A truly international field of top women middle distance runners will take the track at Hayward Field this coming Saturday for the 31st annual Prefontaine Classic Grand Prix. In addition to previously-announced superstar Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain, the 1500-meter field includes the Olympic silver medalist from Athens, Tatyana Tomashova of Russia, the Olympic bronze medalist at 800 meters, Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia, plus Canada's Malindi Elmore and Kate Vermuelen, Ethiopia's Mestawat Tadesse and Meskerem Legesse, Australia's Suzy Walsham, and America's best, Shayne Culpepper, Carrie Tollefson, and Jen Toomey.

For the All-World Radcliffe, her personal best of 4:05.37 the last time she ran a serious 1500 in 2001 shows that she can be competitive at the distance. The 1500 is Tomashova's specialty, as the 29-year-old proved with her PR 3:58.12 to capture the silver medal at the Athens Games. Ceplak likes the Hayward Field venue, her PR of 4:02.44 coming in the 2003 Pre Classic, when she won the 1500 race. With Elmore recording a 4:02.64 last year, the race up front should be fierce. Americans Tollefson, Toomey, and Culpepper were ranked Nos. 1, 2, & 3 in the U.S. last year by Track & Field News, and Culpepper has already recorded a 4:07.08 win over Tadesse (4:07.14) and Vermuelen (4:07.77) this spring.

There are now a total of 35 World Championships and Olympic medalists entered in the Pre Classic, 16 of whom have won Olympic gold medals.