The USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix returns to southern California. Competition is set to take place on May 17 and 18 at UCLA’s Drake Stadium, with the first day of competition being the USATF Distance Classic, followed by the Grand Prix on day two.
HOW TO WATCH: The USATF Distance Classic and LA Grand Prix will be available for viewing on:
- May 17 beginning at 8:15pm ET on USATF.tv
- May 18 from 3 – 5pm ET on NBC and Peacock
Track races over the two-day event will range in distance from 100 to 5000 meters, and will also include a 3000m steeplechase, in addition to competitions in shot put, pole vault, hammer, and discus.
Running events at Friday night’s Distance Classic start at 6:35pm Pacific Time with 800 meter heats with the final event of the night scheduled for 9:30pm PT (the women’s “B” 5000), however before the action on the track starts, we get two competitions in field events: a men’s and women’s hammer throw and women’s pole vault (featuring Sandi Morris). Notably, a men’s and women’s discus throw will also take place, starting roughly half way through the program.
Day two of the competition begins just before Noon Pacific Time on Saturday. The day’s action will include a women’s triple jump, both a men’s and women’s “A” 800 and 1500, and sprint competitions from 100 through 400 meters (including their respective hurdle races). We will also get to see a men’s shot put competition and pole vault.
Note: This piece has been updated over time as new information came available around the startlists and event timing. We appreciate you following along with all the updates!
Perhaps the most awaited event of the competition will be the women’s 200 meters on Saturday. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (who we typically see in the 400 meter hurdles in international competition) switched to the 200 meter entries for the GP. She will face off against Abby Steiner, fresh off her return from season ending surgery in 2023, as well as Gabby Thomas and Jenna Prandini.
In the men’s “A” 800 on Saturday, we get last year’s winner Clayton Murphy facing off with Isaiah Jewett, Brandon Miller, and Jake Wightman. Jewett will be two weeks removed from a solid 400 meter race (45.50s) at the Oxy Invitational, and Wightman will be running his first 800 since 2022. Hobbs Kessler will be competing in the prior days “B” race, coming in from a fast road mile at the adidas Road to Records.
In the women’s “A” 1500, we will get Cory McGee, Sinclaire Johnson, and Dani Jones among seven women who have run under 4 minutes for the distance (update note: Elise Cranny and Sifan Hassan had been previously announced to be in this race, however are not listed among the starters). The men’s race will see Olli Hoare and Matt Centrowitz among the field of contenders. The night before, with a pace intended to go sub-13, the men’s 5000 meters will have Grant Fisher, Cooper Teare, Cole Hocker, and recent Team Canada selection Moh Ahmed on the starting line.
In the 100 meters, TeeTee Terry and Melissa Jefferson will join a field entirely made up of USA and Jamaican athletes. (update note: Marie-Josée Ta Lou had been previously announced to be in this race, however is not listed among the starters)
In the 400, we will see Athing Mu in her first competition on the year (note: as of Friday morning, Mu is not listed on the start list for the women’s 400, a difference from what was previously noted on the LA Grand Prix site). She last raced in the Diamond League final in September of 2023, winning the 800 meter crown in 1:54.97. She will take on Mary Moraa and Marileidy Paulino. Paulino already has two Diamond League 400 meter races under her belt this season (both wins in Xiamen and Shanghai), and Moraa is fresh off a blazing 800 meter run in Doha (1:57.91).
Michael Norman is expected to be racing the 400 meters on the men’s side. He returned to the track for his first 400m race since 2022 two weeks ago at the Oxy Invitational, a win in an impressive 44.21 seconds. He is scheduled to face off against Vernon Norwood and London gold medalist Kirani James. Norwood has also run sub-45 this season, doing so in consecutive weeks at the LSU Alumni Gold meet and the LSU Invitational.
The men’s shot put will see two podium stalwarts go head-to-head, with Joe Kovacs and Tom Walsh taking to the ring. Kovacs is yet to compete on the season, and this will be a welcome return. Last season, he finished third at the World Championships in Budapest and earned the Diamond League championship in his last meet. Walsh is coming off a second place finish at the World Indoor Championships, with three contests over 22 meters on the year, and placing runner-up at the New Zealand National Championships.
The women’s hammer that kicks off the show on Friday evening is going to be huge. We have ALL the heavy hitters: Brooke Andersen, Janee’ Kassanavoid, Deanna Price, Camryn Rogers, Annette Echikunwoke, and Janeah Stewart. This is about a stacked field you are going to see outside of a major world championship.
FRIDAY SCHEDULE (all times Pacific)
- 5pm: Men’s and Women’s Hammer Throw
- 6:30pm: Women’s Pole Vault
- 6:30pm: Women’s 800 meter races (x3)
- 6:45pm: Men’s 800 meter races (x2)
- 7pm: Women’s 3000m steeplechase (x2)
- 7:30pm: Men’s 3000m steeplechase races (x2)
- 7:30pm: Men’s and Women’s Discuss Throw
- 8pm: Women’s 1500 meter races (x2)
- 8:16pm: Men’s 1500 meter races (x2)
- 8:30pm: Men’s 5000 meter “A” race
- 8:50pm: Women’s 5000 meter races “A” race
- 9:10pm: 8:30pm: Men’s 5000 meter “B” race
- 9:30pm: Women’s 5000 meter races “B” race
SATURDAY SCHEDULE (all times Pacific)
- 11:58am: Women’s Triple Jump
- 12:03pm: Women’s 100 meter hurdles
- 12:13pm: Women’s “A” 800 meters
- 12:20pm: Men’s Pole Vault
- 12:23pm: Men’s “A” 1500 meters
- 12:28pm: Men’s Shot Put
- 12:35pm: Men’s 400 meter hurdles
- 12:45pm: Women’s 400 meters
- 12:54pm: Men’s 400 meters
- 1:03pm: Women’s 100 meters
- 1:15pm: Men’s 100 meters
- 1:23pm: Women’s 200 meters
- 1:31pm: Men’s “A” 800 meters
- 1:41pm: Women’s 400 meter hurdles
- 1:49pm: Women’s “A” 1500 meters
Full LA Grand Prix live results and startlists will be available here from USATF
WATCH: Clayton Murphy victorious in men’s 800m at LA Grand Prix with season’s best
