The 50th edition of the Prefontaine Classic, held on July 5, 2025, at the iconic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, delivered a day packed with historic performances, thrilling finishes, and record-breaking moments that will be remembered for years to come. This Diamond League meet attracted an elite field featuring 98 Olympic and Paralympic medalists and 14 world record holders, making it one of the most stacked single-day track and field events ever assembled.
Faith Kipyegon of Kenya capped the event in truly spectacular fashion by shattering her own world record in the women's 1500 meters. Clocking an astonishing 3:48.68, Kipyegon became the first woman ever to break the 3:49 barrier, lowering her previous record of 3:49.04 set just last year in Paris. Her performance electrified the 12,606 fans in attendance, as she outpaced Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji, who set a personal best of 3:51.44, and Australian Jessica Hull, who finished third in a season-best 3:52.67.
Earlier in the day, Kenyan sensation Beatrice Chebet made history in the women's 5000 meters by becoming the first woman to run under 14 minutes, crossing the line in 13:58.06. This world record surpassed the previous mark held by Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay by over two seconds. Chebet's final lap, a blistering 61 seconds, left her compatriot Agnes Jebet Ngetich and Tsegay trailing behind. This performance followed Chebet's 10,000-meter world record set at the same venue last year, further cementing her status as one of the era's most dominant distance runners.
On the sprinting front, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the USA showcased her rising dominance by winning the women's 100 meters in a swift 10.75 seconds. She edged out Olympic champion Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, who finished just two hundredths of a second behind at 10.77. The race featured a star-studded field including Ivory Coast's Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, who clocked a season-best 10.90 for third place, and American Sha'Carri Richardson, who struggled with an injury setback earlier in the year and finished ninth in 11.19 seconds.
In the men's 100 meters, Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson continued his impressive form by taking the win in 9.85 seconds, following his 9.75 world-leading time at the Jamaican Championships just days earlier. Great Britain's Zharnel Hughes recorded a season-best 9.91 for second place, while American Trayvon Bromell finished third in 9.94. Notably, former world champion Christian Coleman continued to face challenges this season, finishing seventh at 10.06 seconds.
The men's 400 meters saw British athlete Matthew Hudson-Smith claim victory with a season-best 44.10 seconds, narrowly holding off American Christopher Bailey, who set a personal best of 44.15 seconds. In the women's 400 meters, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in the 400m hurdles, won comfortably with a season's best of 49.43 seconds in a non-Diamond League event. Despite her commanding performance, McLaughlin-Levrone fell short of breaking Sanya Richards-Ross' 19-year-old American record of 48.70 seconds. She expressed a mix of satisfaction and determination post-race, saying, "It wasn't my best work, but just happy to be here and happy to get another race under my belt... I think it's on the mind always. Of course, it's about executing, making sure all the things match up and that will come when it comes." Aaliyah Butler finished second in 49.86 seconds, with Isabella Whittaker taking third at 50.81.
The men's 400m hurdles featured a thrilling duel between Brazil's Alison dos Santos and American Rai Benjamin, two of the top three hurdlers of all time. Dos Santos edged Benjamin in the final stages to win with a season-best 46.65 seconds, while Benjamin clocked 46.71. Nigeria's Ezekiel Nathaniel took third in 47.88 seconds. This race echoed their historic 2022 world title showdown at the same venue, highlighting the ongoing rivalry.
In the men's 200 meters, Botswana's Letsile Tebogo defended his title with a world-leading time of 19.76 seconds. American Courtney Lindsey finished close behind in a season-best 19.87, and Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic claimed third place in 19.94 seconds. Tebogo's performance reaffirmed his status as one of the premier sprinters of the year despite the absence of Olympic champion Kenny Bednarek due to late withdrawal.
One of the most dramatic moments came in the Bowerman Mile, where 20-year-old Dutch athlete Niels Laros stunned the crowd by outleaning American record-holder Yared Nuguse at the finish line. Laros ran a Dutch national record of 3:45.94, narrowly beating Nuguse's season-best 3:45.95. France's Azeddine Habz finished third with a national record of 3:46.65. American and defending Olympic champion Cole Hocker placed fourth, setting a personal best of 3:47.43.
Field events also saw remarkable achievements. In men's hammer throw, Rudy Winkler of the USA set a new American record with a throw of 83.16 meters, which also marked a meet record and the 2025 world lead. Canadian Ethan Katzberg, the reigning Olympic and world champion, was second with 81.73 meters. In the men's discus, Lithuanian world record-holder Mykolas Alekna won with a throw of 70.97 meters, while Jamaica's Ralford Mullings and Sweden's Daniel Stahl took second and third, respectively.
On the women's side, Camryn Rogers of Canada dominated the hammer throw with a mark of 78.88 meters, breaking both the Canadian and meet records. American Brooke Andersen and DeAnna Price finished second and third. In the women's discus, American Valarie Allman won with a throw of 70.68 meters, with Cierra Jackson and Sandra Elkasevic rounding out the podium.
The women's long jump saw defending Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall clinch victory with a clutch final jump of 7.07 meters, narrowly beating Germany's Malaika Mihambo, who leapt 7.01 meters. In the women's shot put, American Chase Jackson set a new meet record with a throw of 20.94 meters, surpassing Canada's Sarah Mitton and fellow American Jaida Ross.
Para-athletes also shined at the meet. Ireland's Orla Comerford won the women's 100 meters mixed classification in 12.14 seconds, while Norway's Salum Kashafali took the men's 100 meters mixed class in 10.61 seconds. American Tatjana McFadden dominated the women's 800 meters T54 with a time of 1:46.89, and the Netherlands' Olivier Hendriks won the men's 200 meters T62/T64 in a personal best of 21.11 seconds.
Despite the many highlights, not all performances went as hoped. American Athing Mu-Nikolayev struggled in her first 800-meter race of the season, finishing last in 2:03.44. She acknowledged the challenges, noting the cancellations of two planned races and expressing gratitude for fan support, saying, "They’re kind of the ones that pick you back up. It reminds you again of why you’re doing it, it’s not just for myself and getting records and winning golds, but inspiring the young kids that are looking up to me." Meanwhile, NCAA women's shot put champion Mya Lesnar made her Diamond League debut but finished last after two no-marks and a final throw of 18.23 meters.
Mondo Duplantis, the Swedish pole vaulting phenom and multiple world record holder, secured victory in the men's pole vault with a clearance of 6.00 meters. However, he missed three attempts at 6.29 meters, which would have broken his own world record by a quarter inch, reminding fans that even the best athletes face challenges.
The 50th Prefontaine Classic proved once again why it is a cornerstone of the track and field calendar, delivering world-class performances across all disciplines. As the Diamond League circuit continues, eyes now turn to the next major meet in Monaco on July 16, followed by the US National Championships in Eugene from July 31 to August 3, which will serve as qualifiers for the World Championships. The stage is set for an exhilarating summer of athletics, with many athletes looking to build on their success at Hayward Field.
