EUGENE – World records in the women's 1500m and 5000m, and an American record in the men's hammer brought a capacity crowd to a raucous crescendo Saturday at the 50th Prefontaine Classic, the ninth stop on the World Athletics Wanda Diamond League circuit for 2025.
Capping off a day that started with a surprising American record in the men's hammer from Rudy Winkler, Kenya's Beatrice Chebet became the first woman to break 14:00 in the 5000m with a 13:58.06, and her countrywoman, Faith Kipyegon, shattered her own 1500m world record with a historic 3:48.68.
Winkler, who set the ratified American record of 82.71/271-4 at the U.S. Olympic Trials-Track & Field at Hayward Field in 2021, launched an 83.16/272-10 in round three, moving him to No. 18 on the all-time world performer list as he claimed a Diamond League record and meet record with his world-leading effort.
Targeting the 14:00.21 world record set by Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay at the 2023 Pre Classic, double Olympic champion Chebet turned on the afterburners over the final lap of the 5000, closing with a 61.7 400 and a 14.2 last 100 to pull away from Agnes Ngetich (14:01.29) of Kenya and Tsegay (14:04.41), who recorded the fastest second- and third-place times ever. Ngetich became the No. 3 all-time world performer with her runner-up effort.
The day's final event featured Kipyegon, who a week ago attempted to become the first woman to break 4:00 in the mile in a special set-up event in Paris. Though she fell short in that attempt, the three-time defending Olympic champion affirmed she is one of history's greatest female athletes as she carved .36 seconds off the world record of 3:49.04 that she set at the Paris Diamond League meet last July.
Almost three seconds behind Kipyegon, Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji moved to No. 5 on the all-time world performer list with her 3:51.44, while Nikki Hiltz ran the fourth fastest time ever by an American with a 3:55.96 in fifth.
Niels Laros of the Netherlands sneaked through on the inside to outlean Yared Nuguse for the men's Bowerman mile win, using a 13.8 final 100 to stop the clock at 3:45.94, just .01 ahead of a surprised Nuguse. Laros claimed the No. 7 slot on the world all-time performer list, while Nuguse recorded the second fastest time ever by an American.
Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker closed very quickly, too, setting a lifetime best of 3:47.43 in fourth to become the fourth fastest American ever, and Olympic 5000/10,000m bronze medalist Grant Fisher dropped way down in distance to clock a huge PB of 3:48.29 to take over the No. 6 spot on the U.S. list. 13 men finished faster than 3:50, making it the deepest field in history.
Fresh off breaking her own American record in the shot put, two-time world champion Chase Jackson almost did it again, throwing 20.94/68-8.5 in round three to win and miss her new national record by one centimeter. Jaida Ross, an Oregon grad, was third with a PB of 20.13/66-0.5 to claim the No. 6 slot on the U.S. all-time performer list, and five women topped 20 meters in one of the deepest competitions in the modern era. Breaking away from the lead pack on the final lap, Olympic champion Winfred Yavi of Bahrain won the women's 3000m steeplechase in 8:45.25, the third fastest time ever. In her wake, Paris silver medalist Peruth Chemutai of Uganda and bronze medalist Faith Cherotich of Kenya traded places, with Cherotich clocking a PB 8:48.71 for second to become the No. 4 all-time world performer, and Chemutai running the eighth-fastest time ever with an 8:51.77 in third. American Gabbi Jennings set a PB of 9:06.61 in sixth place to become the No. 5 American performer ever, and Kaylee Mitchell's 9:08.66 PB moved her to No. 7 on the U.S. performer list.
American record holder and Olympic champion Valarie Allman won her 26th straight women's discus final, dating back to 2023, using a 70.68/231-11 in round three to take her fourth Pre title in a row. Allman's winning mark was the seventh farthest in U.S. history. On her only legal throw, Cierra Jackson grabbed the runner-up spot with a 67.82/222-6. Jackson, who won the NCAA gold for Fresno State in June, took over the No. 7 spot on the U.S. all-time performer list with that throw.
For the first time ever, five men threw farther than 22 meters in the shot put in a single competition, topped by a world-leading 22.48/73-9 from two-time world champion and three-time Olympic silver medalist Joe Kovacs. Kovacs grabbed the world lead with a 22.35/73-4 in round two and then improved that on his next toss. On his penultimate try, Roger Steen upped his PB to 22.11/72-6.5 to claim the runner-up spot, and Tripp Piperi also had a PB in fourth with a best of 22.09/72-5.75.
Reigning Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall rode the loud support of the crowd to a winning 7.07/23-2.5 on her final attempt in the women's long jump. Trailing Germany's Malaika Mihambo and world indoor champion Claire Bryant going into the sixth round, Davis-Woodhall nailed her takeoff and flew out to tie the world lead for 2025 and defeat Mihambo by six centimeters.
The other meet record of the day came in the women's hammer, where Canada's Olympic champion Camryn Rogers hit a Diamond League and Canadian national record 78.88/258-9 to go to No. 5 on the all-time world performer list.
World leading marks were turned in by Botswana's Letsile Tebogo in the men's 200, as the Olympic champion zipped to a 19.76, and Ethiopia's Biniam Mehary, who won the men's 10,000 in 26:43.82.
The fastest woman in the world this year at 10.73, Olympic bronze medalist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden outsprinted Olympic champion Julien Alfred of St. Lucia in the women's 100 to take the 100m win in 10.75 into a strong wind. Alfred was second in 10.77.
In other action on the oval, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, best known as a 400m hurdler, ditched the barriers and ran away from a talented field in the women's 400m to win in 49.43, while Rai Benjamin was edged in the men's 400m hurdles by Brazil's Alison dos Santos, 46.65-46.71.
*All records subject to ratification