Faith Kipyegon will return to the Prefontaine Classic to compete in the inaugural women’s mile.
The meet will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., from July 3 to 4 as part of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League circuit. Kipyegon set the current mile world record in 2023 at the Monaco Diamond League meeting with a time of 4:07.64.
At the 2025 Prefontaine Classic, Kipyegon set the world record in the women’s 1500m with a time of 3:48.68 at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
Kipyegon is the world record holder for the 1500 metres and the mile, and she is the former world record holder for the 5000 metres. She is the only three-time Olympic champion in the 1500 metres, having won a gold medal each at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro, 2020 Tokyo, and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She also won a gold medal in the 1500 metres at the 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2025 World Championships and in the 5000 metres at the 2023 World Championships.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kipyegon became the first athlete ever to win three consecutive gold medals in the 1500 m women’s race, where she also set a new Olympic record.
In addition to the 1500 m, she had previously earned a silver medal in the women's 5000 m, after successfully appealing a disqualification.
Mile to coincide with 250th anniversary
According to a statement on the Prefontaine Classic official website, the Prefontaine Classic will once again celebrate with the world’s best athletes on Independence Day weekend for 2026.
The action-packed day for track & field fans will coincide with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States’ Declaration of Independence in 1776.
In the days leading up to the meet, fans can expect the return of the Oregon Track Club All-Comers Meet at The Prefontaine Classic, open to youth athletes ages 12 and under, on Wednesday, July 1.
The following evening, athletes of all ages are invited to run or walk one mile under the lights at Hayward Field for the annual Night of Miles.
The Prefontaine Classic, a premier Diamond League meet, frequently rotates its event schedule to keep the competition fresh and attract elite athletes.
While the women’s 1,500m has been a staple for more than 30 years, the mile has not been contested since 1993. The current meet record of 4:21.25, set by Mary Slaney in 1988, is widely expected to be broken this July.
