Who To Watch – Middle & Long Distance: 800m, 1500m, and 5000m at the 2026 Jerome Classic

Tuesday, July 14 | Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, BC

7:30pm: Women + Men’s 800m Premium

7:24PM Men’s 800M

Meet Record: Johnny Gray (USA): 1:43.70 (1988)
2025 Champion: Handal Roban (VCT): 1:45.78

• Allon Clay (JPN) – World Indoor Championships 800m finalist, World Athletics Relays bronze medallist, Japanese national champion, Japanese indoor 800m national record holder

7:30PM Women’s 800M

Meet Record: Melissa Bishop (CAN): 1:58.79 (2016)
2025 Champion: Amanda Marie Grefstad Froeynes: 1:45.78

• Lauren Tolbert (USA) – 7× NCAA All-American, 2025 NCAA Outdoor 800m 5th Place Finisher, 2024 NCAA Outdoor 800m 8th Place Finisher, 2025 ACC 4×400m Champion, 2024 ACC 400m Champion, Duke school-record holder in the 800m (1:59.39)

8:00pm: Women + Men’s 1500m Premium

8:03PM Men’s 1500M

Meet Record: Kieran Lumb (CAN), 3:34.53 (2024)
2025 Champion: Nathan Green, 3:34.97

• Eric Holt (USA) – 2022 NACAC 1500m Champion, 2022 U.S. 1500m Championship 4th Place Finisher, 2025 1500m Personal Best: 3:32.95, 2024 Penn Relays Mile Record Holder, 2023 USATF NYC Grand Prix 1500m Champion, Professional runner for Puma & Empire Elite Track Club

8:19PM Women’s 1500M

Meet Record: Lynn Williams (CAN), 4:04.43 (1991)
2025 Champion: Sadie-Jane Hickson, 4:13.19

• Claire Yerby (USA) – NCAA All-American Distance Medley Relay, 2025 USATF Outdoor Qualifier, 2026 9th place USATF Road Mile Championship 
• Holly MacGillivray (CAN) – NACAC U23 1500m Bronze Medallist, 2025 Canadian 1500m finalist
• Sadie-Jane Hickson (CAN) – 2025 Jerome Classic Women’s 1500m Champion, 2022 U SPORTS Athlete of the Meet, Seven-time U SPORTS gold medallist, 2022 U SPORTS 600m Champion, 2022 U SPORTS 1000m Champion, U SPORTS 4×400m and 4×800m relay champion

8:30pm: Women + Men’s 5000m International

8:29PM Women’s 5000M

Meet Record: Gabriela Debues-Stafford (CAN), 15:17.48 (2024)

• Courtney Hufsmith (CAN) – World University Games Bronze Medallist, World Athletics Championships Competitor, U SPORTS All-Canadian, University of Saskatchewan Record Holder (1500m & 3000m) 
• Adrianna Buitelaar (CAN) – 2026 Canadian U20 3000m Champion, 2026 Canadian U20 5000m Champion, 2025 Sport BC / BC School Sports Female High School Athlete of the Year, 2025 Canadian U20 Cross Country Champion, 2025 BCSS Senior AA Girls Cross Country Champion

8:50PM Men’s 5000M

Meet Record: Seph Ncube (ZI), 13:24.02 (1984)

• Matt Talbot (CAN) – 2025 Canadian 5,000m Championship 9th Place Finisher, Represented Canada at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, 2025 Canadian Cross Country Championships 4th Place Finisher
• Thomas Broatch (CAN) – 2026 BMO Vancouver Half Marathon 3rd Place Finish, 2023 Canadian Marathon Champion, 2025 Houston Marathon 2:10:35, Seventh-fastest Canadian marathon performance all-time at the time