If you consider the Diamond League track and field’s regular season, then this past weekend was the conclusion of the sport’s preseason. Soon, the schedule will consolidate down into one or, on certain occasions, two marquee meets each week. 

On Friday and Saturday, the pros were divided mostly between two meets, and there were again indications that this is setting up to be a fast year. 

Jenny Simpson didn’t hide the fact that she was going for the American record in the two-mile at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. On Friday night, she comfortably achieved her objective. Simpson ran 9:16.78, breaking Shannon Rowbury’s mark by more than three seconds and winning the race by over 15 seconds. Her indoor American record in the two-mile was actually faster than the existing outdoor record, so this was an attainable mark. But it was also Simpson’s outdoor debut and only her second race of 2018. 

What a moment!pic.twitter.com/z6F8Q32yft

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) April 29, 2018

Simpson's performance on Friday makes us wonder just how fast she can run this week in the Doha Diamond League 3000m. Can Simpson get an American record two weeks in a row? The 3000m record is considerably harder—8:25.83 by Mary Slaney from 1985. Simpson does have the second-fastest time by an American with an 8:29.58. According to the IAAF scoring tables, Simpson’s two-mile of 9:16 at Drake is worth 8:36 in the 3000m, so the American record would be a step up. 

But Simpson is one race stronger and will have women to run with for the duration of the race. Simpson is entered alongside Kenyan Hellen Obiri, last year’s gold medalist in the 5000m, so she will have a fast pace and plenty of competition. 

High Hurdles Are Heating Up

It’s unclear if Keni Harrison is still going to use the non-championship year to run some 400m hurdle races, but if she keeps up what she's doing in the 100m hurdles then she might want to stay put. Harrison has run 12.40 and 12.37 in her two appearances this year. The latter came this weekend at the Drake Relays, where she blew out the field on Saturday. Her two performances haven’t got as much attention as they should because both were wind-aided (Saturday’s race has a 2.5 m/s wind at her back). 

Keni Harrison (@Ken_AYE_) wins the #MyDrakeRelays women's elite 100m hurdles in 12.37! pic.twitter.com/ESHtY37VwW

— Drake Relays (@DrakeRelays) April 28, 2018

But wind in a hurdle race isn’t always a positive factor, so these marks are attributable more to Harrison’s current fitness than any fluke of the weather. If she’s running under 12.40 now, certainly her world record of 12.20 is on the table once we enter the meat of the season. 

There also looks like there might be someone who can push her. Brianna McNeal (nee Rollins) has the top two wind-legal marks of the year—a 12.43 and 12.62. McNeal is back after a 12-month suspension and looks just as good than when she left as Olympic champion in 2016. Five years ago McNeal set the American record of 12.26. If she’s able to get into that range again it will be a fun summer in the high hurdles.  

The men’s 110m hurdles at the Drake Relays hosted another close race between Aries Merritt and Devon Allen. The two have raced three times this season, twice in the 60m hurdles indoors and Saturday’s race outdoors. 

On all three occasions, the margin between the two has been 0.03 seconds. Allen won at the Millrose Games 7.50 to 7.53 in February. The next month Merritt ran 7.46 to Allen’s 7.49 at the U.S. indoor championships. This weekend, Allen was back on top with a 13.42 victory. Merritt ran—you guessed it—13.45. 

How long can they keep this up?

Exciting finish in the men's elite 110mH as @DevonAllen13 pushed ahead of @amhurdlestar. They finished in 13.42 and 13.45, respectively. pic.twitter.com/EVdbz50DTD

— Drake Relays (@DrakeRelays) April 28, 2018

In his first race since last July, Andre De Grasse placed fourth in the 100m, running 10.15. Last summer, De Grasse was gearing up to dethrone Usain Bolt, but an injury in the pre-meet training camp before world championships abruptly ended De Grasse’s season and deprived the track world of one of its biggest stars. The men’s 100m was memorable in London anyway, but De Grasse had to sit and watch as Justin Gatlin was the one to end Bolt’s 100m reign.

In Saturday’s race, De Grasse finished behind Isiah Young (10.02), Mike Rodgers (10.03), and CJ Ujah (10.13). But now the Canadian has a race under his belt heading into the Diamond League season. He’s scheduled for a tough one early on with Ramil Guliyev, Jereem Richards, and Noah Lyles all on the start list with De Grasse for the 200m in Doha on Friday. 

Elsewhere at Drake, Jeffery Gibson won the men’s 400m hurdles in 49.09. Michael Stigler took second with a 49.24, and Bershawn Jackson placed fifth in 49.64. The women’s race had a good chunk of the best women’s hurdlers with Dalilah Muhammad, Cassandra Tate, Georganne Moline, and Ashley Spencer trying to lay down impressive early-season marks. Moline prevailed, running 54.86 to best Muhammad’s 55.08. Solid early-season marks, but a ways behind what Sydney McLaughlin put up on Friday. 

U.S. Almost Pulls Off The Sweep At Penn

The professional fields at the Penn Relays featured some dominant mile victories, strong American showings in the relays, and one world record. The U.S. won five of six events in the U.S. vs The World relay competition with wins in the men’s 4x100m, men’s 4x400m, men’s sprint medley, women’s 4x400m and women’s sprint medley. 

The only race the U.S. lost was the women’s 4x100m, where Jamaica ran 43.14 to edge the Americans by 0.04 seconds.

The world record came in the women’s sprint medley relay (this one of the 100-100-200-400 variety). Destinee Brown, Aaliyah Brown, Kimberlyn Duncan, and Raevyn Rogers ran 1:35.20 to beat Trinidad & Tobago by over two seconds and post the fastest time in history. Rogers split 50.48 on the anchor leg, by far the fastest 400m of anyone in the race. In fact, nobody ran a faster split on any of the teams in the U.S. vs The World women’s 4x400m. 

In the mile, Charlene Lipsey scored a big win, running 4:31.19 to beat Danielle Aragon by over three seconds. Lipsey’s teammate, Ajee Wilson, placed an uncharacteristic third in 4:35.29. The men’s race saw Johnny Gregorek take home the title in 3:54.94. He was followed by three of his New Jersey/New York Track Club teammates across the line. Colby Alexander ran 3:56.07 for second and Rob Napolitano and Travis Mahoney ran 3:59.80 and 3:59.96 to take third and fourth. 

Two New Kenyan Star Emerge On The Roads

On Sunday, Rhonex Kipruto and Mathew Kimeli both went under the existing course record at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in New York. Kipruto ran 27:08 through the hills of Central Park to take the win—the fastest 10K ever recorded in the United States on a record-eligible course. Kimeli ran 27:19 for second. Kipruto is only 18 years old, and Kimeli is just 20. While the names may not be familiar to most distance running fans, Kipruto ran 27:13 in Prague last year, so the 18-year-old looks to be here to stay. 

And what do you do after you break a course record and run the fastest 10K in America? Why, you dance awkwardly on stage with Flo Rida of course. 

When @official_flo shows up at your #UAEHK10K post race awards ceremony pic.twitter.com/RMTO2E9stf

— Chris Weiller (@chrisweiller) April 29, 2018

The women’s race was another triumph for Buze Diriba. The 24-year-old from Ethiopia has won four of her five races in 2018 including the BAA 5K, Cherry Blossom 10-miler, and the New York City Half Marathon. That’s impressive range and consistency. 

Diriba ran 32:04, two seconds ahead of Aselefech Mergia. Mergia was part of the cavalcade of DNFs from the Boston Marathon two weeks ago. She appears to have recovered quite nicely. Laura Thweatt was the top finisher for the U.S., running 32:22 for fourth place. Sunday was Thweatt’s second race back after a long layoff for injury.