Earlier this week, former Oregon distance star Cooper Teare shared a post on social media that turned some heads in the sport. The post, featured on Teare’s Instagram, held the caption, “Many people may not know (including him) but @jakobing and I have been rivals for years, and this Saturday we face off again at Pre Classic in the Bowerman Mile.”
“I wouldn’t call this race a rivalry,” commented Ingebrigtsen. “But looking forward to Pre.”
The interaction fueled the buzz and excitement surrounding this weekend’s highly anticipated Bowerman Mile, the next-to-last event in Saturday’s Prefontaine Classic. The race contains a who’s who of middle distance runners, including seven Olympians, five of them finalists, and three of the top four 1,500-meter finishers in Tokyo.
It marks Teare’s Diamond League debut and will be his introduction to the Prefontaine Classic. It’s also the first Prefontaine Classic for his fellow Oregon teammate, Cole Hocker. The local pros are looking to take full advantage of competing in their backyard.
“We have that home field advantage in that crowd behind us,” said Teare. “Ball is sort of in our court when it comes down to that.”
Ingebrigtsen, 21, who currently holds four European records and one world record, enters the extravaganza as the favorite, but he won’t go unchallenged. Timothy Cheruiyot, the 2021 Diamond League champion and silver medalist in Tokyo, will be clashing against Ingebrigtsen for the fourth time in the Bowerman Mile. He beat Ingebrigtsen and won the event in 2018 and 2019, before giving up the crown to Ingebrigtsen last year.
Samuel Tefera from Ethiopia could also cause trouble for Ingebrigtsen, having bested him earlier this year at the World Indoor Championships and securing gold.
Ingebrigtsen doesn’t seem concerned. Ingebrigtsen spent the last five weeks training in altitude in Flagstaff, Arizona. He squeezed in a 5K as well, competing and winning earlier this month in California. Ingebrigtsen first competed at the Pre Classic in 2017, where he became the youngest ever to break the four minute barrier at 16 years old. He says he feels good and is excited to return to Hayward Field.
“I think the Bowerman Mile has always been special,” said Ingebrigtsen. “That’s how I felt when I raced here the first time.”
Teare and Hocker have been the subject of some criticism this outdoor season because they have only competed a handful of times, with the majority of it being at Hayward Field against lesser competition, such as college athletes and the occasional pro. Teare hopes the narrative changes for them after this weekend.
“People have kind of been complaining about our lack of competition,” said Teare. “I think there’s no better way than to get into a field like this — that is one of the deepest mile fields, I think, in many years.”
One thing is for sure: the teammates and former Ducks don’t lack confidence.
Hocker expressed that last year he had to convince himself that he belonged and was as elite as his competition. This year he knows he belongs, perhaps a product of being the Olympic Trials champion and finishing sixth at Tokyo.
“The sky’s the limit on this,” said Teare. “I think we’re gonna surprise some people.”
