Alexi Pappas could have made travel plans for the last weekend of May.
There were road running events scheduled all over the country. She was even invited to race in upstate New York for the Freihofer’s Run for Women. Instead, the Nike Oregon Track Club Elite runner is staying home, in Eugene, where she’s been hired for an important job.
She will set the pace for a world-record attempt in the women’s 5,000 meters for the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field as Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba, who owns four indoor world records, will attempt a world record in her Pre Classic debut. The strong field also includes Vivian Cheruiyot, a four-time world champion returning from maternity leave, and Almaz Ayana, who ran the third fastest 5,000 in history a couple of weeks ago at the Diamond League meet in Shanghai.
“The Pre is electric,” Pappas said. “To be at the front of a race like that is so exciting. … It’s on par with the Olympic Trials as far as the competition, the energy and the crowd. It’s very theatrical the whole thing, so to be part of it and leading it for just three laps—it’s really fun.”
Meet director Tom Jordan said Dibaba requested pacers. But at Friday’s press conference in Eugene, Dibaba said through a translator that her dream is to of course one day have a world record, but her focus for Saturday is on running her personal best time.
Jordan said that he believes Pappas is perfect for pacing “because you need someone with a good head on their shoulders, who knows how fast they are going and can go 68, 68, 68.”
Pappas will be one of three pacers for the event and will be solely running the first three laps. One of the pacers is another local runner, Lauren Johnson.
Pappas paced the same event at the Pre Classic two years ago and remembered feeling the pressure of not messing up as a first-time rabbit. This year she feels differently and is confident in her abilities as a pacer because of her training regimen. Pappas said she knows she has run for longer and faster before, so she has the ability to do a good job on Saturday.
“I will treat it like a race in terms of how I prepare,” Pappas said. “I will take it easy the night before and do all the little things I would do if I were racing. It’s important to know that it is going to be hard, but that I can do it.”
Pappas acknowledges that the work in the front of the race, besides just being physically challenging, is mentally difficult. During this race, she said, it is key to stay relaxed.
“I have to remember that I have a job to do,” Pappas said. “These women are nervous and counting on me. So I need to be extra calm to be at my best.”
Pappas credits her coach, Ian Dobson, for encouraging his athletes to be a part of a historic event like the Prefontaine Classic, while also being able to incorporate the event as part of their overall training.
“I think exposure to top athletes is good, regardless of the form it takes,” Dobson said. “For an athlete like Alexi who has the potential to be a top athlete but who is still very much developing, I think it’s important to stand on the line with the best and understand that they’re just people even though they happen to be very fast runners. … I really believe that if there’s a way for a young athlete to be involved at Pre, they should take it.”
Besides running, Pappas has been busy in Eugene making a movie. Along with her boyfriend Jeremy Teicher, she is co-writing, co-directing and co-producing an independent film titled Tracktown. As someone who has love and respect for the TrackTown culture, Pappas feels honored to be part of the action. And she is quick to point out she will have the best seat in the house for the race.
