Hocker, Myers, Ruthe headline Bowerman Mile
Marquee race at the 2026 Prefontaine Classic on Saturday, July 4th, America's 250th birthday
EUGENE, Ore. - The world’s most prestigious Mile race will feature the best of who’s now and who’s next in the men’s Mile as the next generation tries to keep pace with Olympic and World Championship medalists. Since being dedicated to Bill Bowerman in 2000, the Bowerman Mile has seen 298 sub-4 minute performances. In the last 25 years, seven of the world’s ten fastest Mile times have come from the Pre Classic’s Bowerman Mile race at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
The 2025 Bowerman Mile saw 13 men dip under 3:50 in a race that produced two national records and six personal records. One of those PRs was from Cole Hocker (Indianapolis, Indiana), the headliner of the 2026 Bowerman Mile. Known for his fearless racing style and championship-closing speed, Cole is the reigning Olympic 1500m gold medalist from Paris and won his first World Championship title in the 5000m last year in Tokyo. As a student-athlete for the University of Oregon, Hocker won four NCAA titles. His PR in the Mile at last year’s Pre Classic was clocked at 3:47.43.
Two teenage speedsters will try to chase down Hocker and enter their own names into the Prefontaine Classic record books. Cameron Myers (Australia) will return to Hayward Field seeking to improve on a sixth-place finish in last year’s Bowerman Mile. At the age of just 19, Cam became the youngest-ever winner of the Wanamaker Mile race at last month’s Millrose Games in New York. His career best in the Mile is 3:47.48, which is a world U20 record. Myers' second and third fastest career performances in the Mile have come in Bowerman Mile races (2024 - 3:50.15 & 2025 - 3:47.50).
Joining Hocker and Myers on the starting line will be Sam Ruthe (New Zealand), who last year broke the coverted 4 minute mark in the Mile at the tender age of 15. Last month in Boston, Sam ran a 3:48.88 in his first-ever indoor race to produce a world U18 record. That mark also made Ruthe the youngest to break 3:50 in the Mile, which was previously notched in by Niel Laros (Netherlands) at the 2023 Prefontaine Classic. Laros is the reigning Bowerman Mile champion, and his 3:45.94 mark last year is a Netherlands national record.
The Bowerman Mile will take place on Saturday, July 4th, as part of the two-day event serving as the ninth stop on the 2026 Wanda Diamond League schedule.
Tickets, VIP Experience packages and Accommodations packages will go on sale on Wednesday, February 25 at 10:00am Pacific here.
