The inaugural “Mutola 800m,” named in honor of the Pre Classic’s winningest athlete ever Maria Mutola, will be headlined by a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games women’s 800m medalists.
Reigning Olympic gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) looks to defend her 2024 Pre Classic title in the two lap event, where she ran 1:55.78. In addition to her Olympic gold from Paris, Hodgkinson won an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo and holds two World Athletics Championships silver medals to her name. Her best performance clocks in at 1:54.61, the British national record, run in 2024. Hodgkinson is currently ranked first in the world in the women’s 8000m.
Reigning Olympic silver medalist Tsige Duguma (ETH) joins the Pre Classic field for the second time in her career, having run 1:58.70 for 8th place in 2024. Duguma’s Olympic silver medal performance at the Stade de France earned her a new personal best in the event: 1:57.15. She is the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Champion in the women’s 800m, becoming Ethiopia’s first world champion in the event. Duguma is currently ranked third in the world in the women’s 800m.
Reigning Olympic bronze medalist Mary Moraa (KEN) returns to race at The Prefontaine Classic for the third time in her career. Two of her fastest 800m times have occurred at the meet: 1:56.71 in 2024 and 1:57.42 in 2023, when the meet served as the Wanda Diamond League Final. Mary holds the World Record in the women’s 600m discipline. Moraa is currently ranked second in the world in the women’s 800m.
The Pre Classic is known for assembling a blistering fast women’s 800m, with the last four iterations seeing a world lead in the event. This standard for excellence in women’s middle-distance racing at Pre Classic was set in large part by the event’s now namesake: Maria Mutola.
Mutola won a Pre Classic event 16 times over the course of her career, with 12 of those wins coming from the women’s 800m. That athletic dominance led to the meet dubbing this and all future women’s 800m races the “Mutola 800m,” announced earlier this week.
The 50th edition of The Prefontaine Classic will be held on Saturday, July 5 at Hayward Field. Tickets start at just $25 and may be purchased at PreClassic.com (PreClassic.com/tickets). Lexus Legacy Experience VIP packages, which can be purchased in addition to an event ticket, are on sale now at PreClassic.com (PreClassic.com/vip).
