Stars, Stripes & Speed: Fourth of July Para Sprint Showdowns at 2026 Prefontaine Classic

Women’s & Men’s Races to Feature 19 Paralympic & World Championship Gold Medals

Entrants in the Women’s & Men’s 100m Para Sprint races at the 2026 Prefontaine Classic will take to the starting blocks with a combined 88 Paralympic and World Championship medals. The Prefontaine Classic first added para events to its lineup in 1989, when fans witnessed two world records set. Last year, Hayward Field at the University of Oregon hosted the first-ever combined able-bodied and para national championships. Nine current American para records have been achieved at Hayward Field.

Women’s 100m

Sydney Barta (Arlington, Virginia) is the American record holder in the 200m T64 classification with a time of 26.37 set earlier this year. She finished third at the 2025 Para Athletics World Championships in New Delhi and is the first Paralympian to compete for Stanford University, where she just completed her senior season.

Chloe Chavez (Panhandle, Texas) medaled in three events - 100m, 200m, and Discus - at the 2025 Outdoor and Para National Championships held at Hayward Field to earn a spot on Team USA for the World Para Athletics Championships in India. She recently completed her freshman year at San Diego State University.

Kym Crosby (Yuba City, California) is a three-time Paralympic bronze medalist, having competed in Rio, Tokyo, and Paris. In addition to her Paralympic medals, she has won six medals at the World Para Athletics Championships. Kym’s personal best in the 100m is 12.19.

Kerragan Johnson (Arlington, Texas) competed at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships at the age of just 17. She made Team USA for that event thanks to podium finishes at Hayward Field last summer in the Para National Championships. Kerragan recently completed her senior year at Martin High School.

Erin Kerkhoff (Coralville, Iowa) is a two-time world medalist in the 200m T13 classification and two-time Paralympian (Tokyo & Paris). Erin competed collegiately for the University of Northern Iowa, where she earned all-conference honors in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Brittni Mason (Cleveland, Ohio) is the world record holder in the 100m T47 classification with a time of 11.89. She is a five-time Paralympic medalist, including a gold medal from the Mixed 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Games. Brittni is the 2019 world champion in the 100m and the 2023 world champion in the 200m.

Jaleen Roberts (Kent, Washington) is a four-time Paralympic medalist and eight-time world championship medalist competing in the T37 classification in the 100m, 200m, and long jump. She became a world champion as a member of the American mixed universal relay team in 2019.

Men’s 100m

Korban Best (Southlake, Texas) won a silver medal at the Paris Paralympic Games in the 100m T47 with a personal best of 10.75, becoming the first American to win a medal in the classification. Korban was also a member of the bronze medal-winning 4x100m relay team in Paris.

Jaydin Blackwell (Oak Park, Michigan) is a double gold medalist from the 2024 Paralympic Games. He broke his own world record to win the 100m T38 competition in 10.64. In the 400m T38 final in Paris, Jaydin captured gold again with a time of 48.49 to tie his world record.

Ezra Frech (Los Angeles, California) competed in three events at the Paris Paralympic Games, winning gold medals in the 100m and High Jump in the T63 classification. He also finished fifth in the T63 Long Jump. Ezra holds the world record in the T63 High Jump with a mark of 1.97m (6’ 5.5”).

Blake Leeper (Kingsport, Tennessee) is a two-time Paralympic and six-time World Championships medalist. At the 2019 US National Championships, he became the first para athlete to break the 45-second barrier in the 400m. At the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, he finished fourth in the 400m T62 competition.

Derek Loccident (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) brought home two silver medals from the Paris Paralympic Games in the T64 classification in the High Jump and Long Jump. He is the American record holder in the T64 Long Jump with a leap of 8.22m (26’ 11.75”) set last year.

Noah Malone (Fishers, Indiana) has won five Paralympic medals, including a gold medal at the Paris Games in the 100m T12 event. He is also the 2023 world champion in the 100m T12 classification. Noah won the 100m race at the L.A. Grand Prix meet on Sunday with a time of 10.40.

Ryan Medrano (Savannah, Georgia) won two silver medals at the 2024 Paralympic Games in the 100m T38 and 400m T38 events. He also finished sixth in the Long Jump in Paris. Ryan was a contestant in the reality television show Survivor in 2022.

Abuchi Osuala (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) won the 100m at the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Championships last month. He also holds the Wisconsin Lutheran College school record in the 200m at 21.74. Abuchi finished second in the 100m race with a 10.69 at the L.A. Grand Prix meet on Sunday.

Hunter Woodhall (Syracuse, Utah) holds the American record in the 100m, 200m, and 400m events in the T62 classification. At the Paris Paralympic Games, he won a gold medal in the 400m event. Hunter is a six-time medalist at the Para Athletics World Championships.

The Prefontaine Classic will take place on Friday, July 3rd, and Saturday, July 4th, 2026.

The Women’s & Men’s Para 100m races are scheduled for Saturday, July 4th.

The tentative event schedule windows for each day of competition are: Friday, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. / Saturday, 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Tickets, VIP Experience Packages, and Accommodations packages are now on sale.

Those interested in volunteering at The Prefontaine Classic can learn more here.