OSLO, NORWAY, June 12 — The pre-meet hype for the 60th edition of the Bislett Games centered around a pair of potential men’s World Records, in the rarely run 300H and the 5000. Only one delivered, but both provided thrilling races.
World Athletics only elevated the 300H to official status this year, so the WR chase wasn’t nearly as anticipated as the rare regular season duel between the three titans of the intermediate hurdles: ’24 Olympic champ Rai Benjamin, ’21 gold medalist Karsten Warholm and ’22 world champion Alison dos Santos. (The trio were also set to square off again a few days later in Stockholm over the full 400H distance.)
Warholm has shown a particular liking for the 300H, setting his most recent WR on April 26, clocking 33.05 at the Xiamen Diamond League. And at Bislett Stadium, in front of a heavily partisan crowd, the Norwegian was looking to reestablish himself as the king of the event.
The race closed out the evening’s program on a spectacularly bright Scandinavian evening. Warholm, in his preferred lane 7, tore down the backstretch but Benjamin, in lane 5, was running even before storming around the curve to take the lead. Down the homestretch Benjamin began to slow, and after clipping the seventh (and final) hurdle he lost momentum. Warholm, meanwhile, was still in full flight, and surged ahead to cross the line in 32.67.
Benjamin held off dos Santos for 2nd, 33.22–33.38.
“The race went well although I was rather worried with how much Rai was closing on me, but I knew I could push on over the last hurdle to home,” Warholm said. “I usually fade at the end of the 400, so the 300 suits me to some degree, but I will be back strong in the 400 on Sunday.”
Benjamin was gracious in defeat. “I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I’m fairly pleased with how I performed,” said the American, who was opening his ’25 outdoor campaign after racing just once indoors. “This here in Oslo was such a great opportunity and I’m glad they set that race up for us. It was special having the three of us face-off tonight, it’s good for the sport and also for our development. I thought I would run better tonight but I hit the last hurdle so that cost me.”
In the 5000, the pace lights were set to match 12:35.36, the WR run by Joshua Cheptegei in ’20. The early tempo was solid (2:33.04 at 1000 and…
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