STANFORD, Calif. – The Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, which has developed into the premier distance-running track meet in the country, takes place Saturday at Cobb Track and Angell Field.
In this meet, finishing places take a backseat to fast times, so expect a minimum of strategic racing and a lot of rabbits and personal records. With this being a World Championships year, there will be international and American racers pursuing IAAF standards, in addition to flat-out honest racing from some of the top collegians in the country.
Meet information:
What: 20th annual Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational track and field meet
Where: Cobb Track and Angell Field, Stanford, Calif.
When: Field events, noon; Running events, 3:36 p.m.; Premier distance races, 5:47 p.m.
Parking: Free everywhere on campus on weekends.
Follow the Meet:
• Entries and live results can be found at this link.
• The event will be Webcast live on the premium Flotrack Pro at this link.
Tickets:
• For adults, tickets are $10. For youths, seniors, and staff, tickets are $5.
• Tickets are sold on the day of the meet only. All tickets are general admission.
• The ticket booth outside the entrance to the track stadium opens at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Schedule:
• Field events begin at noon with the women's hammer throw.
• Running events begin at 3:39 p.m. with the women’s 400 meters. Action continues on the track past 11 p.m. with the second section of the men’s 10,000.
• The first fast section of a distance race is the women's steeplechase at 5:34 p.m. The last is the men's Kim McDonald 10,000 at 9:45 p.m.
Final Meet Schedule
Field
Noon: Women's Hammer
Noon: Men's Javelin
1:15 p.m.: Men's Hammer
2 p.m.: Women's Pole Vault
Followed by
Men's Pole Vault
2 p.m.: Women's High Jump
2:30 p.m.: Women's Discus
2 p.m.: Men's Triple Jump
2 p.m.: Women's Triple Jump
3:30 p.m.: Men's Discus
4 p.m.: Men's Long Jump
4 p.m.: Women's Long Jump
4:45 p.m.: Women's Shot Put
Followed by
Men's Shot Put
Running
3:26 p.m.: Women's 400 meters
3:30 p.m.: Women's Steeplechase (Section 3)
3:44 p.m.: Men's Steeplechase (Section 3)
3:57 p.m.: Men's 800 (Section 6)
4:01 p.m.: Women's 800 (Section 5)
4:05 p.m.: Men's 800 (Section 5)
4:09 p.m.: Women's 800 (Section 4)
4:13 p.m.: Men's 800 (Section 4)
4:17 p.m.: Women's 800 (Section 3)
4:21 p.m.: Men's 800 (Section 3)
4:25 p.m.: Women's 1,500 (Section 7)
4:31 p.m.: Men's 1,500 (Section 7)
4:36 p.m.: Women's 1,500 (Section 6)
4:42 p.m.: Men's 1,500 (Section 6)
4:47 p.m.: Women's 1,500 (Section 5)
4:53 p.m.: Men's 1,500 (Section 5)
4:58 p.m.: Women's 1,500 (Section 4)
5:04 p.m.: Men's 1,500 (Section 4)
5:09 p.m.: Women's 1,500 (Section 3)
5:15 p.m.: Men's 1,500 (Section 3)
5:20 p.m.: Women's Steeplechase (Section 2)
5:34 p.m.: Women's Steeplechase (Section 1)
5:48 p.m.: Men's Steeplechase (Section 2)
6:01 p.m.: Men's Steeplechase (Section 1)
6:13 p.m.: Women's 800 (Section 2)
6:17 p.m.: Women's 800 (Section 1)
6:21 p.m.: Men's 800 (Section 2)
6:25 p.m.: Men's 800 (Section 1)
6:30 p.m.: Men's 5,000 (Section 4)
6:49 p.m.: Women's 5,000 (Section 3)
7:08 p.m.: Men's 5,000 (Section 3)
7:27 p.m.: Women's 1,500 (Section 2)
7:34 p.m.: Women's 1,500 (Section 1)
7:40 p.m.: Men's 1,500 (Section 2)
7:46 p.m.: Men's 1,500 (Section 1)
7:54 p.m.: Women's 5,000 (Section 2)
8:13 p.m.: Men's 5,000 (Section 2)
8:31 p.m.: Women's 5,000 (Section 1)
8:50 p.m.: Men's 5,000 (Section 1)
9:08 p.m.: Women's Kim McDonald Memorial 10,000
9:45 p.m.: Men's Kim McDonald Memorial 10,000
10:20 p.m.: Men's 10,000 (Section 2)
10:55 p.m.: Women's 10,000 (Section 2)
Top Athletes: A more extensive race by race preview will be posted on GoStanford.com Thursday, but a glance at the entry list reveals U.S. Olympians such as Evan Jager, Lopez Lomong, Nick Symmonds, and Andrew Wheating. Jager was ranked No. 2 in the world in the steeplechase in 2014 and will run the 1,500 Saturday.
Among the most intriguing individuals to compete will be Stanford recruit Grant Fisher, a senior at Grand Blanc (Mich.) High School, who has won the past two Foot Locker national cross country championships and ran a 4:02.02 at the 2014 Dream Mile in New York City. Fisher will run a section of the 1,500.
Also, Stanford freshman Elise Cranny and another top young miler, Alexa Efraimson, meet again. Efraimson beat Cranny for the U.S. junior 1,500 title last year, but Cranny finished ahead at the IAAF World Junior Championships, finishing fourth to Efraimson’s sixth, in Eugene last summer.
Last Year in Review: Of the times on the 2014 U.S. performers’ list:
• The top four times in the women’s 10,000, and nine of the top 10 were run at Payton Jordan.
• Nine of the top 12 men’s 5,000 were run at Payton Jordan, including Ben True’s meet record 13:02.74.
• Seven of the top 12 men’s 10,000 times were run at Payton Jordan, and 28 of the top 33 were run at Stanford, either at Payton Jordan or in the Stanford Invitational.
• Six of the top 11 women’s 5,000 times were run at Payton Jordan.
At last year’s Payton Jordan (through May 4), there were:
• Four world-leading times.
• The world’s eight fastest times in the men’s 5,000.
• Six U.S.-leading times.
• Five collegiate leading times.
• Two meet records.