Josh Kerr wins a loaded Bowerman Mile at Pre Classic Diamond League meet
The reigning Olympic champion held the early lead advantage.
The reigning world champion didn’t let him keep it for long.
The Prefontaine Classic Diamond League track and field meet concluded with a race that lived up to the hype.
Josh Kerr outraced Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win the Bowerman Mile in front of 12,009 Saturday at Hayward Field.
Nine men finished in under 3 minutes, 50 seconds with Great Britain’s Kerr leading the way in personal-record and national-record 3:45.34.
Ingebrigtsen was second in 3:45.60 in what was his first race since winning the Diamond League final in the mile at Hayward Field last September when the Norwegian became the third-fastest performer of all-time with his finish in 3:43.73.
Kerr took the lead from Ingebrigtsen with 600 meters to go and never relinquished it, keeping the 1,500-meter gold medalist from the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021 a few steps behind.
“I was just excited to go out and race against a world class field and show that I’m still the best 1,500-meter runner in the world,” said Kerr, who defeated Ingebrigtsen in the 1,500 at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last summer.
“For me, today was more of a time trial,” Ingebrigtsen said. “Of course we’re racing, but it’s definitely some differences in terms of approach into this race. For some people, this is their final test even before the Olympics in Paris. But this is not my final test.”
In third was American record holder Yared Nuguse in 3:46.22. He was the only runner in the field who was able to match the late-race moves by Kerr and Ingebrigtsen but he couldn't keep pace with the leaders down the homestretch.
In fourth and fifth were Neil Gourley (3:47.74) and 2022 world champion Jake Wightman (3:47.83) — both of Great Britain — who set PRs.
Former Oregon star and 2021 OIympic finalist Cole Hocker was seventh in 3:48.83 after nearly taking a fall early in the race after getting tangled up with fellow American Hobbs Kessler, who stumbled off the track.
“I got myself back into it, which I was really happy with,” Hocker said. “Then those three guys started to move and I think without that trip I would’ve been able to move with them as well.”
Hocker’s former Oregon teammate and current training partner, Cooper Teare, also nearly fell late in the race. He finished in last place in 3:53.92. Afterwards, Teare limped away with a bloody knee and carrying a torn and blood-stained racing spike.
Another former Duck, 2016 Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz, was a late scratch.
Follow Chris Hansen on X @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Josh Kerr tops Jakob Ingebrigtsen in Bowerman Mile at Pre Classic
