Laura second at Stanford

Monday 1st July 2019

Laura Muir maintained her strong start to the track season with second place in a stacked field in the Prefontaine Classic 1500m in California.

The usual United States Diamond League meet was switched from Eugene to Stanford on the west coast and favourable conditions contributed to some stellar performances.

In fact, it was packed with highlights including a remarkable Women’s 3000m which saw Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan take a European Record at 8.18.49 and Laura Weightman move second on the British all-time list with 8.26.07.

Athletics Weekly Stanford Round-up

Olympic champion and London 2017 winner Faith Kipyegon was to take the Women’s 1500m in the final 100m or so after Laura had pushed the race on for long spells, first behind the pace-maker and then on her own.

The Kenyan crossed the finish line in 3.59.04 as Laura held off a strong challenge from American Shelby Houlihan to take second. The Scot was timed at 3.59.47.

It’s another sub-four minute run for 1500m for Laura, who has already won in the Diamond League in Stockholm and finished second in 3.56.73 in Rome last month.

Making it a decent day for coach Andy Young, another member of his Glasgow training group – Canadian Gabriela DuBues-Stafford – was sixth in the Stanford race.

Gabriela clocked 4.02.06 and her progress training alongside the likes of Laura and Jemma Reekie has already led her to a couple of National Records.

Laura indulges in a spot of sight-seeing in San Francisco and (below) features in the Mail on Sunday here with a focus on the training group under the tutelage of Andy Young