Jesse Squire | On 06, Sep 2013

There is one last big meet left in the 2013 track season, the Ivo Van Damme Memorial in Brussels which functions as the second Diamond League final. As big as that meet is and with as many tasty matchups as it offers, there are other good competitions coming too. Let’s take a look.

1. Yenew Alamirew vs Hagos Gebhriwet
5000 meters, Van Damme Memorial
King Baudouin Stadium, Brussel BEL
Friday, 9:30pm local time (3:30pm ET)
The Diamond Race for the men’s 5k is on the line here as Gebhriwet has 13 points to Alamirew’s 11. With no one else above 4 points and the winner garnering 8, the title is guaranteed to go to one of these two. Gebhriwet won silver at the Worlds while Alamirew ran a poor ninth, and both have been great on the Diamond League circuit. This will be hard-fought all the way to the end.
Let’s Run: A Fine Way To End The Season
TV: live on Universal Sports (2:00pm ET Friday), tape-delayed on NBC (2:00pm ET Sunday)
Webcast: at UniversalSports.com, Trackie.ca and WatchAthletics.com from 2:00pm ET

2. Galen Rupp vs Bernard Lagat vs Evan Jager
5000 meters, Van Damme Memorial
King Baudouin Stadium, Brussel BEL
Friday, 9:30pm local time (3:30pm ET)
This is a classic race-within-a-race. An odd happening is taking place here: a race between the American Record holders at 1500 meters, 3000 meters, 5000 meters, 10,000 meters, and steeplechase. Lagat holds the first three, Rupp the next, and Jager the last. Rupp is rumored to have designs on that 5k record and it could happen.

None of the Americans are expected to contend for the win, although it wouldn’t be shocking if they did. How deep is US running these days? Ten Americans have broken 13:15 this year, while only fourteen other Americans have ever done it.

3. Mohammed Aman vs Nick Symmonds
800 meters, Van Damme Memorial
King Baudouin Stadium, Brussel BEL
Friday, 9:03pm local time (3:03pm ET)
Aman won gold at the Worlds, overtaking Symmonds late in the race. In fact, Aman has barely lost at all this year, including eight in a row. Symmonds has won six of his last seven, with that Worlds silver as his lone loss. The race has depth as seven of the eight Worlds finalists will be running.
Let’s Run: Can The Hot Nick Symmonds Stop The Super Hot Mohamed Aman in This Moscow Rematch?

4. Lidya Chepkerui vs Milcah Chemos
Steeplechase, Van Damme Memorial
King Baudouin Stadium, Brussel BEL
Friday, 8:26pm local time (2:26pm ET)
This really is for all the marbles. (Dollars, too.) Chemos and Chepkerui are tied atop standings with twelve points each, and were separated by less than a second at the Worlds where they won gold and silver. They’re clearly the two best in the world at this event.
Let’s Run: The Top Three From Moscow, Chemos, Chekpkurui and Assefa, Battle It Out For the 2013 Diamond League Title

5. Pawel Fajdek vs Kristian Pars
Hammer throw, Rieti Meeting
Stadio Raul Guidobaldi, Rieti ITA
Sunday, 4:15pm local time (10:15am ET)
Fajdek was the surprise winner at the Worlds where Pars was the favorite and they rematch here. This is also the final of the IAAF’s Hammer Challenge, where Fajdek has a slim lead but the structure of the standings means this is not necessarily a winner-take-all event. Still, it’s a season-ending head-to-head between the two best in their event and should be a great clash.
Martin Bingisser: 2013 IAAF Hammer Challenge Comes to a Close
Webcast: Watchathletics.com (time TBA)

6. Christine Ohuruogu vs Amantle Montsho
400 meters, Van Damme Memorial
King Baudouin Stadium, Brussel BEL
Friday, 8:55pm local time (2:55pm ET)
When last we saw these two run against each other, Ohuruogu ran down Montsho from behind at the World Championships to win an improbable gold medal by thousandths of a second. Rematches like this are fun.

7. Ryan Whiting vs David Storl
400 meters, Van Damme Memorial
King Baudouin Stadium, Brussel BEL
Friday, 6:30pm local time (12:30pm ET)
Speaking of rematches: Whiting dominated virtually every competition this year save the most important one, the World Championships. There he was beaten by Storl, who put up by far his best mark of the season while Whiting was just average. Whiting beat Storl at the Zurich Weltklasse meet to even their season series at one each, so this is the tiebreaker.

8. Abeba Aregawi vs Jenny Simpson
1500 meters, Van Damme Memorial
King Baudouin Stadium, Brussel BEL
Friday, 9:21pm local time (3:21pm local time)
World champion Aregawi has not seriously been challenged this year but Simpson has pretty clearly been the second-best in the world. If it seems impossible for Aregawi to lose, remember that even David Rudisha twice lost late-season races at the end of dominant years.
Let’s Run: Can Jenny Simpson Get the Best Of Abebe Aregawi? Will Simpson Break 4:00?

9. Jehue Gordon vs Michael Tinsley vs Javier Culson
400 hurdles, Van Damme Memorial
King Baudouin Stadium, Brussel BEL
Friday, 8:04pm local time (2:04pm local time)
Gordon won the World Championships gold over Tinsley by a mere hundredth of a second. Culson leads the Diamond Race by four points over Tinsley, giving this race an interesting three-way dynamic.

10. Oregon vs Portland
PSU Viking Classic
Blue Lake Park, Farview OR
Saturday, 5:45pm local time (8:45pm ET)
This is actually a three-way cross country meet between Oregon, Portland and Portland State (and Oregon State in the women’s race making four) but the real competition is between the Ducks and the Pilots, especially in the men’s race. Neither team will be at full strength–this is still early September, after all–but they are both highly ranked and local rivals to boot. There are plenty of other interesting college cross country meets around the country this weekend too–follow the link below to check them out.
USTFCCCA: The Warm-Up Lap: DII Opening Weekend Takes Center Stage