Portland Track Fest is Here

Impressive 800, 1,500 and 5,000 fields to be showcased in “Hot Window”, which also features big opportunities for elite prep standouts Powell, Kitchen, Tostenson and Herbst, in addition to Rodriguez pursuing 3,000 steeplechase all-time high school mark

One of the most impressive one-hour stretches of racing showcased on American soil returns Sunday night during the “Hot Window” of the annual Portland Track Festival at Lewis and Clark College’s Griswold Stadium.

The World Athletics Bronze level competition, which is highlighted at 8 p.m. PDT, will showcase 800, 1,500 and 5,000 races in both genders, with the overall schedule Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. PDT with open and high performance races.

The Saturday schedule at Lewis and Clark, which starts at 4:30 p.m. PDT, includes championship sections in the 3,000 steeplechase and 10,000, in addition to high school and Masters 2,000 steeplechase races, as well as open sections of the 800 and 5,000.

The Running Warehouse men’s 800 became a lot more intriguing following the 1:44.70 season opener produced June 7 by American competitor Donavan Brazier in Tennessee.

Brazier is expected to be joined in the field by Mexican national record holder Jesus Tonatiu Lopez as well as John Rivera from Puerto Rico, in addition to Daniel Watcke from Villanova.

Sammy Watson highlights competition in the Dreamcell women’s 800, following her May 24 victory in 2:00.90 at the Sound Running Track Fest at Occidental College.

Watson is scheduled to be joined by fellow American athletes Kaela Edwards and Sadi Henderson, in addition to Makenna Herbst, an Arkansas commit and reigning California state champion from Carlsbad High.

Lindsey Butterworth, a Canadian competitor and New Balance professional, is also entered in the 800 field.

Raevyn Rogers is scheduled to compete in an earlier section of the 800 as well.

Amon Kemboi of PUMA Elite Running, who won the 1,500 at Portland Track Festival in 2023, is part of a deep field in the Paul Banta Memorial men’s 5,000, joining Canadian standout Justyn Knight, plus American competitors Sean McGorty, Drew Hunter, Kenneth Rooks and Olin Hacker.

Tayvon Kitchen, a Brigham Young-bound senior at Crater High in Oregon who won the New Balance Nationals Indoor title in the 5,000 in March in 14:01.14 and set the state championship meet record May 31 of 7:58.92 in the 3,000, is also expected to compete.

Abdihamid Nur and Luis Grijalva of Guatemala are both expected race in an earlier 5,000 section.

Courtney Frerichs, the American record holder in the 3,000 steeplechase, is scheduled to race in the Shamrock Run women’s 5,000, in addition to fellow U.S. standouts Ella Donaghu, Katelyn Tuohy, Jess McClain, Vanessa Fraser and Katie Izzo.

Former Utah Valley standout and NCAA Division 1 10,000 champion Everlyn Kemboi is also entered, in addition to Mexican star Laura Galvan and Canadian competitor Regan Yee.

Concluding the Sunday evening schedule is the Bandit Running men’s 1,500, with Washington commit Owen Powell of Mercer Island High looking to challenge himself against an elite field of collegiate and professional athletes.

Powell ran 1:46.63 on June 8 in the 800 at the Brooks PR Invitational, in addition to clocking 3:56.66 in the indoor mile Feb. 21 at the Terrier DMR Challenge at Boston University.

Gary Martin of Virginia, Fouad Messaoudi from Oklahoma State and Elliott Cook of Oregon are among the collegiate athletes scheduled to race, in addition to professional competitors Kieran Lumb from Canada, plus American athletes Morgan Beadlescomb, Sam Prakel and Sam Ellis.

Josiah Tostenson, a Washington signee from Crater High, is expected to compete in an earlier section of the 1,500.

Sinclaire Johnson is scheduled to race in the Bandit Running women’s 1,500, along with fellow American entries Anna Camp-Bennett, Christina Aragon, Rachel McArthur, Gracie Hyde and Jenn Randall, as well as Canadian athletes Simone Plourde and Grace Fetherstonhaugh, and Kenyan standout Flomena Asekol.

Hyde is also entered Saturday in the women’s championship 3,000 steeplechase event, in addition to returning champion Allie Ostrander and Australian standout Amy Cashin, joining Logan Jolly and Fetherstonhaugh.

Victoria Rodriguez, a Wake Forest commit from Mercer Island High, is looking to challenge the national all-time prep mark of 10:00.72 set in 2012 by Brianna Nerud of North Shore in New York.

Ruby Ihmels, a sophomore at Bismarck Century in North Dakota, leads the girls 2,000 steeplechase field, with senior Simon Barlow from Bountiful High in Utah the top entry in the boys 2,000 steeplechase.

Benard Keter, a two-time steeplechase winner at the meet, returns as part of a deep men’s field that also includes Duncan Hamilton, Isaac Updike, Daniel Michalski and Gable Sieperda.

Abby Nichols of HOKA Northern Arizona Elite and Galvan highlight the women’s 10,000 championship field, which also features French standout Alessia Zarbo, along with American entries Savannah Shaw, Cailie Hughes and NCAA Division 2 champion Brianna Robles from Adams State.

Athanas Kioko from On Athletics, who won the men’s 10,000 at the meet in 2023, is once again part of Saturday’s field, joined by Sam Clifford from Australia, as well as Brigham Young’s Davin Thompson and Northern Arizona’s Cael Grotenhuis, both competing unattached.