The Usual Suspects are in the Women’s 5K in Monaco, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. These women are anything but usual and this field isn't anything less than world-class.

ATHLETE	DATE OF BIRTH	NATION	PB	SB
AYANA Almaz	21.11.1991	ETH	14:25.84	14:37.16
BELETE Mimi	09.06.1988	BRN	15:15.59
CALVIN Clemence	17.05.1990	FRA	15:07.58	15:07.58
CHECA Dolores	27.12.1982	ESP	14:46.30	15:20.93
CHERONO Mercy	07.05.1991	KEN	14:35.13	14:43.11
CONLEY Kim	14.03.1986	USA	15:08.61	15:08.61
DIBABA Genzebe	08.02.1991	ETH	14:34.99	14:34.99
DUARTE Sophie	31.07.1981	FRA	15:14.57	16:04.64
HASAY Jordan	21.09.1991	USA	15:28.56	15:28.56
HASSAN Sifan	01.01.1993	NED	14:59.23	14:59.23
HUDDLE Molly	31.08.1984	USA	14:44.76	14:55.90
JELAGAT Irene	10.12.1988	KEN	15:01.73	15:01.73
KIBIWOT Viola Jelagat	22.12.1983	KEN	14:33.48	14:40.05
KIPYEGO Sally	19.12.1985	KEN	14:30.42
KISA Janet	05.12.1992	KEN	14:52.59	14:52.59
ROWBURY Shannon	19.09.1984	USA	15:00.51	15:01.71
SAINA Betsy	30.06.1988	KEN	15:12.05
TVERDOSTUP Tamara	17.07.1979	UKR

At the front, it’s a repeat of the fantastic 5K we saw back at the Rome Diamond League. With a clinical finish, Genzebe Dibaba took the victory over her compatriot Almaz Ayana, 14:34.99 to 14:37.16, respectively. Though the winning time was a personal best for Dibaba, it was a peak to her outdoor form that’s ebbed and flowed more than someone's luck at the Monte Carlo Casino.

After setting “just” three world records this past indoor season, we expected Dibaba to be unbeatable. But after a stunning 8:26.21 sixth place finish in the Doha DL 3,000-meters, Dibaba bounced back with the win in Rome. Then, a month later in Laussane, Dibaba was denied by Mercy Cherono in the 3,000-meters with the Kenyan star holding off Dibaba 8:50.24 to 8:50.81, respectively.

Though Cherono had Dibaba’s number in the 3K, Cherono was a distant fourth in Rome with her 14:43.11 finish. Tit for tat, some would say.

Viola Kibiwot is also one to watch. The fourth place finisher at last year’s World Championship 5,000-meters has been in the mix all summer. A fourth place finish in the Doha 3,000-meters (8:24.41); second in the Prefontaine Classic 2-Mile (9:13.48); third in the Rome 5,000-meters (14:40.05); and third in the Lausanne 3,000-meters (8:52.03) makes her a constant threat that shouldn’t be underestimated.

If a repeat of the world’s best 5K isn’t enough for you, the addition of Sifan Hassan and Sally Kipyego should sweeten the pot. The now Dutch talent is having an unreal season, as she's set 1,500-meter personal bests in Shanghai (4:01.19), Prefontaine Classic (3:59.38), and Paris (3:57.00), which was also a world leading mark. We didn’t have many doubts about her supremacy, but a win over an improved Abeba Aregawi in Glasgow makes Hassan the best female metric miler in the world.

The question is how she will fare at three times the distance. Back in early May at Payton Jordan, Hassan ran a personal best of 14:59.23 to take the thrilling win over Meraf Bahta. A drop in nearly 20-seconds to battle with Dibaba and crew would be something else.

Kipyego has seldom run this outdoor season, but has picked her battles well. A win and world leading time in the 10K at Payton Jordan (30:42.26) and a fifth place finish in a personal best at the Prefontaine Classic 2-Mile (9:22.10) show that she’s ready to split the distance. Her personal best of 14:30.42 is from 2011.

With all of this depth up front, what about the Americans?



American 5K Record holder Molly Huddle is prepared for yet another world-class 5K, undulating pace notwithstanding. In Rome, Huddle was in the mix early and ended up running 14:55.90, which was her third fastest 5K ever.

But that was over a month ago. With the U.S. Championships in the rearview mirror and a recent mile personal best (4:26.84) at the Morton Games just last week, could Huddle challenge her 14:44.76 personal best in the 5K?

We think so.

Find your strong, Molly.

Now 5,000-meter specialist -- who just set a 1,500-meter personal best -- Shannon Rowbury will also be in the field. The Nike Oregon Project athlete pushed Huddle all the way to the line at the U.S. Championships, but was pipped by the American Record holder at the finish.

The focus on longer distances has been fantastic for Rowbury. Back in 2008, she ran a personal best of 4:00.33, but for the last six years, was unable to crack the barrier. Then, last week at Paris DL, she finally did with her 3:59.49 fifth place finish.

With a personal best of 15:00.51 from 2010 and a season’s best of 15:01.71, we expect Rowbury to be near, or perhaps in front of Huddle. Remember: Rowbury was less than a second behind Huddle at last year’s World Championship.

It's too bad that Rowbury finally broke the four minute barrier because it ruined the trend in her personal bests: 2:00.47 in the 800-meters, what used to be 4:00.33 in the 1,500-meters, and 15:00.51 in the 5,000-meters.

Will she break another barrier in Monaco? Yes.

Then there’s Rowbury’s Nike Oregon Project teammate Jordan Hasay. 

Pop quiz hotshot: how many personal bests has Hasay set in 2014?

An astounding 12.

In every 5K she’s raced this summer, she’s a set a new personal best. The first came at Mt. SAC, where she finished sixth in 15:45;35. Hasay followed that with a 15:29.63 third place finish at Oxy HP, and most recently, a 15:28.56 win at the Portland Track Festival, which was off a 1500-meter double from earlier in the meet.

Even still, Hasay joins Huddle and Rowbury in the Mile Personal Best Club. At the Glasgow Diamond League 1,500-meters, Hasay set a new personal best of 4:07.70. Impressive form.

Then there’s the other personal best machine (she's set 9 in 2014) that rallied past Hasay at the U.S. Championships 10,000-meters, Kim Conley.

Earlier this year in Rome, Conley’s 15:08.61 11th place finish was an all-time best. Then, Conley stepped back up to the 10,000-meters at USAs and took a thrilling hometown win over Hasay. Since then, Conley has been quiet, but should set another 5K personal best in Monaco. 

13 women have broken 15:00. Conley, like Rowbury, is knocking on the door and is about to be let into the club.

The Women’s 5,000-meters is scheduled for 2:55pm ET. For the love of everything that's holy in the track and field world, do not miss this race.