Top quality fields lined up for adidas Boost Boston Games this weekend

Sunday’s adidas Boost Boston Games, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, is North America’s first and only street meet, bringing world-class track and field on to a temporary straight track in the heart of one of America’s most famous cities.

While this form of street athletics has often been seen on the roads of Manchester and Newcastle in the UK, it has probably rarely seen so many track champions out in force in this Boston event which seems to improve in stature every year.

World champions in action include Noah Lyles, Wayde van Niekerk, Steven Gardiner, Dafne Schippers and Grant Holloway.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, no spectators will be permitted but it can be seen internationally via local broadcasters and the World Athletics YouTube channel – for more info CLICK HERE

Leading the field in the men’s 100m will be world 200m champion Noah Lyles, who is a two-time adidas Boost Boston Games winner at 150m, and won in the recent USATF Golden Games in 19.90.

The men’s 200m is set to feature an exciting clash between the two world 400m champions, Van Niekerk and Steven Gardiner.

Olympic champion Van Niekerk holds the event record from his 2017 victory of 19.84 though the 400m champion in Doha, Gardiner’s best for the straight 200m is 19.88 from his winning time in this event in 2018.

Former world 200m champion Schippers of the Netherlands runs in the 100m against former American champion Aleia Hobbs, who will probably start favourite with a 10.91 clocking already in 2021. Britain’s Kristal Awuah is also in the field.

The big name in the women’s 200m is Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

History’s second fastest 100m and 200m runner Yohan Blake headlines the 150m field.

Grant Holloway has dominated the hurdles in recent years with a world title and indoor world record and he makes a much anticipated debut at Boston where the outdoor world record-holder Aries Merritt is among his competitors.

The women’s 100m hurdles also has a quality field of world record-holder Kendra Harrison up against Tobi Amusan, Christina Clemons and Danielle Williams.

In the 200m hurdles, Shamier Little, who won in 2019 in a fast 25.88, looks the favourite.

It’s not just sprinters and hurdlers though.

One of the Olympic 800m favourites Ajee’ Wilson, the 2019 World Championships bronze medallist, takes on Jamaican 800m record-holder Natoya Goule.

In the men’s race American Bryce Hoppel,  Canada’s Pan American Champion Marco Arop, and Kenyan 800m indoor record-holder Michael Saruni and Britain’s European indoor medallist Jamie Webb are all in action.

In the mile, multi European medallist Marcin Lewandowski is in action in a field that contains Briton Josh Lay, who ran 1:46.78/3:36.92 last summer but has yet to race in 2021.