Sifan Hassan to race the mile at the London Diamond League meet

Reigning Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands will compete in the mile at the sold-out Novuna London Athletics Meet on Saturday, July 19.

Hassan — a seven-time European record holder from 1500m (3:51.95) to the marathon (2:13:44) — has a peerless record at recent major championships. She also holds the world record for the one-hour run and the national record in the 3000m short track event.

HASSAN IS BACK ON A DIAMOND LEAGUE START LIST 🙌

The One Mile calls 📞 for Sifan Hassan 🇳🇱 as she prepares to run FAST at #LondonDL 🇬🇧

Excitement grows!#DiamondLeague 💎 pic.twitter.com/cvmx4U0VpI

— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) July 7, 2025

In addition to winning marathon gold in Paris, she was a double bronze medallist in the 5000m and 10,000m events. As a result, she became the first woman to win medals in the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon at the same Olympic Games and the first athlete to do so since Emil Zatopek, who won all three men’s titles in Helsinki in 1952. In Tokyo (2021), Hassan won gold in the 5000m and 10,000m and secured a bronze medal in the 1500m.

The 32-year-old has enjoyed success in London too, most notably taking victory on her marathon debut in 2023 (2:18.33), most recently finishing third in the 2025 event (2:19:00). She last competed on the track in the London Athletics Meet in 2023, finishing third in the 5000m in a European record time of 14:13.42.

“I’ve learned so much about myself racing in London, both on the road and the track, and I’m excited to return and to compete again at the Olympic stadium,” said the 2024 World Athlete of the Year, who has a mile best of 4:12.33 (also the European record). 

“Last year, my curiosity pushed me to take a risk and compete in three distances at the Paris Games. I know I’m probably a bit crazy to mix it up so much, but I like the combination of track and road, and I want to see what is possible. Now that the London Marathon is over, I will be returning to shorter distances for the track season. I enjoy these different races, tactics and distances, and I am looking forward to seeing what I can do in the Diamond League mile in London!”

The Novuna London Athletics Meet – the world’s biggest one-day athletics event – is the eleventh meeting of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League. The series, which will pay out a record total of 9.24 million US dollars in prize money, comprises 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field across four different continents and started with Xiamen on April 26. It concludes with a single final across two days in Zurich (27-28 August).

Athing Mu-Nikolayev

American 800-metre specialist Athing Mu-Nikolayev, who won gold during the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, may be competing at the Ed Murphey Classic on July 12. The meeting takes place in Memphis, Tennessee. However, she is not currently on the start list.

Yet, in Los Angeles, where she lives, there is a track meet that very same day with an 800m race.

Interestingly, world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is also running the Ed Murphey meet. Both athletes are coached by Bobby Kersee.

Mu-Nikolayev raced at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, OR, on the weekend and ended up dead last in her return to racing. She clocked a pedestrian 2:03.44.

To qualify for the Tokyo World Athletics Championships

For Mu-Nikolayev to qualify for the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships, she will have to be top three during the USATF national championships. Additionally, the 24-year-old will need to be top 30 in the world during the qualification period. Finally, she will need to clock a sub-2:00.00 time to be considered for the event.

She holds a personal best of 1:54.97, which is the current national record.

Results from Prefontaine

800m Women