TrackTown USA – A.K.A. Eugene, Oregon – the home of running, the birthplace of Nike, and most recently, the host of the 2023 Diamond League Finals which – for the first time in many years – aligned with Hayward field’s yearly “Prefontaine Classic,” a meet honoring Oregon’s late legend Steve Prefontaine.
One of the most prestigious events in track and field – being a runner up only to the Worlds Athletic Championships and the Olympics – the Diamond League consists of the most talented athletes from around the world. The finals, qualified for based on points scored throughout the Diamond League season, always invite a ton of world class performances, efforts and world record attempts. This year, the Prefontaine Classic saw two world records, multiple heartbreakingly-close attempts, numerous American records and countless world leads.
The Wolf caught up, with a great lack of breath from running, with members of Tualatin’s varsity cross country team, seniors Carson Page and Nathan Ruybalid, who drove with their teammates to Eugene to spectate the meet.
“The race I thought was most impactful was the mile on day one,” Page said. “Not only was the leader on the brink of a world record, but it was competitive, with both of the top two on world record pace through three laps. Although we didn’t see a world record, we did see an American record and a great competition.”
One of the main aspects that attracted people to this year’s Diamond League Finals was Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the current world lead in many mid-long distance running events and the record holder in the 1500 meter, 2000 meter and 2 mile distances. Ingebrigtsen declared that he would be going for both the mile world record and the 3000m world record the day after. While this did not happen, Ingebrigtsen was extremely close to both, running 0.6 seconds off of the mile world record (3:43.73 vs 3:43.13), and just under three seconds off of the 3000m world record (7:23.63 vs 7:20.67) the next day. Surprisingly, Ingebrigtsen barely won both of these events, with Yared Nuguse setting an American record of 3:43.97 in the mile right on his trail, and the day after, outleaning Ethiopian runner Yomig Kejelcha by only 0.01 seconds.
“The most inspirational performance was definitely watching the women’s 5km world record,” Ruybalid said. “Seeing her with all the pacers, everybody trying to stick with her but being unsuccessful, and seeing her persevere through it all was definitely the most inspiring.”
Perhaps the most relevant performance to our school, as the cross country season is nearing its own finals, is Gudaf Tsegay’s 5000m women’s world record. By over five seconds, not only was this record massive and unexpected, but at 14:00.21, it brought women’s cross country ever closer to a large timestamp yet to be broken, the sub-14 5k. If reaction time was not included, it is very possible that Tsegay did, in fact, run the 5000 meters in less than 14 minutes, but alas, we will have to wait and see which of the leading women distance runners will be the first to officially break this massive barrier.
“As an 800 [meter] runner myself, the 800 was my favorite to watch,” Page said. “Just seeing what the best of the best are doing in comparison to the best high schooler is crazy to see… It has motivated me by showing me what is possible if I work for it. Every one of the racers is there because they have put in the work to be great.”
Ruybalid agreed that seeing the athletes’ grit and determination had an impact on his own running.
“The women’s 5km world record was incredibly motivating,” Ruybalid said. “Even when she fell off pace, she was able to push herself and work back up… her perseverance really shined through. That really inspired me in my season, in trying to find that next gear, and being able to push through tough races.”
Between world records, American records, and all of the other amazing performances at this year’s Diamond League finals, many can take inspiration on and off the track to persevere and push through when times get tough, or when a challenge lays ahead. If there is one thing that racing teaches, it is that while you might not always achieve the result you expect, putting yourself out there and taking a risk is the most beneficial action possible.
