Last year’s Olympic Trials steeplechase champion, Anna Willard, seen here in the lead at that race, will take on the American record holder Jenny Barringer. © www.photorun.net
The University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in Eugene has long been considered hallowed ground for American track and field enthusiasts. With its pristine lane markers, soft surface, and beautifully manicured infield, some have called it the running world’s Fenway Park. Since 1972, four U.S. Olympic Trials have been held in the stadium that still celebrates the glories of Steve Prefontaine.
From this Thursday through Sunday, at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, the best athletes that America has to offer will be vying for a spot on the team that will compete in the 12th Annual IAAF World Athletics Championships held from August 15-23 in Berlin. These championships will be the first major international track and field event held in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium since 1936.
Take The Magic Step has prepared a summary of four key races in Eugene that are certain to capture the essence of this thrilling event.
Men’s 10,000m: Defending his title Thursday night will be Somali-born, three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, who ran his personal best (27:16.99 minutes) last year at Hayward Field. Giving Abdirahman a run for his money will be Tim Nelson and Galen Rupp, both of whom own 27:36.99 qualifying marks. And despite Abdirahman running as the clear favorite, all eyes will be on the 23-year-old distance prodigy and hometown favorite, Galen Rupp, of the University of Oregon. Rupp is enjoying an incredible year. In January, he broke the American indoor 5,000-meter record (13:18.12) and this month he won the NCAA 10,000m championship. Look for a late-race duel to develop between Rupp and Abdirahman. Rupp enjoys alternating the pace during his races—seemingly toying with his opponents. But Abdirahman is an extremely experienced, calculating runner, so it will be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out on Thursday night.
Men’s 5,000m: When he spoke with Take The Magic Step last year, famed steeplechase runner Anthony “Fam” Famiglietti said he likes to race “all in” and on Friday night this will certainly be the case. Previously planning to compete in the 10,000m and steeplechase events, Fam recently scratched from both—choosing to focus his efforts solely on the 5,000m. Toeing the line with Fam will be KIMbia’s Matt Tegenkamp and Chris Solinsky. Fam has the fastest seed time (13:17.98) in the race. But Solinsky (13:18.41) and Tegenkamp (13:22.60) aren’t far behind him. University of Oregon’s standout, Galen Rupp has a 13:18.12 seed time, but has declared he will focus on the world championship 10,000m team assuming he qualifies for it the night before. Notably missing from contention is Bernard Lagat who won the 2007 5,000m which automatically qualifies him for the championship team. This puts the other two slots into contention between the three runners. Who will it be?
Women’s 5,000m: A lot is at stake in what could be one of the most exciting women’s events this weekend. In the running are the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, Shalane Flanagan, third place Boston Marathon finisher Kara Goucher, 1500m specialist Jenny Barringer, three-time Olympian Jen Rhines, and the winner of the 2006 Fifth Avenue Mile, Sara Hall, wife of marathon champion Ryan Hall. Of the four, Barringer is the clear favorite. At the Prefontaine Classic earlier this month which was held at Hayward Field, Barringer set the American collegiate record for the 1500m with an incredibly fast finish in 3:59.89, making her one of only three American women to ever run under four minutes for that distance. This race is certain to have fireworks since the qualifying times of the top four seeded athletes are a mere two seconds apart. Look for a fast race from the start with a pace most likely set by Barringer or the more-experienced Flanagan. It should then come down to a late-race surge with the runner with the strongest kick prevailing. Goucher showed the world her kick at the Boston Marathon this year when she laid it on the line in the exciting finale as she battled Dire Tune and Salina Kosgei in the last 10 kilometer of the race, so the odds are with her to win if she runs smart and conservative in the first half. The field is so deep in this race, there’s a good chance the winner will also be standing on the medal podium in Berlin.
Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase: With its water obstacles and challenging hurdles, the steeplechase can be one of the most exciting races on the track to watch. The women’s event this weekend should be no exception to that rule. The two top-seeded athletes in this event, Jenny Barringer and Anna Willard have nearly the exact same seed time (9:22.26 for Barringer and 9:22.76 for Willard). In the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, Willard outkicked Barringer at the end to win the race. But in Beijing, Barringer responded by finishing one place ahead of Willard and setting the American record. This exciting rivalry continues on Saturday when the two should be facing off in the final.
