EUGENE, Ore. – Headliners for this year’s Prefontaine Classic Women’s 800m and Women’s 3000m Steeplechase were announced by the meet organizers this week, featuring the top athletes in each discipline.
The 2024 women’s 800m will be a rematch of the 2023 World Outdoor medalists in the event:
Mary Moraa (Kenya) toes the line as the reigning World Outdoor gold medalist in the 800m, where she ran 1:56.03 for the title. She will return to the Pre Classic following a 1:57.42 run for fourth place at last year’s event, which served as the Wanda Diamond League Final.
Keely Hodgkinson (Great Britain) took home silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 in the 800m, where she ran 1:56.34. One month after that performance, Hodgkinson lined up at the Pre Classic, where she ran 1:55.19 to set a new national record in the event.
Athing Mu (U.S.A.) earned bronze at the 2023 World Athletics Outdoor Championships, running 1:56.61 just one month prior to setting the American record, meet record, and world lead of 1:54.97 in the 800m at the 2023 Pre Classic.
This year’s Pre Classic women’s 3000m steeplechase will feature:
Winfred Yavi (Bahrain) is the current world leader and reigning World Champion in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, having run 8:54.29 at the 2023 World Athletics Outdoor Championships. Yavi was crowned the 2023 Diamond League Final champion at last year’s Prefontaine Classic, which served as the Wanda Diamond League Final, running 8:50.66.
Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya) joins the field as the current world record-holder and reigning World Outdoor silver medalist in the event. Her 8:44.32 world record was set in 2018 at the Monaco Diamond League meeting. Chepkoech is currently ranked second in the world for the women’s 3000m steeplechase.
Courtney Wayment (U.S.A.) joins the top two in the world as one of the talented Americans in the field. Her personal best of 9:09.91 in the 3000m steeplechase was run at the 2022 Monaco Diamond League meeting. A 2023 USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships bronze medalist, Wayment was the sole American to make the final of the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the 2023 World Athletics Outdoor Championships, where she finished 15th.
For a complete list of updated event fields in this year’s Prefontaine Classic Diamond Disciplines, please visit PreClassic.com.
Tickets are now on sale, with prices starting at just $25. A stadium seating map can be viewed here(PreClassic.com). Fans can purchase tickets online at PreClassic.com. Customer service inquiries can be answered by calling 1-800-WEBFOOT (1-800-932-3668).
Accreditation requests for bona fide members of the media wishing to cover the Prefontaine Classic can be placed online at portal.diamondleague.com. Media accreditation questions and other inquiries can be sent to media@gotracktownusa.com. Images approved for editorial usage related to this announcement may be found here.
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About The Prefontaine Classic
The Prefontaine Classic is the premier track and field meet in the United States. Since its inception in 1975, the meet has been a fixture in the global track and field calendar, earning a reputation for bringing the world’s best athletes to Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. The meet is named after Steve Prefontaine and serves as a “living memorial to Pre” (Bill Bowerman, June 1, 1975). The Pre Classic is a member of the Wanda Diamond League circuit and has been sponsored by Nike since 1978. In 2023, The Prefontaine Classic served as host of the prestigious Wanda Diamond League Final and was the top-ranking meet of all-time in World Athletics’ competition scores. For more information, visit PreClassic.com.
About the Wanda Diamond League
The Wanda Diamond League is the premier one-day meeting series in athletics. It comprises 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field. Athletes compete for points at the 14 series meetings in a bid to qualify for the two-day Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels on 13th-14th September.
