The second half of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League season gets underway at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene this Saturday.
Here are five things to look out for at Hayward Field.
Tharp kickstarts campaign
Ja’Kobe Tharp has already made history at Hayward Field once this year and he will be hoping to do so again on Saturday. The 20-year-old 110m hurdler stunned the world when he ran 12.75 at the NCAA Championships last month, breaking the world record Aries Merritt had held since the 2012 Diamond League Final in Brussels. Tharp returns to Eugene this weekend to make only the second Diamond League appearance of his career and kickstart what could potentially be a bid for his first international title.
Kipyegon back on world record track
Faith Kipyegon also broke a world record the last time she ran in Eugene, clocking an extraordinary 3:48.68 at last year’s Prefontaine Classic. The Kenyan superstar returns to Hayward Field in the mile this year, and few would bet against another serious world record attempt. Kipyegon is already the fastest female miler in history with 4:07.64 and she launched an audacious attempt to break the four-minute barrier over the distance last year.
Benjamin on the flat
Rai Benjamin also knows what it takes to win in Eugene, having claimed his first and only Diamond League title at Hayward Field in the 400m hurdles back in 2023. The US star faces a different test this year, however, having switched his attention from the hurdles to the 400m flat in 2026. Eugene will be his first 400m Diamond League appearance since 2018, and he goes up against a world-class field that includes world champion Busang Collen Kebinatshipi.
Jackson v Jefferson-Wooden
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s first Diamond League win in Eugene last year marked the beginning of a remarkable rise to greatness for the US sprinter, who went on to win at two more Diamond League meetings before claiming a historic triple crown at the World Championships in Tokyo. Among those trying to topple her from top spot this season is Jamaican legend Shericka Jackson, who is returning to her best form after an injury-plagued campaign in 2025. The two sprint stars meet for the first time this season on Saturday in what promises to be a thrilling women’s 100m.
Davis-Woodhall back in action
It is three years since Tara Davis-Woodhall lost a Diamond League competition and three years since she jumped anything below seven metres in athletics’ premier one-day series. It is safe to say the Olympic champion will be among the firm favourites in the women’s long jump in Eugene, even against the likes of Larissa Iapichino, Malaika Mihambo, Claire Bryant and Alyssa Jones.
