Three of the world’s top middle-distance runners are set to face off in Eugene in a highly anticipated Mutola 800m clash that could challenge the world record.
Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, world champion Lilian Odira and world 1500m silver medallist Georgia Hunter Bell will face off in the Mutola 800m at the Prefontaine Classic.
Keely Hodgkinson is fresh off setting a new world indoor record and has already shown the world that this might be the season the 800m outdoor world record goes down.
Just last week in France, Keely Hodgkinson clocked a stunning 1:54.87. The three-time World Championships medallist is no stranger to Hayward Field, having run under two minutes six times on the iconic track, with a best of 1:55.19 at the 2023 Prefontaine Classic.
Keely Hodgkinson’s impressive resume includes 10 Diamond League wins and the British national record of 1:54.61, which she set in London in 2024.
Lilian Odira and Georgia Hunter Bell to Join Keely Hodgkinson
Joining her on the starting line will be fellow Briton Georgia Hunter Bell and Lilian Odira. A bronze medallist in the 1500m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she set a national record of 3:52.61, Hunter Bell is a formidable competitor.
At last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, she edged out Keely Hodgkinson by a mere one-hundredth of a second to claim the silver medal.
Her time of 1:54.90 in that race stands as her personal best and ranks among the top-ten fastest times ever recorded.
Lilian Odira has also been added to the field, setting the stage for a rematch of the 2025 World Championships podium.
Lilian Odira stormed to victory in Tokyo, crossing the line in a personal best of 1:54.62, the seventh-fastest time in history.
Her performance shattered a 42-year-old championship record and made her the fourth Kenyan woman to win the world 800m title. The two-time Kenyan national champion also secured a silver medal at the 2024 African Championships.
Meanwhile, the 2026 Prefontaine Classic is scheduled for Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4, with the Mutola 800m tentatively set for the second day of competition.
The Prefontaine Classic has a storied history in the women’s 800 meters, a legacy cemented by Maria Mutola’s incredible 16 career victories at the event.
In honour of her dominance, the race was officially named the “Mutola 800m” during last year’s 50th anniversary celebration.
The inaugural race under this new name saw an impressive eight women finish under the two-minute barrier, a testament to the event’s prestige.
The outdoor world record of 1:53.28, set in 1983, remains the longest-standing record in all of track and field.
