One month. 30 days. One more rent payment. 

 

That’s all that remains between now and the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, where medals will be won, flags will be raised, and the pride of entire nations will be on the line. It’s hard to believe that we’re already this deep into the 2015 season, but with Monaco in the rearview mirror the cream is officially rising to the top and the favorites are beginning to separate themselves from the rest. 

 

Not to worry impatient ones, there is still plenty of drama to be had before we arrive at the Bird’s Nest. The next round of the Diamond League has made its way to London for the two-day extravaganza that is Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games, the final warm-up installment for many of track and field’s biggest names before their eyes turn towards Beijing.  

 

Usain Bolt will face his biggest test of 2015, albeit without Mr. Gatlin, and Mo Farah will almost certainly end his build up to World Champs with a easy victory in front of a home crowd, the same routine he had in 2013. When the book is closed on the penultimate Diamond League meeting before Worlds, we will have ample evidence of who we can expect to be fighting for gold, silver, and bronze in China. 

 

Emsley Carr Mile (Saturday, 4:44pm) - Asbel Kiprop: Life After 3:26, The Biography

After one of the best metric mile performances in human history, Asbel Kiprop arrives in London with a little extra swagger and an even greater aura surrounding the two-time defending World champion. When you run a 1500 in 3:26.69, third-fastest all-time and the best since 2001, and completely obliterate a loaded field like Monaco, the intimidation factor undoubtably grows. The runner-up in Friday’s race was 2012 Olympic champ Taoufik Makhloufi, and he wasn’t even in the same frame when Kiprop blasted across the finish line more than two seconds clear of a world-class field. 

 

Kiprop is obviously favored in Saturday’s mile in London, but it would be foolish to just assume that the 26-year-old Kenyan is going to dominate like he did in Monaco. For one, he doesn’t even own the fastest PR in the field, that title belongs to Ayanleh Souleiman with his 3:47.32. 

Kiprop, Centrowitz, and Souleiman battled to the line in the Bowerman Mile

Secondly, Kiprop may try to work on his race tactics in London as prep for Beijing, an attempt to prove to himself that he can win off a slow pace. He knows that he can outrun anyone in the world right now from the gun, he proved that in Monaco, but Beijing almost certainly won’t be run like that. A tactical win in London would likely boost his confidence for Beijing even more than his 3:26 in Monaco. 

 

As I mentioned, Djibouti’s Souleiman owns the fastest time in the field and will be a tough test for Kiprop. The 22-year-old is the best 800/1500 dual threat runner in the world, and he enters London fresh off a 1:42.97 national record in the Monaco 800. The 2014 World indoor 1500m champion collected his second-straight Bowerman Mile victory in May over the three biggest contenders for gold in Beijing, that being Kiprop, Matt Centrowitz, and Silas Kiplagat. That race was run in a similar manner to what I expect Saturday’s race to be like, so Souleiman will be dangerous in London.

 

Centrowitz bounced back nicely from a rough 800 in Lausanne with a 3:30.40 PR in Monaco which made him the third-fastest American all-time. Unfortunately, 3:30 in Monaco doesn’t even make the first page on the results screen, as he was 10th despite running more than a half second PR. An untrained eye may look at this as a bad sign for Centro’s medal chances in Beijing, but it’s actually quite the opposite. 

 

The 25-year-old is arguably the best tactical runner in the world, as his bronze and silver medals at the last two World Championships prove. He’s not ready to drop a 3:28 this early in his career, but running 3:30 shows that his fitness will be at the highest level its ever been when he gets to Beijing. Expect Centro to be closer to the front in London in a race that plays to his strengths much better.

 

The sleeper in this race is Morocco’s Abdelaati Iguider, whose 3:28 third place finish in Monaco was simply overlooked because of Kiprop’s stunning run. The 28-year-old lowered his PR by more than a second in Monaco. 

 

Americans Leo Manzano and Ben Blankenship will also line up in this one, their first race together since they finished just .02 seconds apart at the US Championships. Manzano was never a factor in Monaco, finishing 13th in 3:36.16, just good enough to grab the IAAF standard. 

 

Men’s 100m (Friday, 8:17pm) - Is This The End Of Lightning Bolt?

Has the Usain Bolt era ended? Will he even be a factor in Beijing?

 

These questions, in part, will be answered after the 100m in London. The defending World champion in the 100/200 has been a shell of his usual self in 2015, running bests of 10.12 and 20.13. This is of course light years away from the current fastest man in the world, Justin Gatlin, who flat out looks unbeatable right now having already run 9.74 and 19.57. 

Even in victory, Usain Bolt has not looked good in 2015

Conveniently, (and not by accident) Gatlin will not run in London. Bolt hasn’t raced since winning the incredibly weak adidas Grand Prix 200m in 20.29 on June 13th, as a leg injury kept him out of Paris and Lausanne. Bolt was at a loss after his performance in New York, saying that his curve was the “worst of my life.” 

 

It’s now or never for Bolt in 2015. If he can’t beat a field of fringe medal contenders in the London 100m, you can pretty much forget about gold in Beijing. Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut, whose 9.86 is the best in the field in 2015, should be a good measuring stick for Bolt. If he can somehow beat Vicaut, and American Mike Rodgers for that matter, then all is not lost for Bolt in 2015. If not, well, the Lightning Bolt pose will likely become a thing of the past. 

 

Women’s 800m (Saturday, 3:48pm) - Eunice Sum Looks To Build Case For Worlds

 

Defending World champion Eunice Sum of Kenya has been dominant in 2015, and no race is better proof than her 1:56.99 win in Paris on July 4th, the fastest time run in two years. The 26-year-old beat runner-up Rose Almanza handily by three-quarters of a second there, and Almanza’s time is the second-fastest run in the World this year. If Sum is on her game, she’s almost impossible to beat.

Defending World champion Eunice Sum has enjoyed a perfect season in 2015

2013 World bronze medalist Brenda Martinez will run her first race since finishing second in the crazy USA final, and how she stacks up against this deep field should be a good measuring stick of what to expect from her in Beijing. Two years ago, Martinez won this race and went on to grab a medal three weeks later in Moscow, so understandably she’s following the same schedule in 2015. 

 

Switzerland’s Selina Buchel, who ran a 1:57.95 national record to finish third in Paris, will also line up in London, as will Americans Molly Ludlow and Chanelle Price, who have both raced a lot in Europe since failing to finish in the top three at USAs. Ludlow and Price each set their PRs in Paris, 1:58.68 and 1:59.10, respectively. Ludlow grabbed a nice scalp by beating Buchel yesterday in Bellinzona, running 1:59.05 for second behind Germany’s Fabienne Kohlmann. 

 

Men’s 800m (Saturday, 4:23pm) - Rudisha And Amos Meet Again

 

The two biggest favorites for the World title in Beijing will face off in London, that being David Rudisha and Nijel Amos. The pair last battled in Lausanne on July 9th, with Amos getting the better of the World record holder, 1:43.27 to 1:43.76. Now, Rudisha returns to the site of his 1:40.91 record in the 2012 Olympic final for the first time looking to find a trace of that form. 

Nijel Amos got the better of his rival Rudisha in Lausanne

Rudisha missed the 2013 World Championships with a knee injury that required surgery, and his pursuit of the 2012 version of himself has been unsuccessful since then. Since his 1:40 stunner at the Olympics, Rudisha has only broken 1:43 twice, with injuries being the primary culprit. He’ll have to be in 1:42 shape or better to capture gold in Beijing, as the Monaco 800 last Friday was won in 1:42.51 by Amel Tuka, a name that wasn’t on many people’s radar. Outside of beating Amos, running 1:43-low or better should be the goal for Rudisha in London.

 

Amos was beaten by the aforementioned Tuka in Monaco, but a 1:42.66 season’s best shows that he’s rounding into form at the right time. Amos was second behind Rudisha in that famous Olympic final in 2012, running his PR of 1:41.73 as just an 18-year-old. Injuries cost him most of his 2013 campaign, but the Botswana native was back on his game last season, beating Rudisha each time they raced and winning the overall Diamond League title to boot. Even with the loss in Monaco, a win on Saturday makes him the favorite for Worlds. 

 

The Americans bring a solid trio into this one, none faster than 22-year-old Boris Berian. Completely unknown entering 2015, Berian has exploded to the top of the world in the 800m, with his 1:43.34 in Monaco making him the fifth-fastest American ever. Berian did not make the World team, so he can go all-in at London as he tries to move up the U.S. all-time list once again. 

 

Team USA members Cas Loxsom and Erik Sowinski will get their feet wet in London against world-class competition as they prepare for their first World Championships. Sowinski was second behind Nick Symmonds at USAs, while Symmonds’ Brooks Beast teammate Loxsom was third. Both have run 1:44 in 2015. 

 

Men’s 3,000m (Friday, 9:43pm) - Mo Farah's Parting Gift 

 

I’ll try to be as quick as possible with this one. 

 

Reigning 5K/10K World champ Mo Farah has checked off every box minus one in his buildup to the World Championships, with his only remaining task being a comfortable victory in front of a home crowd. This is exactly how the 32-year-old concluded his racing schedule two years ago before the World Champs, and he should have no trouble replicating it once again in 2015. 

Mo Farah will face a light field in the London 3,000m

It’s been an eventful season for Farah off the track, but on the track it’s been straight business, with wins in the Pre 10K and Lausanne 5K firmly establishing him as the favorite for those two events. Last week’s 3:28 in the Monaco 1500, the same time he ran two years ago, shows that every weapon in his arsenal is well-oiled and ready to go for Worlds. 

 

On Saturday, his biggest competition will be Ethiopia’s Yenew Alamirew, who finished second in the Monaco 3K in 7:36. That stat will be of minimal concern to Farah, however, as Alamirew was a distant 8th and 11 seconds behind Farah in Lausanne. 

 

Top American entries include Bernard Lagat, Lopez Lomong, and Chris Derrick. 

 

Women’s 5,000m (Saturday, 3:15pm) - How Low Will Huddle Go?

 

5,000m American record holder Molly Huddle will face her one and only test before racing the 10,000m at Worlds, and it will be a very tough one as she battles Kenya’s Mercy Cherono in London. 

 

Huddle hasn’t raced since winning the US 10K title, but her fitness has been on point throughout 2015, going undefeated in the four races in which she’s competed. Given how close we are to Beijing, I would definitely be surprised to see Huddle make a run at her 14:42 American record on Saturday, but with Cherono in the race, anything could happen.

 

The 24-year-old Kenyan ran her PR of 14:34 just three weeks ago in Paris, overshadowed by Genzebe Dibaba and Almaz Ayana chasing the World record there. Cherono is the reigning World silver medalist in this event, and if Huddle can hang with her in London, big things (aka a medal) could be coming for the American at Worlds. 

 

Two-thirds of Team USA’s 5K squad for Worlds will be in this one, as Nicole Tully and Marielle Hall will each chase their first sub-15:00 times. The pair finished just .01 seconds apart at USAs, with Tully taking the narrow victory over Hall 15:06.44 to 15:06.45.