Two-time world cross country champion Geoffrey Kamworor faces a quality field in the 5,000 metres at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday in Eugene. Kamworor will be in company of four other Kenyans including Olympic steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto, world silver medallist Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku, Isaiah Koech and Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Paul Tanui.
However, the biggest challenge of the day for the Kenyan quartet will be to bring down multi-Olympic and world champion Briton Mo Farah, who is also be in the mix.
On the track, Kamworor has set personal bests in all three of his appearances at the Pre-Classic, including last year’s runner-up finish in 12:59:98.
Kipruto won his first Pre Classic in 2013 at age 18, setting a meeting record of 8:03.59 in his 3,000m steeplechase speciality. His venture this year into the 5, 000m will be the first since his only known attempt at the distance, produced 13:47.5 in the high altitude of Eldoret in Kenya.
Mwangangi won the Pre Classic 5,000m in 2014, the year he also won the Diamond Trophy. In his first Pre Classic appearance in 2011, Ndiku clocked a PB of 3:49.77 in the mile.
With a PB of 12:48.64, Isaiah Koech is the second fastest in the field. The Kenyan has four top-eight finishes at global championships, his best being his bronze medal from the 2013 World Championships. Farah has won four times at the Pre Classic, setting a meeting record of 12:56.98 for 5,000m in 2012, and winning three times over 10,000m.
Mo Farah of Great Britain now has nine major gold medals—four from the Olympics and five from the World Championships. Eight of those nine medals have been earned when securing 5000m/10,000m doubles from the past two Olympics and two World Championships. He is aiming for another such double at this summer’s World Championships.
Kenyan turned American Paul Chelimo will also be battling for honours in the race. He was the surprise silver medallist in Rio Olympics, taking 15 seconds off his PB with 13:03.90 to earn USA’s first Olympic 5,000m medal since 1964.
Also to be watched is Hagos Gebrhiwet, who already has three global medals in the 5,000m. Gebrhiwet won silver medal at the World Championships in 2013 and followed it up with bronze medals at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 Rio Olympics. His PB of 12:47.53, a world under-20 record, makes him the fastest in this year’s field.
Others in the field are Yomif Kejelcha and Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei both 19 years.
Kejelcha has twice won in Eugene. At 16, he was the youngest winner ever in this event at the World Junior Championships in 2014, held at Hayward Field. In 2015, he won the 5000m at the Pre Classic and went on to win the Diamond Trophy that season.
Cheptegei was only 19 when he finished fifth and sixth respectively in the Olympic 5000m and 10,000m finals, a combination bettered only by Farah. He also won the world U-20 10,000m title in Eugene back in 2014.