Sydney McLaughlin wins the 400m hurdles at the US Olympic Trials (© Getty Images)
U.S. All-Comers Records at Hayward Field
In its 101-year history, Hayward Field at the University of Oregon has played host to some of track and field's most iconic moments.
Of the 46 U.S. all-comers records (best performances on U.S. soil), 16 of those marks belong to eight men and eight women at Hayward Field, the home of the upcoming World Athletics Championships Oregon 22 on July 15-24, 2022.
2021 was a record-breaking year at the reimagined Hayward Field with 10 of the 16 records set during its inaugural season.
Here’s a look back at the greatest performances on U.S. soil at Hayward Field:
Gabby Thomas (USA) - 200m – 21.61 - June 26, 2021
Thomas announced she would be among the favorites at the Tokyo Olympics when she became, at the time, the second-fastest performer in history with her win at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field. Thomas broke the U.S. all-comers record of 21.69 set by Allyson Felix at the 2012 Olympic Trials at Hayward Field, then went on to win the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Athing Mu (USA) - 800m – 1:55.04 - August 21, 2021
After setting the American record of 1:55.21 in winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Mu re-set the record at the Prefontaine Classic despite running by herself over the final lap. She also broke the U.S. all-comers record of 1:55.70 set by South Africa’s Caster Semenya at the 2019 Prefontaine Classic held at Stanford University during the construction of the reimagined Hayward Field.
Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) - 1500m – 3:53.23 – August 21, 2021
The Olympic gold medalist from Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo added another Prefontaine Classic win to her resume when she won by more than six seconds. Kipyegon broke her own U.S. all-comers record of 3:56.41 set at the 20216 Prefontaine Classic.
Norah Jeruto (Kenya) - 3000m Steeplechase – 8:53.65 - August 21, 2021
After missing the Tokyo Olympics, Jeruto ran the third-fastest time in history to win the Prefontaine Classic. Courtney Frerichs, who was the silver medalist in Tokyo, became the first American woman under 9 minutes when she ran 8:57.77 for second place.
Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) - 5000m – 14:19.76 - May 30, 2015
Dibaba ran away from a world-class field at the Prefontaine Classic, winning by more than 12 seconds over Faith Kipyegon and by almost 27 seconds over Vivian Cheruiyot. Dibaba later won the bronze medal at that year’s World Championships in Beijing. Cheruiyot won her second 10,000-meter world title that year.
Keni Harrison (USA) - 100m Hurdles – 12.24 - May 28, 2016
Harrison thrilled the Prefontaine Classic crowd when she set an American record to win at Hayward Field, besting the previous U.S. record of 12.26 set by Brianna McNeil in 2013. Harrison didn’t make the U.S. Olympic team in 2016 but did set the still-standing world record of 12.20 later that year in London.
Sydney McLaughlin (USA) - 400m Hurdles – 51.90 - June 27, 2021
At the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field, McLaughlin set the first of her two world records last summer when she clocked 51.90 to beat Dalilah Muhammad, who had previously set the world record of 52.10 in winning the 2019 World Championships in Doha. McLaughlin and Muhammad would then go on to break the world record at the Tokyo Olympics with McLaughlin winning gold in 51.46 to Muhammad’s 51.58.
Deanna Price (USA) - Hammer Throw – 80.31m - June 26, 2021
Price, the 2019 World Champion in Doha, began 2021 with a bang with an American record of 78.60m in April - which was, at the time, the U.S. all-comers record. That was nothing, however, compared to what she did at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field. She took one throw in qualifying and set an Olympic Trials meet record of 77.10m. In the final two days later, her series of throws went 77.82m, 78.51m, 79.98m, foul, 80.31m, and 78.16m.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway) – Mile – 3:47.24 - August 21, 2021
After winning the 1,500m in the Tokyo Olympics, the young Norwegian star outkicked Australia’s Stewart McSweyn to win the Bowerman Mile, the signature event at the Prefontaine Classic. It was the first time the Prefontaine Classic was held at the reimagined Hayward Field.
Eluid Kipchoge (Kenya) - 3000m – 7:35.44 - June 04, 2005
Before he became the fastest marathoner ever, Kipchoge was tearing it up on the track and set this mark en route to winning the 2-mile at the Prefontaine Classic in 8:07.68. That 2-mile mark was a U.S. all-comers record at the time, and has since been eclipsed, but Kipchoge’s 3,000m mark has stood the test of time.
Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) - 10,000m – 26:25.97 - June 08, 2008
The Ethiopian legend, who has three of history’s five-fastest times in this discipline, set the U.S. all-comers record at the Prefontaine Classic, and led seven runners under 27:17.0 in that race. Bekele won gold in the Beijing Olympics later that summer in the 5,000m and 10,000m. This was after winning the 10,000m and finishing second in the 5,000m at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Grant Holloway (USA) - 110m Hurdles – 12.81 - June 26, 2021
At the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field, Holloway ran the second-fastest time in history and just missed the world record of 12.80 set by Aries Merritt in 2012. Holloway, the 2019 world champion in Doha, went on to win the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Rai Benjamin (USA) - 400m Hurdles – 46.83 - June 26, 2021
At the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field, Benjamin just missed the world record of 46.78 set by American Kevin Young in 1992. Less than a week later, Norway’s Karsten Warholm lowered the world record to 46.70. In Tokyo, Warholm and Benjamin engaged in an epic battle that saw Warholm win in 45.94, and Benjamin finish in 46.17.
Ryan Crouser (USA) - Shot Put – 23.37m - June 18, 2021
Crouser took down Randy Barnes’ world record of 23.12m that had stood since 1990 when Crouser dominated the competition during the opening day of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field. After throwing 22.92m in qualifying, Crouser returned later that night to throw 23.37m for the first world record at the reimagined Hayward Field. He successfully defended his 2016 Olympic title when he threw 23.30m at the Tokyo Olympics, and closed out his historic season by winning the Prefontaine Classic at 23.15m.
Ben Plucknett (USA) - Discus Throw - 71.32m - June 04, 1983
This remains the American record, as well as the U.S. all-comers record in the event. Plucknett twice broke the world record in 1981, but those marks were wiped out after he tested positive for steroids. He returned to competition 18 months later, and set the American record in 1983 at Hayward Field.
Ashton Eaton (USA) - Decathlon – 9039 pts – June 22, 2012
After taking the silver medal at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, Eaton left little doubt who was the favorite for the 2012 London Olympics by setting the first of his two world records in front of his hometown fans at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field. Eaton broke the world record by 13 points, shattering the U.S. all-comers record of 8,847 points set by Great Britain’s Daley Thompson at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
