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EUGENE — Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, the man widely regarded as the best runner of all-time, thrilled a morning crowd of about 4,000 spectators with a world-record attempt in the 10,000 meters that was a mere eight seconds short.

Running in an outdoor meet in the United States for the first time, Bekele settled for the fourth-fastest time in history — 26 minutes, 25.97 seconds — and the fastest ever on U.S. soil by an astonishing 38 seconds.

“I’m satisfied,” said the soft-spoken Bekele after the race. “It was OK.” Just OK?

Watching from the stands, University of Oregon senior track team members Joaquin Chapa and Michael McGrath spoke on behalf of an appreciative crowd. Most had only seen Bekele run on television or YouTube.

“That’s what it’s supposed to look like,” Chapa said. “You hear of things he’s done but they’re always happening in a far off place so they don’t always seem real. To see him in person is amazing.”

Bekele went through the halfway point in 13:09 — two seconds off the Hayward Field record for 5,000 meters. Bekele, led by pacesetters that ushered him through 5,000 meters, stuck to a mind-bending pace for the remainder of the 25-lap (6.2 miles) race.

He said the pace got a little too slow around four kilometers and it was tough to get back on record pace.

“I did my best,” he said. “Around lap 18, 19, I was getting tired.”

Bekele’s effort made instant fans at Hayward Field and he enjoyed the reception he received.

“They were very nice. I want to thank them,” he said.

Bekele turns 26 on Friday. He has already won every major championship, including indoors and cross country, and owns the world record in the 5,000 as well. He said he simply wants to get better.

Eugene running fans can now decide for themselves whether he is the best.

“He is the Michael Jordan of distance running,” McGrath said.

The image of Bekele’s steadfast pace, simultaneously effortless and powerful, seemed to set off a torrent of inspired performances.

Although Ethiopian star Meseret Defar fell off the pace needed to put the 5,000-meter record for women into play, her time of 14:38.73 demolished the Hayward Field record of 15:06.53 set by Mary Decker-Slaney in 1985.

Defar was unimpressed with her own performance, particularly with early pace-setting that spoiled her chance to reclaim the world record she lost on Friday to Tirunesh Dibaba (14:11.15), her Ethiopian rival and teammate in Oslo, Norway.

Kara Goucher of Portland was third in 14:58.10, less than three seconds from her personal best but a strong gauge of her fitness leading up to the U.S. Olympic Trials later this month in Eugene.

“I’m pleased to run well. It was a good solid race and the fans here are amazing,” said Goucher, the 2007 bronze medalist at the World Championships. “But I would have liked to have run three or four seconds faster.”

Goucher, who has stated her goal of beating the U.S. record (14:44.80), was on an airplane to Portland when Dibaba’s world record happened. When she landed, her phone contained messages from people yelling about 14:11.

“(Defar and Dibaba are) amazing athletes and they make women’s running better and better and better and they keep raising the bar to where we stop putting boundaries on our minds,” Goucher said. “When a girl can run 14:11 and then say she can run faster, it’s a whole new day.”

After Bekele and Defar demonstrated their talents in the first two races of the day, hours before the televised portion of the Classic on NBC, eight developmental races filled the gap in the schedule.

Two Oregon high school runners used the opportunity to run in fast fields of older competitors.

Taylor Wallace of Klamath Falls’ Henley High School, a junior, ran the fastest 1,500 meters in 23 years by an Oregon prep: 4:28.79. She was ninth all-time in state history.

Lake Oswego junior Elijah Greer improved upon his 800-meter best, finishing second in his race in 1:50.31 — fourth all-time and a junior class record.

Later, the Hayward Field record in the 800 fell. Alfred Kirwa Yego of Kenya ran 1:44.01 to take down a facility record on the books since the 1972 Olympic Trials.

Oregon recruit Luke Puskedra, a high school runner from Utah, finished last in the men’s two-mile in 8:46.41 — a time that ranks 14th all-time among preps nationally. Up front, world championships gold medalist Bernard Lagat defeated a star-studded international field that included Kenyan Paul Koech and Australian Craig Mottram.

“Overwhelming,” Puskedra said. “Being with all the pros was definitely surreal.”

By Doug Binder, The Oregonian
Doug Binder: 503-221-8161; [email protected]

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