London Olympians Centrowitz, Wheating Highlight Strong Men’s 800m Field at Portland Track Festival
Press Release
June 5, 2013
PORTLAND, ORE., – No race in track and field captures the pure adrenaline of a sprint race and the tactics of a distance race quite like the 800m. Running a near all-out sprint for two laps, against other talented competition, is a sight to behold and the Portland Track Festival is proud to announce that one of the marquee races this year is the men’s 800m.
Headlining this year’s field are Olympians Matt Centrowitz and Andrew Wheating. Centrowitz, who lives and trains in Portland, placed second in the 1,500m at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, on his way to a fourth place finish in the 1,500m event at the London Olympics. Wheating, who trains in Eugene, Oregon, is a two-time Olympian, qualifying for Team USA over 800m in 2008, then again over 1,500m in 2012.
Current U.S. #2 800m standout Charles Jock and U.S. #4 Mark Wieczorek are also entered. Jock, the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field champion over the two lap distance finished eighth in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials 800m final, while Wieczorek placed seventh. Both are having strong seasons in 2013 and are looking to improve their 1:45.01 and 1:45.36 seasonal bests.
U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials top five finishers Tyler Mulder and Ryan Martin will challenge for top three finishes. The Eugene-based Mulder finished fifth at the Trials in 2012 and currently ranks U.S. #9 after his 1:46.29 performance at the Doha Diamond League meeting in May. Martin, who finished in fourth at both the Olympic Trials and NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2012, is poised to run a breakout race in Portland.
The sixth annual Portland Track Festival is set to take place on Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8 at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. The distance-only event hosts a collection of races, giving America’s best distance runners the opportunity to run fast and compete towards the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships.