Middle-distance duo are among a number of Brits in the first Continental Tour Gold meeting of the year at the USATF GP in Eugene

Laura Muir starts her countdown to Tokyo in earnest this weekend in Oregon with a 1500m race, while training partner Jemma Reekie tackles the 800m.

They are competing in the first Continental Tour Gold event of 2021 – the USATF Grand Prix – which is held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday (April 24).

It will be the first time professional athletes have competed at the newly-renovated stadium and the fields are red-hot with a number of the world’s top athletes in action.

Muir faces a field that includes former world champion Jenny Simpson of the United States, while Reekie is joined by fellow Brit Adelle Tracey in the two-lap line up. Apart from stretching their legs briefly during the indoor season, this is the first outdoor race of 2021 for Muir and Reekie.

The Continental Tour events have quickly gained a reputation for featuring strong line-ups and this USATF Grand Prix sees Shaunae Miller-Uibo in the women’s 400m.

Noah Lyles, meanwhile, goes in the 100m in a line-up that includes Trayvon Bromell.

Donavan Brazier, the world 800m champion, steps up to 1500m in an early-season test of his endurance.

The men’s 400m features Michael Norman, Rai Benjamin and Britain’s Matt Hudson-Smith among others.

In-form Jasmine Camacho-Quinn takes on a 100m hurdles field that includes 400m hurdles specialist Sydney McLaughlin.

Another athlete in great shape, DeAnna Price, heads the hammer line-up, while Christian Taylor leads the field in the triple jump.

The star-studded fields also include a women’s 100m with Allyson Felix, Tiana Bartoletta, Briana Williams and Britain’s Daryll Neita.

There is also British interest in the women’s 5000m with European indoor 3000m champion Amy-Eloise Markovc and Eilish McColgan featuring.

Guy Learmonth goes in the 800m, Jacob Fincham-Dukes in the long jump and Nathan Douglas is in the triple jump.

The meeting is also part of the USATF Journey to Gold – Tokyo Outdoor Track & Field Series and is held during the weekend-long Oregon Relays.

For full start lists, CLICK HERE

Continental Tour Gold calendar for 2021

April 24 USATF Grand Prix, Eugene, Oregon
May 9   Ready Steady Tokyo – Athletics, Tokyo
May 9   USATF Golden Games, Walnut, California
May 19 Ostrava Golden Spike, Ostrava
May 23 adidas Boston Boost Games, Boston
June 6  FBK Games, Hengelo
June 8  Paavo Nurmi Games, Turku
June 30 Irena Szewinska Memorial, Bydgoszcz
July 6   Gyulai Istvan Memorial, Szekesfehervar, Hungary
Sept 5  Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Chorzow
Sept 14 Memorial Borisa Hanzekovica, Zagreb
Sept 18 Kip Keino Classic, Nairobi
Note, the above does not include Silver and Bronze events