The Diamond League Prefontaine Meet produced no victories for Flagstaff-based runners, but that did not mean they didn’t log some impressive performances.
In the 10,000 meters, which served as the Kenyan Olympic Trials, Under Armour Dark Sky’s Edwin Kurgat barely missed out on a podium spot and automatic bid for the team. Kurgat finished fourth in 26:51.54, faster than he ran when getting the Olympic standard at The Ten in March. He took the lead entering the final lap but failed to hold on.
Another Dark Sky runner, Weini Kelati may have finished ninth in a swift 5,000 meters, but her time was a season best of 14:35.43 and makes her the favorite to win the event in the Olympic Trials. Kelati also is the top seeded U.S. 10,000 meters runner.
Other notable Flagstaff- centric performances from Prefontaine:
— Nikki Hiltz placed fifth in the 1,500 meters in 3:59.64, the second time they have broken four minutes.
— Dark Sky’s Neil Gourley placed fourth in the uber-competitive Bowerman Mile with a strong kick to clock a time of 3:47.74.
–In the women’s steeplechase, Hoka Naz Elite’s Krissy Gear finished 11th in 9:24.42 and Dark Sky’s Regan Yee 14th in 9:30.78.
Elsewhere, in the Canadian 10K Road Championships, Flagstaff’s Rory Linkletter finished second behind Ben Flanagan, who set a national record at 28:09. Linkletter, who finished second in Flanagan in the same race in 2022, placed 28:40, a new PR.
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