2019 Pre Classic is Sunday Schedule & Results * TV & streaming (4-6 pm ET).

LRC2019 Pre Classic Women’s Distance Preview: USA vs the World in the Steeple, Semenya (and Kipyegon & Houlihan & Ayana) Returns The 3k is ridiculously stacked (Dibaba vs Ayana vs Hassan vs Obiri). Heck, EVERY event is ridiculously stacked. The women’s steeple features 6 of the 8 fastest women ever, the 1500 has Houlihan vs Muir vs Kipyegon, and the 800 has Semenya. Oh boy.

LRC2019 Pre Classic Men’s Distance Preview: Centro Returns in a Stacked Bowerman Mile vs. Kejelcha, Cheruiyot, J. Ingebrigtsen & More Centro hasn’t raced all year but will run his first race in a Bowerman TC singlet on Sunday against former teammates Yomif Kejelcha, Clayton Murphy, and Craig Engels. Barega faces Paul Chelimo and World XC champ Joshua Cheptegei in the 2-mile.
*MB: Pre Classic 2019 (6/30) – official discussion thread.

• This week’s podcast:Pre Classic Preview: Will an American win a distance event? Centro, Ayana, Kipyegon Debut, Dani Jones…
• Ken Goe feature on Clayton Murphy: Runner Clayton Murphy has his Olympic medal, and he is only getting started – oregonlive.com The article reveals that Salazar thinks Murphy’s best event will soon be the 1,500.
  *MB: Alberto praises Murphy’s values: “I’ve literally never heard Clayton say one cuss word… Little things tell you a lot”

Kipchoge’s Sub-2 Attempt Will Be in Vienna

Rojo would rather he run NYC instead Kipchoge’s sub-2hr marathon set for Vienna on October 12th The course for INEOS 1:59 is a 4.4 km straightaway in the middle of town in a park that will be repeated nearly 9 times. No word or not if they’ll try to draft off of a car/timing board like they did last time.  The race could be held as late as October 20th due to weather. *Mayor’s support and fact that many fans can watch played role in selection of Vienna
*MB: Kipchoge attempts new sub 2h marathon in Vienna in Oct 2019

Gladys Cherono Will Return To Defend Her Title Against Vivian Cheruiyot At The 2019 Berlin MarathonMare Dibaba (2:19:52) was also announced.

Non-Distance News

• SI Q&A With Matthew Boling Who Won Gatorade National Track And Field Athlete of the Year Boling talks about sprinting and the wind, the difficulty of doubling up with the LJ and the idea of racing Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman (plus an update on the Twitter challenge with Ted Ginn).
• Gatorade Announces Boys State Player Of The Year Awards No surprise, Matthew Boling won the award for Texas.
• Arkansas’ NCAA 100H Champ Janeek Brown Forgoes Her Final Two Years Of Eligibility; Signs Pro Deal With Puma Brown is also the Jamaican NR holder and world leader at 12.40.
• Chief Starter At Jamaican Champs Explains Why Former World 100H Champ Danielle Williams Wasn’t Allowed To Run Under Protest After She False Started The official explained that IAAF rules only allow racing under protest when there is a working “start information system” (which is used to electronically detect false starts). Last year Yohan Blake was allowed to run under protest despite this system being in place, but a source said that was a mistake they “vowed not to do again.”
• BBC: UK Hepathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson Talks About How She’s Got Her Career Straightened Out Through Sacrifices And Moving To The South Of France
• Germany’s European And Olympic Javelin Champ Writes A Letter To His Younger Self “Thomas, you will perhaps come to regret some of those fashion mistakes you made back then. What were you thinking with those baggy clothes; you were definitely a kid of the 1990s!”

Caster Semenya Updates

• IAAF Submits Request To Overturn Temporary Swiss Court Order Allowing Caster Semenya To Compete Without Medication The IAAF has asked for the order for it to “super-provisionally suspend the implementation of the DSD regulations” with regards to Semenya to be reversed.
  *IAAF Statement
• IAAF Director Of Science And Health Says That They Check For Gender Dysphoria With Psychological Tests Stephane Bermon: “[Psychological tests are a] very important parameter that tells us if the person has a gender dysphoria, in other words … if they feel good about their gender or aspire to change it, or do not know.”

Upcoming Action

• July 9: MB:Donavan Brazier Entered In 1500m At The Sunset Tour Meet In Asuza, CA What do you predict he’ll run?
• Sunday: Christian Coleman Leads Pre 100m Field Against Justin Gatlin, Zharnel Hughes And Cravon GillespieShelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce faces Sha’Carri Richardson, English Gardner, double world silver medalist Marie-Josee Ta Lou in the women’s race.
• July 12:Genzebe Dibaba Will Take On Beatrice Chepkoech And Sifan Hassan In The Monaco DL Brave Like Gabe Mile The men’s 1,500 will have world champ Elijah Manangoi vs. indoor WR holder Samuel Tefera and Matthew Centrowitz. Also a stacked TJ with rivals Christian Taylor, Pedro Pablo Pichardo and Will Claye.
• August 6-10:USATF Announce 2019 Pan Am Games Roster Distance runners competing in Lima, Peru include Donavan Brazier, Garrett Heath, Allie Ostrander, Kim Conley, Alexa Efraimson, Nikki Hiltz.