Craig Mottram is an Australian long distance and middle distance runner.-Biography:Born on 18 June 1980 in Frankston, Victoria, Mottram specialises in the 5000 m event. He attended the prestigious Geelong Grammar School. At 6 feet 2 inches he is unusually tall for a distance runner.Amongst...	10 June 2007
5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...	12:58.93	Tariku Bekele Tariku Bekele Tariku Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who specializes in the 5000 metres. He is the younger brother of Kenenisa Bekele. He is the fourth fastest Ethiopian ever over 5000 m and 3000 metres...	3 July 2010
10000 m	26:25.97	Kenenisa Bekele Kenenisa Bekele Kenenisa Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who holds the world record and Olympic record in both the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres events...	8 June 2008
25000 m (track)	1:12:25.4+	Moses Mosop Moses Mosop Moses Cheruiyot Mosop is a Kenyan middle and long distance athlete. He competed for Kenya at the 2004 Olympic Games and went on to take 10,000 metres bronze at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics...	3 June 2011
30000 m (track)	1:26:47.4	Moses Mosop Moses Mosop Moses Cheruiyot Mosop is a Kenyan middle and long distance athlete. He competed for Kenya at the 2004 Olympic Games and went on to take 10,000 metres bronze at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics...	3 June 2011
110 m hurdles 110 metres hurdles The 110 metres hurdles is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is incuded in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metre hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurdles of 1.067 metres in height are evenly spaced along a straight...	12.90 (+1.6 m/s)	David Oliver	3 July 2010
400 m hurdles 400 metres hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is an Olympic athletics event in track and field. On a standard outdoor track 400 metres is the length of the inside lane once around the stadium. Runners stay in their lane the entire way after starting out of the blocks and must clear ten hurdles that are evenly...	47.91	Bershawn Jackson Bershawn Jackson Bershawn Jackson is an American athlete, who mainly competes in the 400 m hurdles, but is also a capable 400 m runner.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Jackson won a bronze medal in the 400 m hurdles...	4 June 2005
3000 m steeplechase Steeplechase (athletics) The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...	8:08.08	Paul Kipsiele Koech Paul Kipsiele Koech Paul Kipsiele Koech is a Kenyan runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He won the 2004 Olympic bronze medal in this event....	10 June 2007
High jump High jump The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....	2.35 m	Charles Clinger Charles Clinger Charles Clinger is a retired American high jumper.He won the bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games.His personal best jump is 2.35 metres, achieved in May 2001 in Pocatello.-References:...	26 May 2002
Pole vault Pole vault Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...	6.04 m	Brad Walker	8 June 2008
Long jump Long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...	8.74 m (-1.2 m/s)	Dwight Phillips Dwight Phillips Dwight Phillips is an American athlete and a four-time world champion in the long jump...	7 June 2009
Triple jump Triple jump The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...	17.40 m	Walter Davis	28 May 2006
Shot put Shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....	22.41 m	Christian Cantwell Christian Cantwell Christian Cantwell is a World Champion American shot putter. As of 2008 he is 6' 5" tall and weighs 300 or 335 lbs ....	3 July 2010
Discus throw Discus throw The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...	71.32 m	Ben Plucknett Ben Plucknett Walter Harrison Plucknett was an American track and field athlete, known primarily for the discus throw. In 1981, he broke the existing world record with a throw of 233'7", and broke the record again with a throw of 72.34 m on July 7, 1981...	1983
Hammer throw Hammer throw The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...	82.65 m	Koji Murofushi Koji Murofushi is a Japanese hammer thrower. He has been among the world elite since the 2001 World Championships, where he won the silver medal. He was olympic champion during the Athens Olympics. In 2011, He was crowned world champion.-Career:...	19 June 2004
Javelin throw Javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...	79.52 m	Duncan Atwood Duncan Atwood Duncan Fuller Atwood is a former American athlete who twice won a gold medal in the javelin throw at the Pan American Games: in 1979 and 1987. He competed for his native country at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, finishing in 11th place...	1987

* en route in Mile

** en route in 2-Mile

Women

Event	Record	Athlete	Date	Video
100 m 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...	10.70 (+2.0 m/s)	Carmelita Jeter Carmelita Jeter Carmelita Jeter is an American sprinter who specializes in the 100 meters. She is the 2011 IAAF World Champion in the 100 metres.She won the 100 m bronze at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics and a gold at the World Athletics Final. she won a second World Championship bronze...	4 June 2011	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewZiN0r-KEI&feature=related
200 m 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...	21.81 (+1.6 m/s)	Marion Jones Marion Jones Marion Lois Jones , also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a former world champion track and field athlete, and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA...	30 May 1999
400 m 400 metres The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...	49.34	Ana Guevara Ana Guevara Ana Gabriela Guevara Espinoza is a now-retired Mexican track and field athlete, specialized in the 400 meters. Her career began in 1996 carrying out diverse tours, participating in her first international competences...	24 May 2003
800 m 800 metres The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...	1:57.56	Mariya Savinova Mariya Savinova Mariya Savinova is a Russian athlete, who specializes in the 800 metres. She won the gold medal at the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona with a time of 1:58.22....	3 July 2010
1000 m	2:32.33	Maria de Lurdes Mutola	1995
1500 m 1500 metres The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...	3:59.89	Gelete Burka	7 June 2009
Mile Mile run The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...	4:21.25	Mary Slaney	1988
2000 m	5:31.52	Vivian Cheruiyot Vivian Cheruiyot Vivian Cheruiyot is an athlete from Kenya who specialises in long distance running. She represented Kenya at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics...	7 June 2009
3000 m 3000 metres The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...	8:39.33	Sonia O'Sullivan Sonia O'Sullivan Sonia O'Sullivan in Cobh, County Cork. She began her running career in Ballymore Running Club which is located in the eastern side of Cobh Town. She was one of the world's leading female 5000 m runners for most of the 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century...	26 May 1996
5000 m 5000 metres The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...	14:33.96	Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot Vivian Cheruiyot Vivian Cheruiyot is an athlete from Kenya who specialises in long distance running. She represented Kenya at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics...	3 June 2011	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhCW0tQEzg4
100 m hurdles 100 metres hurdles The 100 m hurdles are an Olympic track and field athletics discipline run by women . For the race ten hurdles of a height of 83.8 cm are placed evenly spaced along a straight course of 100 meters. They are positioned so that they will fall over if bumped into by the runner...	12.45 (+1.4 m/s)	Brigitte Foster-Hylton Brigitte Foster-Hylton Brigitte Foster-Hylton O.D is a Jamaican 100m hurdler. She was the World Champion over 100m hurdles in 2009....	24 May 2003
400 m hurdles 400 metres hurdles The 400 metres hurdles is an Olympic athletics event in track and field. On a standard outdoor track 400 metres is the length of the inside lane once around the stadium. Runners stay in their lane the entire way after starting out of the blocks and must clear ten hurdles that are evenly...	53.03	Melaine Walker Melaine Walker Melaine Walker O.D is a Jamaican 400 metres hurdler. Walker is the reigning World and Olympic 400 m hurdles champion...	3 July 2010
High jump High jump The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....	1.99 m	Yelena Slesarenko Yelena Slesarenko -2004:Largely unknown before 2004, she kickstarted the season by clearing 2.04 metres and winning the World Indoor Championships. When the outdoor season started she won the SPAR European Cup with the same result, improving her personal best from 1.97...	28 May 2006
Pole vault Pole vault Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...	4.72 m	Stacy Dragila Stacy Dragila Stacy Renée Mikaelsen is an American former pole vaulter.She won the first gold medal in women's pole vaulting at the 2000 Summer Olympics coached by Dave Nielsen...	26 May 2002
Long jump Long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...	7.31 m	Marion Jones Marion Jones Marion Lois Jones , also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a former world champion track and field athlete, and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA...	31 May 1998
Triple jump Triple jump The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...	14.98 m (+0.6 m/s)	Olha Saladukha	4 June 2011
Shot put Shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....	20.59 m	Nadezhda Ostapchuk	4 June 2011
Discus throw Discus throw The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...	65.35 m	Lisa Marie Vizaniari	24 June 2000
Hammer throw Hammer throw The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...	75.98 m	Tatyana Lysenko Tatyana Lysenko Tatyana Viktorovna Lysenko is a Russian hammer thrower. She used to hold the world record with 77.80 metres, achieved on 15 August 2006 in Tallinn....	3 July 2010
Javelin throw Javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...	65.90 m	Kara Patterson Kara Patterson Kara Estelle Patterson is an American athlete who competes in the javelin throw. She is the American record holder in the javelin throw with a distance of 66.67 m.-Career:...	3 July 2010

External links

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