As usual, fast times are in the forecast at this year’s Bryan Clay Invitational. Collegiate runners, as well as some professionals, will be looking for quick marks this week at Azusa Pacific University. The focus will be on the distance events, particularly the men’s and women’s 1500m and 5,000m races.

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The men’s 5000m features an all-star NCAA start list. Abdihamid Nur of NAU is the class of the field after his superb 3000m/5000m double at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March. Nur has raced once since then, a controlled effort 10,000m at the Stanford Invitational. His teammates from the indoor championships, Nico Young and Drew Bosley, are also entered. Young didn’t race at the Stanford Invitational so this will be his first competition since placing 3rd in the 5000m and seventh in the 3000m at NCAAs. 

Also expected to be in the front pack are Casey Clinger and Brandon Garnica of BYU, Victor Kiprop and Hillary Cheruiyot of Alabama, Kieran Lumb and Brian Fay of Washington, Eduardo Herrera of Colorado, Dylan Jacobs of Notre Dame and professionals Sam Prakel and Eric Jenkins. 

The women’s 5000m also has a familiar cast of NCAA stars. Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State, the NCAA indoor champion in the 3000m, is scheduled to race against two of the NCAA’s best. Mercy Chelangat finished second and first in the last two NCAA Cross Country Championships for Alabama and took third in the 5000m at the most recent indoor championships. Lauren Gregory of Arkansas finished two places back of Roe in the 3000m, to take third and adding another All-American finish to her impressive career. The day prior, she took fourth in the 5000m. Gregory has competed once this outdoor season and notched a comfortable victory in the 10,000m at the Stanford Invitational. 

The 1500m races are expected to have more of a presence of professional athletes. Katie Follet, Alexa Efraimson and Rebecca Mehra headline the field in the women’s 1500m. But they will have some resistance from recent NCAA indoor mile champion Micaela Degenero of Colorado. 

The men’s race will see members of the Oregon Track Club in Vincent Ciattei, Hassan Mead, Will Paulson and Brandon McBride. McBride recently announced that he joined the group and the 800m specialist will be running his first 1500m since 2017. NAU will also be represented well in this field, with Nur and Young joining three of their teammates in this event. Alabama’s Eliud Kipsang had a huge outdoor season last year and will be looking to open up his 1500m season with a solid performance. Stanford’s Ky Robinson will come into this race on a hot streak. Robinson was second in the 5000m at the NCAA Indoor Championships (finishing between Nur and Young) and just won the Stanford Invitational 5000m in 13:22.