37 years after the death of Steve Prefontaine, the Pre Classic lives on

What was originally staged as the "Hayward Field Restoration Race" in 1975, the Prefontaine Classic, now in it's 38th year, continues to live on as the premier track and field event in America.

I was lucky enough to attend last year (and kept a journal my time in Eugene) and couldn't pass up the return trip to Eugene (via Portland) for the 2012 edition. If you're a track fan, this is something you need to see in person.

The distance action heats up Friday night with "Hollister Night at Hayward." The event is free to attend and will be webcast starting at 7:25pm Pacific (10:25pm Eastern) at PreClassic.com.

The Women's 800 kicks things off at 7:30pm with Molly Beckwith, Heather Kampf, Gena Gall, LaTavia Thomas, Alysia Montano and Maggie Vessey leading the way. This is the race that put Vessey on the map. Her win in 2009 out of nowhere paved the way to where she is now. Expect her to challenge for the win. This will also be an excellent chance to see where Montano's fitness is, as we haven't seen much out of her this year (yet).

The Men's International Mile is up next, at 7:37pm, with a stellar field of Americans, including Russell Brown, Matt Centrowitz, Will Leer, Jeff See, Dorian Ulrey and American Record Holder, Alan Webb (who set the American High School Record in 2001 here). Alfred Kirwa Yego, Nicholas Kemboi and Mohammed Shaween lead the foreign contingent. This event has become a new standard at Pre and expect the winner to be close to 3:50.

Vessey, Schmidt and Montano will
take on the world's best
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

The Women's 1500 goes off at 7:46 with another excellent American field of Gabrielle Anderson, Katie Mackey, Lauren Johnson, Brenda Martinez, Treniere Moser, Anna Pierce, Shannon Rowbury, Jenny Simpson and Phoebe Wright. Sheila Reid, Jemma Simpson and Tizita Bogale will lead the foreign contingent. Simpson will try to regain the form that found her running 3:59.90 here in 2010, as much of the rest of the field will take aim at the Olympic A Standard of 4:06.00.

The Women's 10,000 is up next at 7:56pm. Expect Tirunesh Dibaba to go away with this one, but pay attention to Lauren Fleshman. She's been injured and is rabbiting. It will be a good chance to see what kind of form she's in before the trials. Alisha Williams will take aim at the Olympic A Standard of 31:45. She has the B right now and will want to get this out of the way before the Olympic Trials in 3 weeks. (Nevermind, she was just rabbiting through 3000)

Closing out the night is the ballyhooed Kenyan Olympic Trials in the 10,000. Athletics Kenya decided to stage it here due to the similarity in elevation to London and it should be quite a run. The top two will qualify, with the last choice going to the committee. 10 of the Men entered have run under 27 minutes and I would expect this race to be won in the 26:45 range. Micah Kogo and Eliud Kipchoge seem to be the favorites, but it's Kenya. There are new stars emerging yearly. Expect the unexpected. I'll be pulling for "36 year old" Mark Kiptoo.

The 38th Annual Prefontaine Classic goes off Saturday, as usual, with excellent sprints, distance and field events. It will be broadcast at noon Pacific (3pm Eastern) on NBC. The Women's Steeplechase kicks off the distance events at 11:46am with Emma Coburn, Bridget Franek and Sara Hall lining up against the best in the world. Milcah Chemos looks to be the ace of the field. Coburn and Franek went 1-2 last year at USA Outdoors and look to be the favorites to make the team once again. Hall has yet to show the form that she showed towards the end of the 2011 season. This will be her chance to show whether or not she's a threat to make the team.

The Women's 3000 goes off at 12:11pm with Jackie Areson, Angela Bizzarri, Brie Felnagle, Sally Kipyego, Molly Huddle, Lisa Uhl and Amy Hastings duking it out. Talk about an American distance fans dream race. This one should be a lot of fun.

Symmonds won in 2007 and would love
 to win Pre again
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

The Men's 800 is next at 12:24pm with Nick Symmonds taking on the world's best (sans David Rudisha). Yuriy Borzakovskiy, Abubaker Kaki, Adam Kszczot, Mohammed Aman and Boaz Lalang will make it a tough one. Add Americans Khadevis Robinson and Tyler Mulder to the mix and you've got a very strong 800. Matt Scherer will lead them around.

The Men's 5000 is at 12:50pm with Matt Tegenkamp and Galen Rupp taking on an incredible field of Mo Farah, Kenenisa Bekele, Craig Mottram, Collis Birmingham, Isiah Koech, Sam Chelanga, Yenew Alamirew and Augustine Choge. Will Rupp go under 13:00 finally? and on American soil? He's gonna have to if he wants to compete in this field!

Closing out the classic will be the Bowerman Mile at 1:19pm. The American contingent will be comprised of Andrew Wheating, Leo Manzano, Lopez Lomong, David Torrence and Bernard Lagat. Silas Kiplagat, Asbel Kiprop Amine Laalou and Nick Willis will lead the world challengers. Kiprop's been tough here, but Kiplagat recently got the better of him in Doha. Expect a scorcher!

All in all, an event that Pre would be proud of!

I'll be tweeting and running around all over Eugene from Thursday night on... with stops at Track Town Pizza, Ninkasi Brewing, Pre's Trail, Rogue Public House, Morning Glory and of course, Hayward Field!

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5 Questions with Brie Felnagle

Brie leads Jen Rhines at Stanford
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Today we have 5 Questions with a fellow Tar Heel alumni who exemplifies the versatility that Chapel Hill breeds; she's been on the cover of Runner's World and is a pro at Words With Friends. After an excellent showing at the Stanford Invitational last week, she'll run a full schedule this spring in preparation for the Olympic Trials in June.

Brie Felnagle has been part of the national scene for almost ten years now, from finishing second at Nike Team Nationals and sixth at Foot Locker in high school to winning a national championship in the 1500 and finishing fourth in Cross Country at the University of North Carolina. She had a strong first season as a professional, running for Adidas, last year, finishing seventh in the 1500 at USATF Nationals and then winning Club Cross in the fall. She just missed the 5000 A Standard by 2.39 seconds in a strong season opener at Stanford and looks to be on track for her best season yet. Follow Brie on Twitter here.

5 Questions with Brie Felnagle

1. Writing About Running: Congrats on the big PR at Stanford. You slowly worked your way through the pack and finished strong. Was that the strategy all along?

Brie Felnagle: Thank you. I did not know exactly where my fitness was. I had not raced since December and was fighting injury for most of February. I had been at altitude for the month prior to Stanford and because workout times are adjusted up there, I just didn't know what to expect. So I went out conservatively and moved as I felt better throughout the race.

Brie in her Tar Heel days

2. Writing About Running: The transition back to the west coast seems to be going well. What have been the biggest changes in "heading home?"

Brie Felnagle: The biggest change in heading home is not having school! There is so much time in the day. It took me awhile to get the hang of making good use of that time and setting a schedule for myself. I have gotten much better at that this year and I think it has helped.

3. Writing About Running: You had a nice win at Club Cross this Fall. How did that fit into your training?

Brie Felnagle: Club cross was a lot of fun because it was a local meet. Several of my training partners got to run with me, which made it feel like a team experience. I have missed cross country a lot since college, especially the team part. It was also great strength training for track season later in the spring.

Felnagle's "fans"

4. Writing About Running: I saw fellow Tar Heel, Addie Bracy, recently and she told me about yalls training trip to Mexico. How did that come about and who all was involved?

Brie Felnagle: Mexico was where we were altitude training before Stanford. It is in San Luis Potosi, which has an amazing training facility that includes housing and food. There were four of us: Addie, myself, Jake Schmitt from University of Washington, and Kim Conley from UC Davis. The weather was amazing (especially since it was the worst March on record in Washington) and we got a lot out of the trip. Mental toughness included.

5. Writing About Running: What else do you have on the schedule this spring? Have you decided between the 1500 and the 5000 at the trials?

Brie Felnagle: I will run both the 1500 and 5k this spring. I'll be running at the Mt. Sac Relays, Payton Jordan Cardinal Invite, Oxy and potentially Adidas. I am not sure which I will go for at the trials, but I'm excited to run both!

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Thanks to our sponsor, 14 Minutes, the Alberto Salazar autobiography, for sponsoring the blog this week. I'll be reviewing it very soon! If you're interested in sponsoring writing about running (and other great sites like TrackFocus, Track Superfan, Paul Merca and the House of Run podcast) in the future, check out The Relay Network.

Road to Houston: 5 Questions with Olympic Trials competitor, Addie Bracy

Winning the Mag Mile

Today, we were lucky enough to have 5 Questions with one of the fledgling stars on the road circuit on her "Road to Houston." We'll have a few more of these features over the holidays as we lead up to the big day on January 14, 2012.

Addie Bracy has had a busy year. She's PR'd on the track in the 5000 and 10,000 and has PR'd on the road in the Half. Unfortunately, she'll have to miss the Marathon Trials due to injury, but expect her back on the track in 2012 as she takes aim at the 2012 Olympic Track Trials in Eugene (this June). Follow her on Twitter here.

5 Questions with Addie Bracy

1. Writing About Running: You've had a few strong performances in the past year. What were your PR's in college and what has been your progression been since graduating from UNC in 2009?

Addie Bracy: In college, I focused primarily on the 5k and the steeplechase.  My college PRs in those events were 16:20 in the indoor 5000 and 10:16 in the steeplechase.  Since graduating, my coach (Ryan Vanhoy) and I have shifted our focus to the longer distances.  It took me a year or two to adjust to the difference in training, as well as my training environment, and while I did have PR performances during my first two years out of college, they were minimal and didn't reflect where we believed my fitness was.  It wasn't until the last 8 months that I really felt that I had a breakthrough.  Last spring, I had significant PR's on the track, running 33:08 in the 10,000 and 15:49 in the 5000.  I also recently had a big PR in the half marathon (1:14:09).

2. Writing About Running: You were a Volunteer Assistant Cross Country coach this fall with the UNC Cross Country team and now you're training for the trials in Colorado. How's that going?

Addie Bracy: This Fall actually marked the beginning of my third year as a Volunteer Coach and it's something I really enjoy doing.  It gives me a chance to play a different role in the sport and give back, in a way, to the school that started my running career.  Training for this sport can sometimes force you to live a very self-centered lifestyle because of the sacrifices that you have to make, and being involved at UNC gives me a chance each day to take my focus away from my own training and to help others with what they are trying to achieve.

I am currently back in Chapel Hill training.  I recently finished up a 5-week altitude stint in Nederland, Colorado during October and November.  I went out there with my good friend and former teammate, Brie Felnagle, my twin brother, Ian Bracy, and a recent Appalachian State graduate, Brandon Hudgins.  The trip went really well and we got in some great training.  While in Chapel Hill, I do most of my training alone, so it was great to have a small group to train with for a few weeks.  This was my second time doing a "training camp," and I find them very beneficial and a necessary part of a big buildup, because they take you away from any kind of distractions that you might find at home and really allow you to get in several weeks of intense and quality training.

Steepling for Carolina

3. Writing About Running: Your one of four former Tar Heels that I've counted in the trials, with Shalane Flanagan, Blake Russell and Heather Tanner. What's it like having a group of girls from your alma mater that have similar goals as you do?

Addie Bracy: I've always been very proud to be a Tar Heel, because of the rich athletic tradition that exists at UNC.  You always feel a certain bond with someone from your alma mater and I feel a sense of pride when I see them doing well.  Women like Shalane and Blake are the people that I looked up to in college, in addition to other former teammates in other event groups like Alice Schmidt and Erin Donohue.  It's definitely a special feeling to be competing at some of the same events as them.  Even though we are no longer wearing UNC jerseys, it's something that kind of always sticks with you.

4. Writing About Running: . Most recently, you ran a big PR of 1:14:09 for 4th at the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon. What'd you takeaway from that race just a month out from the trials?

Addie Bracy: The Las Vegas half was a big confidence booster for me.  We didn't cut back in training much at all for the race and it was something we were basically using as a glorified workout, so I really wasn't sure of how it was going to go. But, I felt great throughout the entire race and was surprised at how comfortable the pace felt.  My goal on a good day was to be in the top 5, so I was very happy to achieve that.  It was also a pretty cool experience to race down the Las Vegas strip at night.  It was definitely unlike any other race I have ever run.

Writing About Running:  What's one of your favorite workouts that you've done during the past year to prime you for your recent PR's?

Addie Bracy: One of my favorite workouts that we do several times throughout a season is 400 or 500 meter repeats.  We do 20-25 of them straight through, and the rest is a 100m quick jog between each, so there is no actual rest.  This workout most simulates a race to me, because there is not real rest and the pace is still pretty quick, so it takes a lot of mental focus.  It is one of those workouts that is a long grind and gets progressively more difficult to where you are really digging deep during the last several intervals, much like a race.  When I can complete this workout, feeling pretty good, I always know that I am ready to run fast.

Running the 10,000 at the 2011 USA Champships

5. Writing About Running: After the trials, what are your racing plans? You ran the 10k at USA's last year. Is a return trip to Eugene in the plans?

Addie Bracy: I was recently diagnosed with a femoral stress reaction and have since decided to pull out of the marathon trials.  My coach and I decided that running through the injury wasn't worth the risk of potentially losing my spring track season.  So, the Olympic Trials in June are now my new focus and are definitely in the plans.  I have hit the B standard for both the 10,000 and the 5000.  Assuming that I have a speedy recovery, I would hope to be competing in some of the early track meets, focusing primarily on the 10,000, and trying to hit a time that will secure my spot at the trials in June.  Racing the 10,000 last spring was my first time competing at Hayward Field and it was an amazing experience.  I can only imagine the excitement that surrounds an Olympic Trials event, and I hope to be a part of that.

Stay tuned for more articles this week and continued coverage leading up to the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, TX on January 14, 2012.

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The Run Down: Brie Felnagle and Jon Grey win USATF National Club Cross Country Championships

Former Tar Heel (and current Adidas runner), Brie Felnagle, ran a very strong last 2k yesterday to win the 2011 USATF National Club Cross Country Women's Championship in Seattle, Washington. Felnagle, who now trains with her former high school coach, Matt Ellis, in nearby Tacoma, WA, broke away from a strong group that contained runner-up and Division II national champion, Neely Spence, Brooks' Katie Follett and NYAC's Julie Culley. Her time for the 6k course was 19:54, 4 seconds ahead of Spence. Team Rogue Elite, out of Austin, TX, won the Women's club championship.

On the Men's side, former William and Mary standout (and now Team USA Minnesota member), Jon Grey, ran away from the field early to take the 10k title in 29:38. Last year's winner, Aaron Braun, was the runner-up in 29:48, and led McMillan Elite, out of Flagstaff, AZ, to a repeat club championship. A surprise late entry was new pro, Matt Centrowitz, who ran a very strong fourth. In his post-race interview, Centro said he'll be transitioning out of base training to getting ready for the indoor season soon. Also somewhat of a surprise was Trevor Dunbar, who recently transferred to the University of Oregon (from Portland). He finished fifth, just behind Centro, but didn't mention anything about his transfer in his post-race interview. Touchy subject? He ran with his former state championship team from his sophomore year of high school. Pretty cool.

Full men's results are here and watch the men's race by clicking here.

Full women's results are here and watch the women's race by clicking here.

More information (including Masters results) is located at the USATF page here

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