A headlining trio of record holders and World Champions are set to compete in the Bowerman Mile. It is the, or one of the world’s premier mile races, held at the annual Prefontaine Classic. This year’s event happens on Saturday, May 25.

The Bowerman Mile has produced 389 sub-4:00 mile performances in its history. No other American meet has seen as many sub-4:00 performances. And as Americans and the British love the nostalgia of the mile race, Prefontaine feeds the appetite.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen

The young Norwegian currently holds the European record for both the 1500-metre event. He also holds the 109m-longer mile record: at 3:27.13 and 3:43.73, respectively. The 23-year-old also holds the European indoor 1500m record at 3:30.60. He holds seven other national, European or World records from 800m to the 5000m. Ingebrigtsen ran a 10K road U20 world’s best-known time of 27:54 a month after his 19th birthday.

Ingebrigtsen can seem unbeatable for stretches but on occasion will get run down on the finishing straight. He was defeated notably at two World Athletics Championships in a row in Budapest and Eugene in 2023 and 2022.

Ingebrigtsen, the youngest of three elite-running brothers grew up being coached by his father. There has been a very public family feud happening recently. So it is anyone’s speculation if his mental game is at 100 per cent. But his physical game is world-class. Perhaps he will run on anger and rage-win. However, on the outside, he seems stoic and calm in the storm of the race.

Josh Kerr

Josh Kerr has not run quite as fast as Ingebrigtsen. But he defeated him once when it counted. The showdown happened at the 2023 World Athletics Championships final in Budapest. Kerr ran down Ingebrigtsen on the final straight and thoroughly outkicked him. Otherwise, he finished third in the Tokyo Olympics to Ingebrigtsen’s gold and fifth in the Eugene World Athletics Championships in 2023 (which the Norwegian won too).

Kerr, the 26-year-old Brit who has bit more flare to his personality will be amped up for this race. He has run as fast as 3:48.87 in the mile and 3:29.05 in the 1500m event. His indoor mile is a national record at 3:48.87. Kerr also holds the national record in the indoor 3000m event at 7:30.14.

There has been some light trash talk over social media between the two, expect a race with some drama added in. Perhaps the two will “put it all out there,” on the final straight.

Yared Nuguse

The American holds North American (US, Canada, Mexico) records in the 1500m at 3:29.02, 1500m indoors at 3:33.22, the mile at 3:43.97 and the mile indoors at 3:47.38.

The 24-year-old also holds the North American record in the 3000m indoors at 7:28.23.

Nuguse has not yet performed at a global championship like Kerr and Ingebrigtsen have, but certainly brings the speed.

In 2023, Nuguse finished second in the 1500m at the Rabat Diamond League narrowly losing to Ingebrigtsen. He finished third in the 1500m at the Bislett Games in Oslo. It was there he ran to a new personal best and North American outdoor record of 3:29.02. Again, finishing behind Ingebrigtsen as well as Mohamed Katir.

On March 2, at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, Nuguse finished second to Kerr in the men’s 3000m final, in a time of 7:43.59.

The On Athletics Club and Dathan Ritzenhein-coached athlete will either finish third or exact revenge on Kerr and Ingebrigtsen. He may now be tired of finishing behind them.

Prefontaine website

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