With all eyes on the World Relays, it was apparently a relatively quiet weekend on the professional circuit for athletes who didn’t want to fly to Botswana or run farther than 400 meters. That is, until you dig in a little deeper into the couch cushions of the results pages.

It’s been a long-held stance of this newsletter that professionals shouldn’t run in college meets, but because we are not in charge, it does still happen. One of the main reasons for that opinion is that when the best runners in the world step onto the track, they deserve their due attention. An Olympic champion running the world-leading time ought to be appreciated in real time and celebrated after! But alas, that’s not the present world we live in.

So to make sure that none of the standout performances from the week are overlooked, here are some under-the-radar results that have us excited for various reasons:

Masai Russell: The 2024 Olympic champion quietly dipped below 12.50 seconds twice at her training grounds at the University of Kentucky this weekend. Russell’s 12.40 (+0.5) established a new world leading time and gave peace of mind to anyone who may have been concerned over the fact that she did not compete at all indoors for the first time in her pro career. She looks eager and sharp enough to prove that last year’s fourth place finish at the World Championships was a fluke.

Josh Izewski: Ask someone on the street what the American record for 10 miles is and you’ll get 10 different answers (or more likely, 10 blank stares). Two weeks after winning the Jersey City Half Marathon (62:09), the former ZAP athlete who now runs for Asics won the Broad Street 10 Miler as he cruised the Philly street(s) in a course record of 45:09. The point-to-point race is not eligible for official records, but Izewski ran the fastest an American has ever run for the distance. After the race he’s rumored to have shouted, “Tell Chris Chavez I’m coming for his marathon power rankings!”

Jonathan Simms and Samuel Ogazi: The pair of 19-year-olds had good excuses as to why they couldn’t make the trip to Gaborone—they had class. But Simms, the University of Georgia freshman originally from Allen, Texas, set a world lead of 44.02 in the 400m to confirm what we already knew… UGA’s new facility isn’t just pretty; it’s fast! And Ogazi was not far behind; the two-time NCAA champion for Alabama also ran 44.02. It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since he finished seventh for Nigeria in the Olympic final, and he’s still not old enough to legally enjoy a warm Natty Light.

Jenna Prandini: Speaking of, while you should never ask a woman her age, it has been 11 years since Prandini won the NCAA 100m title for the Ducks in front of the (original!) Hayward Field faithful. Well, for the first time since 2018, the now-On-sponsored sprinter is back under the 11-second barrier after she dropped a 10.97 (+0.4) at the Desert Heat Classic. While Team USA may not have fielded a 4x100m team in Botswana, may we offer a suggestion for a third leg if they do end up at Worlds in 2027?

Julien Alfred: If anyone had a good excuse to skip the World Relays it’s the 2024 Olympic champion. With a population of ~185,000, the island nation of Saint Lucia has zero recorded 4x100m’s in the World Athletics database (although Wikipedia notes a NR of 46.78 from 1999). If only Julien had a twin like Tia Clayton. Alfred opened her season on home turf in Austin with a double of 10.93 (+1.8) and world leading 21.86 (+0.5). And if you’re rooting for a Saint Lucia relay resurgence, keep an eye on the nation’s young talent like Naomi London, who is following a familiar trajectory by competing for Texas.

Hobbs Kessler: It probably won’t be enough to convince him to switch events, but it was cool to see the indoor world record holder at 2000m make his 5000m debut in Palo Alto. Kessler’s 13:13 was only good enough for sixth place in his race, but for a guy who rarely runs more than an hour at a time, it was proof that rock climbing ability converts. (Liam Murphy won the race in 13:12 despite likely possessing comparatively poor grip strength.) Until someone proves otherwise, it’s our belief that this is the fastest-ever 5000m debut by an American.

Jake Heyward: Now that’s a name we haven’t heard in a long time. The Welshman is back in action for the first time since 2022, winning the 1500m at Payton Jordan in 3:37.75. During his last competitive season he finished second at both Europeans and 5th Avenue. The 3:31.0 PB he set at the time was good enough to rank tenth in the world back then. But times change and that would’ve landed him 27th in 2025. It’s also worth noting, however, that entering 2020 his PB was 3:36.90, and in 2021 he cut it down to 3:32.82. Maybe he’ll take another big jump with healthy legs back underneath him.

Ko Ochiai: The Japanese 19-year-old popped off a 1:43.90 800m at the 41st Shizuoka International Athletics Meet in Fukuroi—the fifth fastest mark in the world this year. He’s the only other teen in the top ten so far, the other being Cooper Lutkenhaus, but if you expand your definition of “wunderkind” out to include “kids under 20 who are also ranked within the top 20 in the world in the men’s 800m,” you also get Australia’s Daniel Williams (who sports a very Gen Z haircut in his World Athletics profile photo). So it looks like the event is in capable hands well into 2040.

With the first Diamond League meet of the season now just nine days away, these performances add up to something of an intriguing appetizer to what will hopefully be a sumptuous meal of elite track and field. And more importantly, you’ll know who to keep an eye on the next time you see Kessler next to Heyward or Prandini next to Alfred on a starting line, thanks to the tantalizing hints of fitness and potential they dropped before the lights got bright. Stay tuned!

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