by Larry EderWelcome, fellow track geeks! Track geekdom heaven is here! Get in your run, jump or throw, open a cold beverage and read, gentle readers!
Yours truly is a bit slow this morning, kind of early for my night owl personae, but I am here, caffeinated and will be posting race updates LIVE here, and then reprising them in a column tomorrow or later this pm.
Mo Farah setting Euro, British records in 26:46.57 victory, 2011 Nike Pre Classic, photo by PhotoRun.net 
Last night, here is what happened:
Friday night, June 3, 2011: Nike Pre Classic Distance Gala
Men’s 25,000 meters/30,000 meters
Moses Mosop, Nike Pre Classic 25k/30k race, photo by PhotoRun.net
Last night, Moses Mosop ran 75 laps on the track at Hayward Field and
set World Records at 25k in 1:12.25.4 and 30k in 1:26.47.4. He did not
just set them, he destroyed both old records!
Eight runners started, four finish. Just for info, in a world record attempt like this, there has to be three finishers in the 30k or listed distance. The record setter must finish the entire distance or he would not get credit for the record!
Not an issue for Moses Mosop, the second placer from 2011 BAA Boston this year. Moses took his time over the seventy-five laps, as Keterna Nigusse Tola lead through 5,000m (14:40.0), 10,000 meters (29:19.0). Stephen Kibet lead through 15,000m in 43:56.0. After this, Moses Mosop stayed very close and by ten miles (forty laps), was leading.
Moses Mosop showed the form that gave him the second fastest marathon time ever run, in any conditions (2:03:05), and lead through 20,000 meters in 58:02.0, one of the fastest times at 20k ever run.
Mosop’s first world record came at 25,000 meters, as he ran 1:12:25.4, destroyed the previous record of 1:13.55.8, run by Toshihiko Seko on March 22, 1981 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Moses was not finished there! Mosop had twelve and one half more laps to run, and he increased his pace, running the last and final lap in 63.2!
Moses Mosop broke the record at 30,000 meters as well, running 1:26:47.4, breaking the 30k, record, from March 22, 1981, again by marathon great Toshihiko Seko, of 1:29.18.8!
Moses Mosop after 75 laps! (30k WR shown here), photo by PhotoRun.net
Women’s 5,000 meters
Vivian Cheruiyot, 2011 Nike Pre Classic 5,000 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net
In the women’s 5,000 meters, Vivan Cheruiyot of Kenya won, in meet
record of 14:33.96, with Linet Masai in second in 14:35.44. Shalane
Flanagan finished sixth in 14:49.68. Nice to see Kara Goucher running well, here in 15:11.47, and Amy Yoder Begley, in one of her first races after rehab on some injuries, running 15:54.64.
Men’s 10,000 meters
Mo Farah, 2011 Nike Pre Classic, 10,000 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net
And in the men’s 10,000 meters, Mo Farah set a new European and British
records, with his victory in 26:46. 57. Eight of the fourteen runners
set personal bests in a nearly perfect race, run in perfect conditions,
but that, dear friends is Eugene, Oregon.
June 4, 2011, Saturday
Nike Pre Classic
Men’s 800 meters
A world leader in the men’s 800 meters, and a lesson in front running from Abubaker Kaki Khamis!
Matthew Scherer did the pace making chores, hitting the 200 meters in 24.6 and 400 meters in 49.6. Scherer, closely followed by Kaki Khamis, dropped out at 500 meters.
By this time, Abubaker Kaki Khamis was flying! Kaki Khamis hit the 600 meters in 1:16.19.
Khadevis Robinson, fresh off his win at the Compeed Golden Gala Roma, was running quite well. Meanwhile Nick Symmonds, Leonel Manzano, Tyler Mulder and Andrew Wheating were sitting off the pace.
As Abubaker Kaki Khamis comes down the stretch, his win is complete, as he runs 1:43.68, best ever at Hayward Field (faster than Wolhuter’s 1:44 in 1974!). Khadevis Robinson took second in 1:45.90. Boaz Kiplagat Lalang finished third in 1:45.49. Andrew Wheating opened up his stride only for about 100 meters, as he did at the Oxy 1,500m two weeks ago, and finished in 1:45.95, his season opener for 800 meters. Tyler Mulder was seventh in 1:46.39 and Nick Symmonds was eighth in 1:46.78.
Women’s 400m hurdles
LaShinda Demus just did it here. Going out very hard, as is her want, Demus had the lead at 200 meters and, coming off the turn, was hurdling well, controlling her issue with over-striding on the last several barriers.
Surprisingly, Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica, who is also quite dangerous in this event, passed Oly & World Champ Melanie Walker, and moved into second place.
While Spencer and Walker did decrease the lead a bit, LaShinda Demus won this race, in a fine 53.31, the new world leader! Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica took second in 53.45 and Melanie Walker of Jamaica took third in 53.56.
Men’s 110m hurdles.
In Shanghai, China, in front of 40,000 of his fans, Liu Xiang stopped David Oliver’s winning streak at 18, winning 13.07 to 13.18. “It was one of the worst races that I have ever run, and I ran 13.18!” David Oliver told me yesterday. David was pretty nervous yesterday, he knew he had to have his best game for Saturday’s race. And, dear readers, David Oliver showed his best game.
Getting out okay, with Liu Xiang to his left having a slight advantage, David Oliver used that massively talented hurdling body to churn over the hurdles. Oliver eat up Xiang’s lead by the third hurdle, and for the next five hurdles, Xiang and Oliver were even.
Then, David Oliver willed himself ahead, and went to a solid victory and a world leader, 12.94 to 13.00 over a quickly improving Liu Xiang! Aries Merritt was third in 13.18, Andrew Turner was fourth in 13.333 and Ashton Eaton, the decathlete talent, scored a big PB here, running 13.41 for sixth place!
Men’s 400 meters
Angelo Taylor won the 2000 Olympic 400 meter hurdles from lane one, something NEVER accomplished before. In 2008, he came back and won the Olympic title for a second time.
Angelo Taylor can win over the hurdles or the flats, and he showed that today, as, coming off the stretch, Taylor and Jeremy Wariners, 2004 Oly Champ, 2005, 2007 World Champ, was within inches.
Angelo Taylor held off Jeremy Wariner as both kept form, and Wariner moved closer, but could not catch Taylor, and Angelo Taylor took the win in 45.16, with Wariner in second in 45.43. Kevin Borlee ran 45.51 for third and David Neville ran 45.70.
In eight place, not asking for any special treatment, double amputee Oscar Pistorius, aka the Blade Runner, ran from lane one and ran a gutty 46.33! Oscar told some reporters last night that his Mom never treated him special, and he could do just about anything any other kid could do. Well, today, Pistorius ran 46.33 for the 400 meters!
Men’s Two Mile
Running a strong pace, the field in the two mile hit 59.4 for 400 meters, 2:01 for 800 meters and 3:08.2 for 1,200 meters.
Lukas Verzbicas, the high school phenom, was gunning for the high school two mile record of 8:34, and was in back of the pack, staying amazingly on pace.
The pack hit the mile in 4:11, and Verzbicas hit the mile in 4:14.8. The pack hit the 2,000 meter mark in 5:15, Verzbicas in 5:18. the pack hit 2,400 meters in 6:16, and Verzbicas hit 2,400 meters in 6:23.
The pack of seven hit the bell lap in 7:16, with Verzbicas hitting the bell lap in 7:25.
Then they were off! Edwin Soi, who had won the 5,000 meters in Hengelo this past Sunday, Isaih Koech, Tariku Bekele, Matt Tegenkamp, and one Bernard Lagat.
Bernard Lagat waited and waited, until the final stretch and just took Edwin Soi down, winning in 8:13.62 to 8:14.10 for Soi Isaiah Koech finished third in 8:14.16, with Tariku Bekele in 8:15.40 in fourth, and Matt Tegenkamp in fifth in 8:15.88!
Running all by his lonesome, Lukas Verzbicas ran 8:29.46, for a new high school record. Afterwards, Verzbicas told Katherine Merry that he “had a lot of fun” running that race!
Bernard Lagat told the crowd how much he loves running at Hayward Field and how he would see them in two weeks for the 5,000m in the U.S. champs!
Hats off to Will Leer, who ran 8:10.11 and Andrew Bumbalough, who ran 8:21.65 in the two mile!
Women’s 100 meters
This past Tuesday, Veronica Campbell Brown ran 10.76 in Ostrava. And we thought that was fast….and it is, but, wait for this one
” I missed my sister’s eighth grade graduation today, so I dedicated the race for her and
run fast!” That is what Carmelita Jeter said after she blasted the field with her 10.70 world leader!
With a superb start, Carmelite Jeter was out and, gone! Running a near perfect race, Carmelita Jeter, with a positive 2.0 m/s wind, ran 10.70! Marshevet Myers ran 10.86 for her personal best. Kerron Stewart finished third in 10.87, her seasona best, and Shelly-Ann Fraser was fourth in 10.95. In fifth place, Sherone Simpson ran 11.00.
In sixth place, Alexandria Anderson ran 11.02. In seventh, Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria ran 11.08 for seventh and in eighth, Lauryn Williams, 2005 world champ and 2004 silver medalist,
ran 11.15.
Men’s 100 meters
Steve Mullings won the 100 meters in 9.80. But, that was a small part of the story, not to take anything away from Mr. Mullings victory!
In second Micheal Rodgers got a strong start and busted his butt to run 9.85-his new personal best! Nesta Carter ran 9.92 for third. In fourth, Doc Patton, back from a year off, ran 9.94, for a seasonal best. In fifth, Michael Frater ran 9.94 for his personal bst.
And in sixth place, Just Gatlin, in his second race at 100 meters this year, and with a quad injury, ran 9.97. Sub ten seconds in your second 100 meter of the year? Ivory Williams was eighth in 10.02!
Just spoke to friends in Europe and they asked, “What is going on in Eugene:)?”
Women’s 400 meters
Amantle Montsho showed her stuff today and just ran away from the field, running 50.59. Debbie Dunn took second in 51.37 and Allyson Felix, who doubled in Rome last week, just did not have it today, finishing third in 51.41.
Men’s 200 meters
Walter Dix upset Tyson Gay here last year. This year, Walter Dix just chugged along, past Jaysuma SAidy Ndure and well, that was all he said. Running 20.19, Dix won here, with Saidy Ndure in second in 20.26 and Churandy Martina in 20.39.
Bowerman Mile
What do you say here? Twelve men under 3:53.85? Six under 3:50.29?
Haron Keitany won this version of the mile, staying close to the front, hitting 55.9, 1:55.6 and 2:53.00 for the 440, 880 and 1,320!
Running 3:49.09 for the win and the world leader, Keitany took back the victory from Asbel Kiprop, who had been winning thi
s for the past few years, Kiprop was third in 3:49.55. Silas Kiplagat was second in 3:49.39.
Russell Browne took the U.S. leader and pb in 3:51.45-he was ninth. Nick Willis was tenth in 3:51.95 and Lopez Lomong was twelfth in 3:53.85!
Watch for more this evening!
