Ciara Mageean and Brian Fay are set to toe-the-line at this weekend’s Diamond League final at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
The historic Prefontaine Classic will see most of the world’s best athletes take to the track and the field in winner takes all competitions to take home the maximum prize-money of $30,000 (€28,000) per event.
Prize-money is awarded to the top eight athletes in the field events, sprints and 800m races, with the top twelve being rewarded in races from 1500m up.
The winner of each event also receives the ‘Diamond Trophy’ and an entry to the next World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in 2025.
Ciara Mageean to race in Diamond League final
Mageean has qualified for the 1500m having finished the regular series in joint third position alongside world record holder Faith Kipyegon, who ran one race less than her.
The Down woman will take to the track at 8:51pm Irish Time on Saturday night hoping no doubt to lower the Irish record of 3.55.87 that she set at the Brussels Diamond League last week to finish second behind Britain’s Laura Muir.
Ciara Mageean has just lowered her national 1500m record once again clocking 3.55.87 to finish second behind Laura Muir at the Brussels Diamond League meeting
— Rory Cassidy (@rorycassidy01) September 8, 2023
The Portaferry woman moves inside the top 25 on the world all-time list for the event!@IrishRunnerMag pic.twitter.com/PFfnYnbOFN
Along with Kipyegon, Muir and Mageean, the Ethiopian trio of world silver medallist Diribe Welteji, Hirut Meshesha and Birke Haylom have all broken 3.56 this season.
Having finished an incredible fourth at the World Championships in Budapest, Mageean will be hoping to close out the season of her life in style.
Brian Fay races in the Men’s 3000m on Sunday evening which will also bring an end to his long season.
The 24-year-old who has now returned to Ireland after a stint at the University of Washington has had a breakthrough season breaking the national 5000m record in July, before setting personal bests over 1500m and 3000m earlier this month.
His 7.36.89 3000m clocking in Italy saw him move to third on the Irish All-Time list ahead of the likes of Eamonn Coghlan, Frank O’Mara, Ray Flynn and Marcus O’Sullivan.
Amongst the athletes on the start-list for Sunday include Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who recently won 5000m gold and 1500m silver at the World Championships as well as Ethiopian trio Yomif Kejelcha and Hagos Gebrhiwet who finished fifth and six respectively in that world 5000m final and Selemon Barega who won bronze over 10,000m.
