The Prefontaine Classic – one of the premier track and field events, the lone U.S. stop on the Diamond League circuit, and a tribute to Olympic legend Steve Prefontaine. And just like every time, it did not disappoint this year as well. On July 5, 2025, its 50th edition saw Kipyegon’s 1500 m world record (3:48.68) and Beatrice  Chebet’s sub‑14 min 5000 m. Kishane Thompson clocked another sub-10 of 9.85s in the men’s 100 m to win the race. Notably, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone made her high‑profile Prefontaine debut, and she brought luck with her. How?

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is not just a track and field sensation. She is a star who is capable of bringing in the audience, especially when she had made it clear that this event would play a role in her deciding to compete in both 400m and 400mH in the World Championships. Well, the Olympian did win the 400 meters in a season-best of 49.43 seconds. While the decision for dual disciplines rests in her hands, she might have played a considerable part in bringing eyes to the event, given that she was one of the stars present amid heavy withdrawals.

Citius Mag founder, Chris Chavez, took to his X account on July 5, 2025, to report that, “@TrackTownUSA just announced today’s @nikepreclassic has 12,606 ticketed fans at Hayward Field. The meet is sold out.” The Hayward Field has a capacity of 12,500 seats, with temporary seating up to 30,000. Now, each ticket is reported to be $25. So, 12,606 multiplied by 25 makes it 315,150. Now, with the meet celebrating its 50th anniversary, tickets soared to $750–$900, and VIP packages hit $1,000. According to the TickPick online marketplace, a standing-room only spot was going for $230.

Adding the extra sales of these tickets, the total amount easily goes on to touch $480,000. Now let’s compare this to the last two years. In 2023, the Prefontaine Classic sold around 9,000 tickets at roughly $25 each, which generated about $225,000. The following year saw improved attendance, with approximately 12,000 tickets sold, pushing revenue to around $300,000. Safe to say, the 2025 Prefontaine Classic pulled a larger profit than previous years.

Compared to 2024, 2025 did not have that star power to it. Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr, who headlined the Bowerman Mile last year, were out. Ingebrigtsen opted for injury recovery, and Kerr didn’t enter. Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek were also absent. Sha’Carri Richardson was there; she finished 9th in her race, resulting in track and field fans asking her to quit. A lot of athletes pulled out last minute, leaving the event in a setback.

The Prefontaine Classic faced a massive setback

One of the very first heartbreaks was of Kenny Bednarek when he announced that he would not be coming to the event on July 4, 2025. “I’ve decided to withdraw from tomorrow’s race,” Bednarek shared in a statement on Friday. “Dealing with some tightness today, and after talking it through with my team, we agreed it was best not to take any risks. These decisions are never easy. I was really looking forward to competing this weekend, but with Nationals less than a month away, staying healthy is the priority,” he added. Fans were hopeful for a Kenny vs. Tebogo duel, but they were only disappointed.

Then there was Quincy Hall. In a screen-captured Instagram story shared by track analyst Travis Miller on July 4, once again, another heartbreak followed. “In the post, Hall wrote, “Hate to say but I won’t be running due to a injury but I’ll be back go head get the proper treatment I need. Good luck to all the athletes running.” Very soon, another Olympian joined this list.

Amber Anning, the double Olympic bronze medalist from Great Britain, was absent from the women’s 400m start list. Despite all that, the 2025 Prefontaine Classic did not disappoint. What are your thoughts?