Running Network, 116 Clarence Street, Fort Atkinson, WI (2025)

09/06/2025

Katie Moon talks to Stuart Weir through her Zurich win , by Stuart Weir, https://buff.ly/LehzS4H , photos by and for ,

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09/06/2025

: An exciting evening of field events at , by Stuart Weir

One criticism that is justly made of the Diamond Leagues is that field events can be somewhat marginalised, often taking place outside the two-hour television slot. Day one of the Diamond League final was a celebration of all field events. And did they deliver!! Held in a purpose-built arena on the edge of the lake with temporary stands (bleachers if you must!) There was a massive crowd with spectators paying for seats, but allowed to stand for free. In a big arena, a particular field event can be 100 meters from one’s seat. In a small arena like Zurich, spectators can feel as though they are right on top of the action.

Mondo cleared 6 meters. There was a home win in the men's long jump. Four women cleared 2m in the high jump.Katie Moon won her second DL in 5 daysJoe Kovacs and Jessica Schilder won the shot
Apart from that, not a lot happened!

Joe Kovacs won the Men’s shot with 22.26 commenting: “It is awesome to win here, with that high level. I would like to keep my medal streak alive but I am also happy to get home to my wife and my kids. In the US we have such a strong tradition in the shot put, sometimes that sucks, but most of the time it pushes you. At this stage of my career it humbles me that kids watch me on YouTube. For me to compete at the world championships, Ryan Crouser would have to give me his spot because of injury. I would be ready to go. But then I would also want to come home with at least a bronze medal”. Surely the World Championship is supposed to have the best athletes in every discipline. There should be a place for the Diamond League champion and/or for such an outstanding performing based on ranking.

Joe once gave me good advice for all husbands when I asked him how it worked to be coached by his wife. He replied: “I just do what my wife tells me; it makes my life easier”.

Jessica Schilder won the woman’s shot with 20.26 from Chase Jackson. Canada’s two-time world indoor champion Sarah Mitton was initially declared the winner, following a 20.67m throw from the second round. But it was later judged to be a foul.

Mondo jumped 6 meters (exactly 6.00) and the Pope is still a catholic! Mondo noted that he now had five Diamond trophies now, but Renaud Lavillenie has seven! He added: “I am a human being, I do not break world records every day, there are days when I feel decent and others when I feel bad. Today I felt somewhere in between”.

Kate Moon won the women’s pole vault with 4.82. The women’s pole vault was scheduled for the stadium on Day 2 but was moved to Day 1 with heavy rain forecast for Day 2. Moon commented: “It was awesome, so much fun. This is my first win in Zurich. I have always wanted to win Zurich. It feels so good. I will take some technical issues with me from Zurich, e.g. staying patient, not rushing things”.

What you really need to get the meet off to a great start is a home win. Simon Ehammer obliged in the men's long jump with 8.32, just two centimeters ahead of Mattia Furlani - but a win is a win! Ehammer who will compete in long jump and decathlon in Tokyo, said: “This is amazing, it is so nice. I cannot find words to describe my feelings. Winning at home in Zurich, winning at the Diamond League final, it is huge. I lost a lot on the board at my best jump but the jump was good. I hope to bring this flow to Tokyo. If I can compete there at the same level like today, I am happy. It is always nice to compete at home”.

Nicola Olysagers won one of the best long-jump competitions ever, with four athletes clearing 2 meters. The final result was:
1 Nicola Olysagers 2:04m, 2 Yaroslava Mahuchikh 2:02m, 3 Yuliia Levchenko 2:00m, 4 Morgan Lake 2:00m

Olsagers’ 2:04m is a national record and a World Lead. She was almost lost for words: “It was beautiful today. Coming back after four years to this stadium was amazing. I spend a lot of time in Switzerland. Today I am discovering what is possible for me. I am still learning. It is still so recent.

2.04 - I have been trying to get that height for a few years now. And today I got the Diamond trophy on top. What a day! Today I had this peace inside of my heart, that something is going to change. I think I learnt a lot at the [failed] 2.06 jump. The pressure is off now for me. "

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09/06/2025

: Americans in Brussels Diamond League, August 19-20, 2025, by Larry Eder

Americans in Brussels

The Memorial Van Damme, held August 19-20, 2025, was the last of the Diamond League meetings in 2025. The finals, held in Zurich, will take place on August 27-28, 2025.

Here are the US Performances:

Men

Men’s 200m

Robert Gregory, US, was second in 20.19 to Alexander Ogando, who ran 20.16. Christian Coleman (5th in 100m, 6th in 200m in US Champs) ran 20.42 for 4th. Kyree King, US, was seventh in 20.66 as athletes are chasing those points for the DL finals.

Men’s 400m

Jacory Patterson, US, has been on fire. His win in Brussels, in 44.05, was a dominating performance. Vernon Norwood, US, was second in 44.62.

Men’s 1,500m

Niels Laros, the young Dutch star who also won the NIKE Pre Classic on July 5, ran 3:30.58. Yared Nuguse, 5th in US champs, was third in 3:31.51. Hobbs Kessler was 14th in 3:36.65.
Pretty deep, 1,500 meters.

Men’s Steeplechase

Ruben Querinjean, LUX, won the steeple, broke the iconic meet record, and set the LUX and Belgian record of 8:09.47 (Ruben has lived most of his life in Belgium, and also has dual citizenship. Isaac Updike, Dark Sky/Under Armour athlete, ran PB 8:10.59, giving him World Champs Standard! Bernard Keter, US, was 9th in 8;16.11.

Men’s High Jump

Less than strong high jump. Oleh Doroschchuk, Ukraine, won in 2.25m. Elijah Kosiba, USA, whom I met at Tru Hilton in Eugene, leaped 2.18m for seventh. Shelby McEwan, US, was 8th in 2.14m.

Women

Women’s 100m

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, US, ran 10.76 as she continues to dominate the sprints in 2025. Sha’Carri Richardson, finished second in 11.08, and her start is finally looking competent. Maia McCoy, US was sixth in 11.21.

Women’s 1,500m

Watching Nikki Hiltz race is always fun. They know how to handle fast and slow pace, and they are looking in medal contention for Tokyo! Nikki Hiltz went by Linden Hall as if she was standing still, winning in 3:55.94. Laura Muir, GB, had a superb race, in 3:57.63. Heather Maclean, US, who has set several PBs this summer while in Europe, ran 4:00.54 for tenth.

Women’s 5000 meters

Agnes Ngetich won the 5,000m in 14:24.99, after WR pace through 2 kilometers. Josette Andrews, US, looked superb in 14:33.16, taking 4th. In 11th Weini Kelati Frezghi, US, 4th in the 10,000m and 5,000m in US champs, ran a fine 14:37.77. Karissa Schweizer, US, ran 14;39.30 for 13th place.

Women’s 400m hurdles

Anna Cockrell looked pretty good in her win in Brussels, hurdling 53.66 in the 400m hurdles.

Women’s pole vault

Olympic champ, World Champ Katie Moon, US, is in fine shape, winning in Brussels in 4.85m. Molly Caudery, GB, was second in 4.80m. Hanna Moll, US, was third in 4.74m. Emily Grove, US, in sixth in 4.64m. Sandi Morris had a sub par jump, in 4.54m, in 8th. Amanda Moll, US, was 10th in 4.44m, and Gabby Leon, US, was 11th in 4.24m, tied with Roberta Bruni, ITA.

Women’s Triple Jump

Leyanis Hernandez, CUB, was first in 14.78m. Davisleydi Velazco, CUB, was second in 14.72m. Jasmine Moore, US, was third in 14.38m.

Women’s shot put

Chase Jackson, US, continues to impress with her 20.90m massive throw. I feel that Chase has a 21-plus throw in her 2025 season, so let’s watch! Sarah Mitton, CAN, was second in 19.89m. Jessica Schilder, European champ indoors, was third in 19.58m. Maggie Ewan, US, was 7th in 18.80m, and Abby Moore, USA.

09/06/2025

Women’s Pole-vault in Brussels Diamond League, by Stuart Weir, https://buff.ly/FnpMcYc , photo by Diamond League AG
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09/06/2025

A varied program in Brussels , by Stuart Weir, https://buff.ly/A6WULm0 , photo by ,
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09/06/2025

A varied program in Brussels, by Stuart Weir

The Allianz Memorial van Damme (also known as the Brussels Diamond League) delivered as it always does. The name is in honor of Ivo van Damme, a Belgian athlete who won two medals at the 1976 Olympics and was killed in a road accident the following year, aged just 22. The program lasted nearly five hours and included William Van Dijck and Aries Merritt being driven around the track in vintage cars to celebrate their induction into the van Damme Hall of Fame. Merritt had broken the world record in the 110m hurdles in Brussels in 2012 – a time of 12.80. William Van Dijck was the first Belgian to win a World Championship medal (Steeplechase in 1987). The smurfs* were on hand to add some dignity to the occasion.

The first hour was devoted to a program of youth races, giving kids a chance to run in the famous stadium, albeit before most of the spectators had arrived. There were wheelchair and para races in the pre-Diamond League program, and Fleur Jong, a double-amputee, won the long jump with 6.77, beating a field of “able-bodied” athletes, including Nafi Thiam.

The highlight of the main program was the women’s 100m, won by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in 10.76 from Sha’Carri Richardson, with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in her last ever Diamond League fourth.

A very competitive 1500m was won by Niels Laros (3:30.58) from Phanuel Kipkosgei Keoch, with Yared Naguse third. Ruben Querinjean won a 3000 m SC in 8:09.47, setting a Luxembourg national record. There are only 650,000 people in Luxembourg, and Runblogrun is not aware of how many of them participate in the steeplechase.

Nikki Hiltz won the women’s 1500 in 3:55.94, from Linden Hall, whose 3:56.33 was a national record. Agnes Jebet Ngetich won a 5k in 14:24.99 by a margin of six seconds in a race in which Marta Garcia set a new Spanish record and Jana van Lent a Belgian one. Anna Cockrell won the 400 m in 53.66, and there was another Belgian record set here with Naomi van den Broeck running 54.12. Winfred Yavi always wins the Steeplechase, so the sneaky Belgians changed the distance to 1 mile, and guess what? Yavi still won it – in 4:40.13.

In field events, Ralford Mullins won the discus with 69.66, leaving Mykolas Alekna, Kristjan Ceh, and Daniel Stahl in his wake. Katie Moon won an epic pole vault competition with a height of 4.85 – see separate post. Chase Jackson, with a score of 20.90, won the shot.

The program concluded with a mixed 4x100 relay, which was won by the Netherlands Orange team. Since you asked, Netherlands Blue came last.

My only reservations about the meet were:

1. Why did the stadium announcer feel it was a good idea, when professional athletes were trying to secure selection for Tokyo or a place in the Diamond League final, to encourage the crowd to ignore what they had come for and do a silly Mexican (or Memorial) wave?

2 What on earth the Turbo Sprint of European Influencers was all about?

*Smurfs are a fictional colony of small, blue creatures that live in the forest in Belgium.

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09/06/2025

Americans in rainy Lausanne (August 19-20, 2025)

Many Americans are focused on their final training for the Tokyo Olympics. Some athletes are competing as they like to race into shape, while others are trying a last shot at Tokyo. Extraordinary inspiration from Stuart Weir, RBR Europe senior writer, who does this report for British athletes on all meets.

Men’s 100 meters

Oblique Seville, JAM ran 9.87 in rain worthy of Noah’s biblical stories. Noah Lyles, US, with a poor start, ran 10.02 for second.
Brandon Hicklin, USA, was sixth in 10.20, and Courtney Lindsey, USA, was seventh in 10.27.

Men’s 800 meters

If this is not the Josh Hoey revenge tour (first coined by Jonathan Gault of Let's Run), then it should be. Josh took on the Olympic champion and crushed him in a rain-swept 1:42.82. Wanyonyi in 1;43.29. Bryce Hoppel, Paris numero 4, US record holder, was eighth in 1:48.18.

Men’s 5,000m

Isaac Kimeli, KEN, beat Grant Fisher, US, by 0.84 seconds, finishing in 13:07.67 to 13:08.51. Grant is racing into WC shape. Eduardo Herrara, MEX, and DarkSky Distance, ran a fine 13:09.50! Graham Blanks, US, was 8th in 13:12.94, and was not happy with his last lap.

Men’s 110m hurdles

On the Cordell Tinch tour, Cordell ran 12.98 in absolute s**t conditions. Jamal Brit ran 13.13 in second and Trey Cunningham, coming off his surprise 4th at US Champs was third in 13.19. Dylan Beard was seventh in 13.30. Conditions were abysmal.

Men’s 400m hurdles

Ezekiel Nathanial, fresh off his Nigerian NR, ran 48.08 for the win, with Trevor Bassitt running the race of 2025 for himself, in 48.14.

Men’s pole vault (in the city)

Emmanouil Karalis, GRE, cleared 6.02 meters, another six meter clearance. Sam Kendricks was sixth in 5.72m, and told media he needs some final tuning for Tokyo. Austin Miller, the always smiling US champion, was seventh in 5.62m. Not the height he wanted, but Austin is booking this as an experience.

Men’s shot put

On the real Joe Kovacs Revenge Tour, Joe won in 22.04m. Leonardo Fabbri, ITA was second in 21.77m. Adrian Piperi, US was third in 21.49m. Our fave kiwi, Tom Walsh, was fourth in 21.47m. Roger Steen, US was fifth in 21.28 and US champ, Payton Otterdahl was sixth in 21.24m.

Women

Women’s 200 meters

Brittany Brown won the 200m in 22.23 in Lausanne’s rainy weather. McKenzie Long was sixth in 22.69. Brittany took on a serious field. Well done!

Women’s 400 meters

Isabella Whittaker, USA, was third in 50.63 in the 400m won by European silver indoor medalist Henriette Jaeger, in 50.09. Alexis Holmes, US was fourth in 50.73. Britton Wilson, US was seventh in 51.69.

Women’s 800 meters

Keely Hodgkinson runs 1:55.69 for the 800m, in only her second race in three hundred and eight days. Addy Wiley, US, was ninth in 1:59.64.

Women’s 100m hurdles

Nadine Visser, fresh off her 12.28 NR, ran 12.45 in the rain to take down Masai Russell. Masai Russell, the IT woman in the sprint hurdles, ran 12.53, with European star Ditaji Kambundji, SUI, in third in 12.54. Alaysha Johnson, USA, ran in sixth in 12.94.

Women’s steeplechase

You heard it here, Doris Lemngole, KEN, was the winner in a rain swept 9:16.36, the slowest DL steeple since 2017! Doris ran safely. Oliva Markezich, Golden Domer and On athlete, fresh off her fifth in steeple at US Champs was third here in 9:20.73. Courtney Wayment, US, was fifth in 9:26.89. Valeria Constien did not finish.

Women’s high jump

In dangerous conditions, no one tried over 1.91m. The rainy jump was won by Nicola Olyslagers. Yaroslava Mahuchikh stopped after two attempts, focusing on the future and avoiding injuries.

Women’s pole vault

Rain was the winner here. Lea Bachmann, SUI, was winner in 4.35m. Gabriela Leon, US was sixth in 4.20m.

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