Brooks Beasts to help stage 1500m races to attain Olympic standards at Brooks PR Invitational...

In a release sent out to members of the running media this week, Brooks announced that as part of its annual Brooks PR Invitational meet for elite high school athletes, it will stage an attempt for pro runners to secure the IAAF “A” standard in the men’s and women’s 1500 meter runs.

The Brooks Beasts and other elites will race to secure 3:35.00 for men and 4:04.20 for women as a first step in being able to compete at the 2020 Olympic Games. The 1,500m will take place during the PR Invitational on June 15 in Seattle at the University of Washington’s Husky Track beginning at 3 p.m. PDT.

Nearly all of the Brooks Beasts are expected to participate in this, including members of the 4 x mile world record setting quartet of David Ribich (left/photo by Paul Merca), Henry Wynne, Brannon Kidder, and Izaic Yorks.

The release also announced that incoming Washington freshman Sam Tanner has confirmed his participation in the Brooks PR meet.

Tanner became the first New Zealand high schooler to break 4 minutes in the mile on March 2nd, running 3:58.41 in Whanganui, New Zealand on March 2nd to break the national U20 record held by two-time Olympic medalist Nick Willis.

EFRAIMSON GETS OLYMPIC STANDARD IN CHINA...

One athlete who doesn't have to worry about the Olympic standard is Camas native Alexa Efraimson, who finished seventh in the 1500 meters Tuesday night at the Nanjing World Challenge meet in Nanjing, China.

Efraimson ran 4:04.06 to dip under the Olympic standard of 4:04.20, which she just missed on Saturday in the Shanghai Diamond League meet, where she ran 4:04.53.

Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay took the victory in 3:59.57, while Sifan Hassan, who trains in Beaverton as part of the Nike Oregon Project, was third in 4:00.53.

Results of the Nanjing World Challenge are available here.