Prefontaine Classic 2007

On the corner of 15th and Agate in Eugene Oregon is the (new) main entrance to one of the most fabled track venues in the United States: Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. Flanked on either side by plaques commemorating some of the great names who built the U of O track program, the entrance leads to a track that was, today, destined to see some incredible performances in the middle distances by veteran runners and rising stars. Once the Hayward Field "bug" has bitten a runner, she or he may never be the same. Witness the amazing string of performances by world-class Maria Mutola, the Mozambique-born 800 meter runner who won an incredible 14th consecutive 800 meters at the games. Witness the magic of the field on another Oregon kid (actually from Boise ID via Division III Willamette University in Salem), 23 year-old Nick Symmonds, who posted an eye-popping 144.54 in the men's 800 meters today, breaking his personal best by more than a second. Because of the lowering clouds, occasional drizzle and temperatures in the mid-60s, the day was a perfect one for the middle distance runners but not for the sprinters or jumpers. This essay, then, will focus on some of the arresting performances of the middle distance runners.

The Men's 800 Meter Run

What we may have seen in this one race is the passing of the torch to a new generation of American runners. Khadevis Robinson and David Krummenacker, 30 and 31 respectively, have been the stalwarts of American middle-distance running for seven years. They have both run in the 143's, and but in the past year or so neither has gone below 145.60. This is, of course, a very respectable time, but it would really not shake up the international arena. With the presence of 2004 Gold Meldalist Yuriy Borzakowsky, who has run in the mid 142s, accompanying Robinson and Krummenacker, this race promised to be a blockbuster one. One of the reasons for its quick pace was the "rabbit"--the U of O's former outstanding 400 meter runner, Matt Scherer (45.19). He not only set a blistering pace for the first lap but he didn't drop out until about the 600 meter mark, when the field was closely bunched in the NE section of the track. At that time it was anyone's race. Borzakowsky began to slice through the competition, and everyone in the know probably thought that he would win in a time of about 1:45.00.

But then, a smallish Caucasian runner broke on the outside. Nick Symmonds had made a huge name for himself in the nameless Division III conference while in college at Willamette University, but he seemed to have been stuck at 1:49.40 or so for three years (2003-05). He began to shave some time off his record in 2005, and then burst into national notice by a stunning 1:45.83 last year. After a commendable, but not outstanding indoor season this year, everyone knew him as a potential threat, but most probably believed that his 1:45.83 was a bit of a fluke. But then, today, after the brilliant pace-setting by Sherer, Symmonds broke to the outside and then, to everyone's surprise, overtook Borzakowsky and held on for a remarkable 1:44.54. Symmonds is now the man to beat in the 800 meters in the United States. What a stirring story is there.

The Bowerman Mile

The culminatory event of the meet is this mile, named after this legendary U of O coach and co-founder, with Phil Knight, of Nike Inc. in the early 1970s. American Alan Webb, who has run a very commendable 3:52.94 this year, scratched from the race in favor of the two-mile, where he has the all-time American Best of 8:11. Some were confused as to why he might do that, but I think it is abundantly clear after I watched the Bowerman Mile. Not one, but four, count it four men went under 3:52.94, with a best-ever on American soil of 3:48.28 by Daniel K. Komen. He was followed by Bernard Lagat at 3:50.56, Alex Kipchirchir at 3:52.10 and Shadrack Korir, who had survived the fiery furnace of the other three, with a 3:52.78. One had the impression that one was in the presence of a different order of human runners in this mile, a sort of group of giants who strode around the track like gods.

The Stunning Two Mile

Everyone knew that the two mile, a rarely run event, belonged to Ethiopian Keninisa Bekele. He has almost made the world forget an unforgettable runner, Haile Gebraselasie, by his world records in the 5000 and 10000 meters, as well as a stupendous performance in the 2000 meters that obliterated Gebraselasie's record by more than 2 seconds. People spoke of him reverently as a combination of Gebraselasie and Hicham el-Guerrouj, the unbeatable Algerian 1500 meter man. But Keninisa was not at the meet, scratching sometime during the previous week, even though his brother, the formidable Tariku Bekele, was running. So, when they started out with the pace-setter Bernard Kiptum for an the assault on the field record of 8:07.68 (nearly four seconds under Webb's American Best of 8:11.48), with a game Austrailian Craig Mottram on their heels, we knew we were in for a treat. Mottram had run a 8:11 two-mile a few years ago, so everyone thought he might push Bekele a little. But as the race progressed, with a blistering pace aided by 65-degree weather, Mottram inexplicably held on. And, again inexplicably, the other Kenyans and Ethiopians fell back as two Americans (Tegenkamp and Ritzenhein) fell into third and fourth place. The magic of Hayward Field had reached out to the Americans in this race. Then, with two laps to go, I remember saying to my son that Mottram, running on Bekele's shoulder (and about a foot taller than Bekele), looked like he was not only in a very good position but was running incredibly strongly. Then, on the back stretch, with 250 meters to go, Mottram did the impossible--he overtook the Ethiopian. Both of them pressed ahead in a furious dash to the finish, with Mottram nipping Bekele at 8:03.50 to 8:04.83. Thus, he beat Bekele by about 8-10 yards. Mottram threw up his arms before breaking the tape, aware of the amazing nature of his performance.

Conclusion

Time would fail to tell me of the other outstanding performances. Especially to be noted is the Ethopian female runner Mestawat Tadesse, who shaved four seconds off her personal best by winning the 1500 meters in a world-best for the year 4:00.48. She beat the favored Russian Chizhenko-Fomenko by two seconds.

The track gods were smiling on the distance runners today at Hayward Field. And, as a result, many of us in the stands were also smiling..and justifiably amazed. We had witnessed incredible performances, performances which will inspire me to turn in similar performances of the mind in whatever I do.

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