Solomon Barega defends two-mile title in Stanford

Ethiopia’s Solomon Barega will return to the Prefontaine Classic to defend his two-mile title at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Stanford on 30 June.
Solomon, the 2016 world U20 champion, won the 2018 Diamond League 5000m title in 12:43.02, a time bettered only by the last three world record setters – two of whom ran before he was born.
Already this year, the 19-year-old has finished fifth at the World Cross Country Championships, first over 10,000m at the Ethiopian Championships and has recorded a season’s best of 12:53.04 for 5000m.
Olympic silver medallist Paul Chelimo finished second to Solomon in the two-mile race at last year’s Prefontaine Classic. He may have one eye on the North American best of 8:07.07 set by Matt Tegenkamp in 2007.
Asian champion Birhanu Balew was the only athlete to beat Solomon on the IAAF Diamond League circuit last year. The Bahraini runner, who finished third in this event at last year’s Pre Classic, will be looking to get the better of Solomon once again.
Abadi Hadis, the 2017 world cross-country bronze medalist, recently came close to his 5000m PB with 12:56.48 in Rome. The versatile Ethiopian also equaled his half marathon PB of 58:44 earlier this year.
Olympic bronze medalist Hagos Gebrhiwet will be contesting the distance for the first time. The Ethiopian has finished third over 5000m in Shanghai and Rome so far this year and second over 10,000m in Stockholm.
Getaneh Molla made headlines earlier this year when he won the Dubai Marathon in 2:03:34, the fastest debut marathon in history. The Ethiopian will be moving down in distance in Stanford.
In other Stanford-related news, world indoor record-holder Yomif Kejelcha has been added to the Bowerman Mile field.