DyeStat on-site

Along with his Boston win, Luke repeated in the Simplot 1600. Photo John Dye

It’s probably not fair, this affection for the 2-mile. Sprinters, jumpers, throwers and their proponents may roll their eyes, but in this sport – particularly among the DyeStat Nation and online community … and especially, it seems, at the Nike meets – we love the deuce. Every year, we are pumping up the NIN, NON, and Arcadia 2-miles (or 3200s), speculating on how many sub-9s we can squeeze out of this year’s field. Last spring certainly did nothing to alter that trend. With the weather gods blessing Greensboro with 60-degree temperatures in mid-June, Matt Centrowitz and Craig Forys led the greatest mass 2-mile finish in US history.

Now this weekend, the hype is at a fever pitch again, this time for 16 laps around the PG Sportsplex oval. Is it justified?

Yes, it appears so.

An intriguing mix of top distance titans are going to gather Sunday to chase the sub-9 and the top spots on the medal stand, and maybe it’s a tribute to just how strong and deep boys prep distance running is becoming that the excitement can be at this level without three distance