His final time of 27:35.22 was ten seconds slower than his PB and likely dashed any hopes to run or qualify for the U.S. 10,000m team at the Trials. While he said he was disappointed by his time, it would be hard to blame him. Nobody truly followed pace, and the race ended up being three races in one, with no race following the wavelight structure after 2000m.

11:25am – Women’s Hammer Throw

Weird how the script writers reused the plot from the men’s hammer throw for the women’s.

On one side, we have the top hammer thrower from 2024, the American Brooke Andersen. Andersen, who failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, still threw over two meters farther than anyone else in the world last year. Her 79.29m throw in May of this year allowed Andersen to remain the top hammer thrower in the world.

The next best throw from 2024 belongs to the Paris Olympics gold medalist, Canada’s Camryn Rogers. Rogers’s 2025 season has still been strong, winning all but one of her six throws competitions and coming into the Pre Classic with the fourth-best throw worldwide.

This time, though, it was the Canadian who took the win with a Diamond League record, meet record, and national record throw of 78.88m. Andersen’s second place throw of 76.95m was good enough to claim second, as the two favorites didn’t foul a single attempt or throw under 74m the entire event.

Number to Know: 16

The number of years Anita Włodarczyk has thrown over 74m in the hammer throw event. The Polish powerhouse may have only placed fourth with her season’s best of 74.70m, but her legacy as the greatest women’s hammer thrower of all time will only continue to grow as she competes.

12:27pm – Women’s Shot Put

“Out there it was kind of dead in the water,” said Chase Jackson to CITIUS MAG after her shot put victory. “It felt like there was always an award ceremony going on, and I’m like ‘The best shot put competition in a really long time is happening, hello!’ This has probably been the worst meet as far as attention on the field. It sucks that it happened to be at a meet where we had … there has to be some sort of statistic … what has to be one of the best meets of all time.”

Despite the lack of immediate recognition, we shouldn’t let Jackson’s incredible effort go unnoticed. For the first time in over 35 years, five women threw over 20 meters in the shot put, with Jackson taking the win in a 20.94m bomb thrown in the third round.

It was the first time since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where four of the seven women who threw over 20 meters either doped or were credibly accused of it. Many of the women’s throwing world records are marred by doping scandals/accusations, and seeing the modern (hopefully) cleaner era measure up is incredible.

Jackson’s throw was enough to take the win and the meet record, throwing all attempts over 19.30m, beating Canada’s Sarah Mitton, whose 20.39m was good enough for second.

Number To Know: 2013

The year that someone last threw farther than Chase Jackson’s 20.95m world lead, set on June 28th at Iron Wood. Jackson’s 20.94m at the Pre Classic shows the 21-meter mark could fall as soon as the Trials, if not the World Championships later this year.

12:30pm – Men’s Pole Vault

Speaking of dominance:

Mondo Duplantis soared over six meters like it was nothing, leaving enough room to have cleared both the bar and another competitor attempting to clear the bar at the same time if he wanted to. It’s unreal, and it’s truly become an expectation for Duplantis to both win and set the world record in the process.

But today didn’t see the all-time bar raised to 6.29m. As the rest of the competitors failed to go past 5.80m, Mondo took one attempt at 5.80m, two attempts at 6.00m, and missed all three attempts at 6.29m. Is he going to clear that height? Yes. Will it come soon? Probably.

I have no clue what his actual capacity is. Just utter and total dominance. Red Bull really does give you wings.

Number To Know: 23

The number of centimeters between Duplantis’s world record set this year and the next best vault of 6.05m by Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis. And it’s not a down year for the pole vault either—Karalis’s vault back in March is currently the seventh best vault of all time.

12:35pm – Women’s 100m Invitational

Not everyday that the B heat of a 100m race has three women under 11 seconds. Jacious Sears threw down a legit time of 10.85, a season’s best that ties her with TeeTee Terry for the fourth fastest time in the world.

When I was watching the meet, I swore I had missed two hours worth of track and field, because this very well could’ve been a final. The next generation of women’s sprinters is on the rise, and Jacious Sears could very well be one of the top Americans at the conclusion of this year’s trials.

Number To Know: 28

28 women under 11 seconds for the 100m this year, the most in a year since 2022. That may not be that long ago, and trackflation may be alive and well, but the depth of the women’s 100m right now rivals some of the best sprinting years we’ve ever seen, in 2021 and 2022.

12:38pm – Women’s Long Jump

A good chunk of my day at the Pre Classic was spent at the mixed zone in a white tent right outside of Hayward Field. It meant some races and events were watched on a TV, where I did my best to not stand in people’s way and interview athletes in equal proportion. You could also tell how well an event was going by hearing the cheer from the crowd. As the meet went on and the marks were better, the cheering got louder.

As the day got faster-paced and I had less time to write down detailed notes in my notebook, I had to resort to single word descriptors. When I look back at the women’s long jump, three words pop out: clutch, chaos, and cinema.

Tara Davis-Woodhall’s final round jump of 7.07m, equaled Malaika Mihambo’s world lead and catapulted her from third to first place. She was behind fellow American Claire Bryant’s clinically consistent series, who saw her worst jump mark a 6.70m, and best sit at a cool 6.80m. Mihambo was sitting in first place going into the final round, with a fourth round jump coming in at 7.01m.

It wasn’t a day full of PBs or SBs for the field, with only Davis-Woodhall grabbing a season’s best. But it was one of the most entertaining jump series I’ve seen in a while from one of the best long jumpers in the world.

Number to Know: 1

The number of years Claire Bryant has competed as a professional long jumper. The first-year pro won her first attempt at an indoor world championship in 6.96m after finishing second in the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships for the Florida Gators. Her ascent through the American rankings comes as Jasmine Moore and Quanesha Burks have failed to regain their form found in previous years. Who goes to Tokyo (other than Davis-Woodhall)?

12:44pm – Women’s 100m Hurdles

If I had to pick any race as the worst race of the day, and only if I had to, I would say the 100m hurdles takes the crown. Not because the times were slow. They weren’t! Ackera Nugent’s win in 12.32 seconds is the sixth fastest wind-legal time run all season. And the race for the win was close, too, with Tobi Amusan running 12.38 for second place.

It was marred by the chaos that occurred before the finish. Masai Russell with the smallest, least noticeable of twitches, received a yellow card and luckily not a DQ. Russell, the world leader over the 100m hurdles, finished in fourth in a time of 12.494.

Behind her were two DNFs, as both Alia Armstrong and Tia Jones were unable to finish the race. Tia Jones went down especially hard in lane 2 and is rumored to have torn her Achilles just after healing from the ACL injury she suffered at the 2024 U.S. Indoor Championships.

Number To Know: 12.19

The time Tia Jones ran earlier this year, slotting her second in the world this year and making her the third fastest ever. The young American would’ve been in contention for a medal at this or any future world championships — here’s hoping for a swift and complete recovery.

12:51pm – Men’s International Mile

Was it the Men’s International Mile, the Sam Mile, the attempt at breaking the high school national record, or Ethan Strand’s professional debut?

The answer is yes to all. The race had it all, as Owen Powell and 16-year-old Sam Ruthe would duke it out for the title of the top juniors in the field.

Gary Martin, Ethan Strand, Adam Spencer, Elliott Cook, Simeon Birnbaum,and Aidan McCarthy all competed against each other again after the end of the NCAA season. And the rest of the pro field saw rising stars in Sam Gilman and Flavien Szot (of 3:30.74 Paris Diamond League fame) test their talents against relatively established vets in Sam Prakel and Vincent Ciattei.

The pacing was prescribed to be a 1:52.00 through 800m (with a target time of 3:47.50), but Matthew Erickson led the field to a 1:53.25, and as the runners continued to turn the screws it was clear some storylines would have to wait for another day. Powell and Ruthe’s long seasons took their toll on the young star’s legs, and by the time the bell rang, Sam Tanner made his move to the front. 300m to go, and those listening to the broadcast were treated to Gary Martin being referred to as the “Clark Kent of Track and Field” (that’s new!).

Oh, and Ethan Strand taking the lead.

The second place finish at the NCAA championships was in the rearview for Strand, as was every other competitor. The newly-signed Nike athlete flew past Tanner for the win in 3:48.68, over a second ahead of Ciattei and Martin, flashing a thumbs-up as he crossed the finish-line—a job well-done, indeed.

Number to Know: 3:49.87

The winning time at the Bowerman Mile in 2018. It was just seven years ago when Timothy Cheruiyot won the Bowerman Mile with a 3:49.87. Yes, yes, shoes, training, nutrition—I get it. It’s still wild to think that the B-heat of the men’s mile at the Prefontaine Classic is running a second faster than the winning time less than a decade ago. What strides we have made.

1:04pm – Men’s 400m Hurdles

Don’t hold me to calling my shots ever again. I swear. If I never called my pick back in the Paris Diamond League recap, this race wouldn’t be so devastating—but that’s the last time I’ll say someone won’t lose again this year.

Rai Benjamin was just barely beaten by Alison Dos Santos in the 400m hurdles, 46.71 to Dos Santos’s 46.65. Ezekiel Nathaniel, wearing On sprint spikes, took third place in front of American Trevor Bassitt, running 47.88 to Bassitt’s 48.29.

I still think Rai Benjamin wins the world championships, though. Just don’t hold me to it.

Number to Know: 48.76

Abderrahman Samba’s finishing time at the Pre Classic. I don’t think the 47.09 that he ran in Paris was a fluke, but I do think the race to beat the big three will have to wait a little while longer. The race for fourth place will likely be as interesting as the race for first, with Samba and Nathaniel looking more likely to separate themselves from the rest of the field than taking a medal.

1:12pm – Men’s 100m

It’s Kishane Thompson’s world and we’re all living in it.

Seriously, 9.85 in the 100m to grab his first ever Diamond League victory? Beating the third (Trayvon Bromell), sixth (Ackeem Blake), now-eighth (Zharnel Hughes), and tenth (Brandon Hicklin) fastest guys this year?

It’s not to say nobody else ran well. Hughes ran a season’s best 9.91 to take second, and Bromell ran a solid 9.94. Bromell’s season-long return as the top American 100m sprinter will still continue, but it will be a while until someone catches Kishane Thompson. All signs point to wicked fast world championship 100m running for the sixth fastest man in history.

Not to mention the fact that Thompson told Chris that he’s still working on “something.”

“When I get it, you guys will notice.” Trust us, Kishane, we’re already watching.

Number to Know: 7

The place Christian Coleman ranks on the all-time 100m list. Also, the place that Coleman ran in today’s race. He has plenty of time this year and the next to run faster times—but it looks like the third fastest American all-time’s best days may be behind him.

1:20pm – Women’s 5000m

Time for the first world record of the day. I won’t say I expected it to happen, but Beatrice Chebet has won every track race she’s run this season. She ran her previous 5000m in a blazing fast 14:03.69 for the then-second fastest time, on the track, ever. The women’s 10,000m record holder was gunning for a target time of 14:00.21—the world record for the 5000m, set by her competitor Gudaf Tsegay at Hayward field two years ago.

The top three runners—Chebet, Tsegay, and Agnes Ngetich—separated with over halfway to go, running their own race within the race. Chebet did not let go of the lead for one second of this race, keeping herself and her competitors on pace for as long as possible. The race was impossibly tense—surely she couldn’t lead the entire race and get the world record, much less the win? Not a single second is wasted when watching it (unless you’re NBC, in which case you may think 3.25 laps are more than enough).

There was a moment, at the start of the final lap, where the wavelights seemed to be pulling away. All three women were together, but the pace just seemed a little bit too far ahead.

300m to go, and everyone’s still in contact.

250m to go, and it’s still a three person race.

200m to go, Ngetich looked like she fell back and now it’s just Chebet and Tsegay.

180m to go, and Chebet turned on the afterburners. Tsegay is no longer.

90m to go, and Chebet is riding a tidal wave of cheers, flying down the homestretch.

50m to go, Chebet passes three lapped runners and the wavelights.

13:58.06. World Record by over two seconds.

The second place finisher, Ngetich, ran 14:01.29 for the third fastest time in world history, whereas Tsegay finished with a season’s best and fifth fastest time ever 14:04.41.

Fastest women’s 5000m ever? Yes.

Number to Know: 13:54

Beatrice Chebet broke 14 minutes in the 5k once before, running a mixed (men and women) race to the tune of 13:54 on the road. Road times are not exactly comparable to the track, so while these times aren’t quite apples and oranges, they’re maybe Granny Smith to Red Delicious. It still felt like a matter of if, not when, Chebet would break the 5000m record.

1:43pm – Men’s 400m

We got to take a breather in between world records and the main events, and enjoy a solid, not-too-crazy, 400m race. Matthew Hudson-Smith, the Paris silver medalist and fifth fastest man all time, got the win in a season’s best of 44.10. Quincy Hall, the Paris gold medalist and the fourth fastest man all time, was slated to be in the race but pulled out due to injury.

And even though the heavyweight battle didn’t occur, we still got to watch Christopher Bailey run a personal best for second with a time of 44.15. The World Indoor champion has been putting together a sneaky good season, running the fifth fastest time of the year thus far, even winning the 400m in the first ever Grand Slam Track meet. It’s been a long season for the American, but he hasn’t raced too much. If he stays healthy, he’s a threat to medal in Tokyo, too.

Number to Know: +700

I’m a huge proponent of not online betting. You’ll never see me bet online, or in person. But the one time I’ve truly been tempted was in the lead-up to the first Grand Slam Track in Kingston. You mean to tell me that the World Indoor champion in the 400m had +700 odds (implying that for every 100 dollars you bet, you’d get 700 dollars in profit). He was racing the silver medalist, but he was racing the silver medalist in his season opener!

Sure enough, Chris Bailey won. And the only lesson I learned from that, and from watching this meet, is that it would be foolish to bet against Chris Bailey at the U.S. Championships and (potentially) in Tokyo.

1:46pm – Women’s Discus Throw

We all know who’s first; it’s just a fight for second. Valarie Allman currently holds seven of the top ten farthest throws this season, with her throw of 73.52m over two and a half meters farther than the next closest athlete this season, Laulauga Tausaga.

After avoiding a close call in the Paris Diamond League, Allman remained undefeated, throwing a 70.68m that was good enough for the meet record. Cierra Jackson, the NCAA champion, only managed one legal throw, but it was enough to grab second in a huge PB of 67.82m.

Number to Know: 60.77

That is Cierra Jackson’s previous personal best coming into this year. The Fresno State senior is now the eighth best thrower in the world, after being the 66th and 32nd best discus thrower in 2024 and 2023, respectively. In a field where there is one clear favorite, we can’t forget about the other competitors who could be coming for the crown.

1:51pm – Women’s 400m

This race proved to me that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone feels more comfortable running with hurdles in her way than running a flat-out, open 400m. In fact, she confirmed it in a post-race interview saying “Sometimes I’m used to getting to this certain hurdle at this certain pace, and now I don’t know where I am.”

McLaughlin-Levrone ran a 49.43 and emerged victorious, beating rising stars Aaliyah Butler and Isabella Whittaker. Both Butler and Whittaker have run faster this season, but fell behind in a day full of relatively less-than-stellar sprint times (emphasis on “relatively”).

Number To Know: 48.70

This is the current 400m women’s American record, held by Sanya Richards-Ross and run back in 2006. Much ado was shared about McLaughlin-Levrone’s lead-up to the Pre Classic 400m, leading it to be billed as an American record attempt. So confident is McLaughlin-Levrone in that she knows she’s faster than what she ran, she’s decided to sign up for the Ed Murphey Classic on Saturday.

1:55pm – Men’s Shot Put

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: an American throws an absurdly long mark in the Pre Classic shot put competition to win over a historically deep field that some argue is the best ever assembled.

Joe Kovacs is on fire right now. The American Paris silver medalist took over the throne of the world’s best shot putter while Ryan Crouser is out of commission, and is showing no signs of relinquishing it. His world-leading throw of 22.48m beat out the four other men who broke 22m, with Roger Steen (22.11) and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (22.10, AR) finishing in second and third.

Number to Know: 5

This was the first time in shot put history that five men have thrown over 22m in the same competition. Ryan Crouser’s 23.56m is still fresh on everyone’s mind, as the three-time Olympic Gold Medalist set the bar insanely high. It’s only fitting that the rest of the world will benefit from the example he set (and his absence!), and continue to make their own marks.

The final field event of the day at the Prefontaine Classic cemented it as the best throws meet of all time, and it would be hard to find a comparison. While the stars may not have thrown the farthest ever, the depth of the fields were undeniable—and not all of them came from the expected stars, either. In the men’s shot put, the third, fourth, and fifth place throwers at the Olympics (Rajindra Campbell, Payton Otterdahl, and Leonardo Fabri) finished in fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively.

At this meet, we (those in attendance) saw a seismic shift in the field of throws. I can’t tell you how many people I told at the hammer throw station that we just saw the American record go down—I felt like I was playing a game of track and field telephone. People want to see athletes do great things, and if they’re smart, they’ll look no further than the throws.

1:58pm – Women’s Mutola 800m

The main storyline in this race wasn’t the fact that Tsige Duguma won in a strong 1:57.10, or that Prudence Sekgodiso somehow equaled her personal best in 1:57.16, or that Michaela Rose went out over a second slower than the prescribed pace of 56.00 seconds.

But Athing Mu-Nikolayev was in the race. The American star finally made her way back to the upper echelon meets, having run in what her coach Bobby Kersee called “the minor leagues” earlier this season.

However, it’s clear Mu-Nikolayev still needs some time to knock off some rust, running a 2:03.44 to finish last. She didn’t look disastrous, hanging with the field through 600m, but simply didn’t have it, like she’s shown in years prior. That doesn’t mean there’s no hope for the young American, and it’s clear that everyone is in full support of her getting back to the top of her game. The Pre Classic just happened to not be her day.

Number to Know: 1:54.97

That’s the time Mu ran for a national record at the Pre Classic back in 2023. That may seem like a long time ago (trust me, it feels like it), but it’s only been less than two years. Mu is still just 23 years old. There’s plenty of time for her to get back into the swing of things, even if it means a few steps back before big leaps forward.

2:07pm – Women’s 3000m Steeplechase

The women’s distance races absolutely blew it out of the water at this year’s Pre Classic, and the steeplechase was no exception. The goal pace was 8:50.66, which would have been good for a meet record and a new world lead by almost three seconds.

In the field were the current big three of Winfred Yavi, Faith Cherotich, and Peruth Chemutai. Before this race, Cherotich held the world leading time of 8:53.37, barely beating Chemutai at the Paris Diamond League.

With 800m to go, the three athletes were still in lockstep with each other. Yavi, Cherotich, Chemutai.

But there was no question with a lap to go. Yavi poured it on, and then some, running an 8:45.25 for a successful clearing of the meet record and the world lead. The next seven runners all ran either a season’s or personal best, with Cherotich continuing to run PB after PB, finishing in second in a time of 8:48.71. Chemutai faded over the last lap, running 8:51.77, but still finished almost eight seconds ahead of the next competitor.

Number to Know: 0.07

The name is Yavi, Winfred Yavi. That number is also the time difference between Beatrice Chepkoech’s 3000m steeplechase world record and Winfred Yavi’s run of 8:44.39 last summer. Yavi’s 8:45.25 is the third fastest time ever run, with the fourth and fifth fastest times run by Chemutai last summer and Cherotich in this Pre Classic race.

With Yavi, Cherotich, Chemutai running like they are, Chepkoech’s record is on borrowed time.

2:23pm – Men’s 200m

I haven’t played Fortnite in a bit, but the next time I do, I want to see Letsile Tebogo’s crown celebration.

Sure, his celebration and mean-mug of the camera might not have held any weight on their own, but Tebogo’s world-leading time of 19.76 absolutely did. The race was billed as a showdown between Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek, two titans at the top of their games, but Bednarek pulled out due to tightness in his legs.

Better safe than sorry, especially in preparation for championship season, but we can only hope for what could’ve been. Tebogo’s season has been filled with ups and downs, with the most recent race result almost certainly falling in the “up” column. Bednarek still hasn’t lost a single race this season, but he also hasn’t run 19.76 in slightly unfavorable conditions. Tebogo’s looking like the man to beat, now.

Number to Know: 19.46

So many numbers in track and field, so many statistics to keep track of. This number is important to remember as it’s Tebogo’s PB, set at the Paris Olympics last August. It’s still 0.15 seconds off Noah Lyles’s PB of 19.31, but Tebogo is closing quickly and has every right to crown himself the king of the 200m this year—perhaps only until Monaco, where he and Lyles are slated to race.

2:32pm – Men’s Bowerman Mile

I’ve been watching a lot of bike racing recently—hello, Tour De France! And a good number of races can find parallels in this year’s Men’s Bowerman Mile.

In the opening laps, we had a controlled pace. Abe Alvarado took the field through 800m at 1:51.24 (is Alvarado the new Erik Sowinski?), and Yared Nuguse followed doggedly behind him.

It seemed like a breakaway until Azeddine Habz bridged the gap between the chase pack and the lead group of Nuguse and Alvarado, making it a two-man race with a lap-and-a-half to go. Nuguse came through the bell lap around 2:48.3, with Habz right behind. The next closest competitors were over three seconds behind Nuguse, almost all bunched up in a pack.

With 300m to go, Nuguse was pulling away from newly-minted 3:27 man Habz, but someone was drawing closer: Niels Laros. Not an underdog for anyone who follows running, not by any means, but sitting 2.6 seconds back with 200m to go usually is a recipe for a loss.

Even with 100m to go, Nuguse was still 1.5 seconds ahead, but the wheels had fallen off. Laros ran around a 25.9 final 200m, with Nuguse “only” running 28.3, and the man who led the whole race was nipped at the line by the Flying Dutchman.

And while every runner in this race could find their times the subject of intense scrutiny, I want to focus just for a second on Grant Fisher, who finished ninth in a time of 3:48.29. Personal best aside, with this race Grant Fisher became only the second man ever to run sub-3:50 for the mile, sub-13:00 for the 5000m, and sub-27:00 for the 10,000m, joining Yomif Kejelcha. The bronze medalist in the Paris Olympics 5000m and 10,000m has looked every bit a medal favorite since the indoor season, and finds himself with an even larger target on his back after this Pre Classic showing.

Number to Know: 3:45.94

The winning time run by Niels Laros resulted in a new Dutch national record, beating out his compatriot Stefan Nillesen (current Dutch national record holder in the 1500m, running 3:29.23 in the Paris Diamond League). Both Laros and Nillessen are under the age of 23. The battle for the title of the fastest Dutch miler—and fastest internationally, these days —will be waged for quite a few more years.

2:44pm – Women’s 100m

10.85 is only a B-heat time when the winner of the A-heat runs a 10.75 with a -1.5 m/s headwind.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden is the world leader this year over the 100m, running 10.73 in early June at the Grand Slam track meet in Philadelphia. Just two milliseconds behind is Julian Alfred, who ran a 10.75 in only her second individual 100m race of the season. Jefferson-Wooden started her season with Grand Slam Track back in Kingston in April, but still hasn’t run too many races. Both Alfred and Jefferson-Wooden ran 10.75 in their second races, and Jefferson-Wooden has a slight margin now in the race for title favorite.

In last place was American fan-favorite Sha’Carri Richardson, running an 11.19 for a season’s best. Before people sound the alarm on Sha’Carri it’s important to know that 1) she had an early injury in February that disrupted her training and she’s only raced twice this season, and 2) World Championships are in September, to which she has a bye as the 2023 World champion. If Richardson has shown anything in the past, it’s her ability to peak at the perfect time.

Number to Know: 10.81 and 10.86

Two numbers! These times belong to the Jamaican wonder twins, Tina and Tia Clayton, who ran 10.81 and 10.86 at the Jamaican national championships, respectively. Tia Clayton may have pulled up hurt in that final, and Tina Clayton had to settle for fourth at the Pre Classic, but the twins are clearly the sprint stars of the future. If you haven’t already, make sure to keep an eye on them during the upcoming months (and years).

2:50pm – Women’s 1500m

And finally, it’s time for the marquee event. Faith Kipyegon, of world record and Breaking4 attempt fame, would be going for another world record—the 1500m time of 3:49.04 that she set back in Paris last year. By the end of the race, 11 of the 15 racers would achieve either a season’s best or a personal best.

Sage Hurta-Klecker did a masterclass of a pacing job, splitting 2:03.17 through 800m and continuing on just past 900m. At that point, Kipyegon was being followed almost immediately by Jessica Hull and Diribe Welteji.

When the bell lap rang, Kipyegon flew through at 2:49.6 and Hull at 2:49.8. To break her world record, Kipyegon would have to close the final lap in under 60 seconds.

Even as she inched away from Hull, Kipyegon had company. Unlike at Breaking4 there was a sell-out crowd. It was only a matter of time before the world’s greatest distance runner threw down the hammer, and with 300m to go, Kipyegon truly pulled away.

Her last lap was run in 59 seconds, her last 200m run in 28.8.

The earth shook, the crowd roared, and Faith crossed the line in 3:48.68. She was almost immediately embraced by her best friend, Beatrice Chebet, the two women having made history today.

Kipyegon’s time of 3:48.68 roughly converts to 4:06.97 mile, but it’s hard not to think she could achieve more. Of course she can—the sky’s the limit for Faith Kipyegon, the greatest middle distance runner we’ve ever seen. But for now, we should be content to celebrate what she has achieved in less than two week’s time.