Hassan, Hiltz, Hunter, and Tuohy just a few of the big names set to compete in Los Angeles on Saturday

By Scott Bush

As the Olympic Games come into view, with the track and field action in Paris set to get underway on August 1, a number of Olympians and other top pros head to Los Angeles on Saturday to compete at the Sunset Tour.

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With so much action on tap Saturday, here are five must-watch events:

Brooks Men's 800m - Start Time @ 7:35pm PT

The Brooks men's 800m field is simply outstanding, with every entered athlete owning a sub-1:46 personal best. Brooks Beasts teammates Isaiah Harris and Brannon Kidder bring immediate talent and front running capabilities to the field. Harris placed second at the USATF Outdoor Championships last year, earning a spot on Team USA at the World Outdoor Championships. Both Harris and Kidder were part of the Brooks Beasts team who set the world record in the men's DMR earlier this year at the Oregon Relays presented by AthleticNET.

Jonah Koech and Abraham Alvarado are coming off incredible runs at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month. Koech placed fifth in the 800m final, while Alvarado placed eighth. Koech enters with the top personal best in the field having run 1:44.32 in Eugene. 

Alex Amankwa also enteres with a sub-1:45 personal best of 1:44.98.

Brooks Women's 800m - Start Time @ 7:45pm PT

The excitement continues to build in the Brooks women's 800m. U.S. 1500m champion Nikki Hiltz enters as the pre-race favorite. They showed incredible shape after winning the 1500m in Eugene and enters with an 800m personal best of 1:59.03.

Sinclaire Johnson, who narrowly missed earning a spot on Team USA in the 1500m last month when she placed fourth, seeks some redemption on Saturday. Johnson is entered with a 1:59.76 personal best and went sub-2 back in early June running 1:59.95 at the Portland Track Festival.

Olympic Trials 1500m ninth place finisher Dani Jones and Olympic Trials 800m sixth place finisher Kristie Schoffield are considered two of the other top contenders, while former NCAA champions over 800m, Sammy Watson and Michaela Meyer are entered and bring a wealth of two-lap racing to the field.

Men's 1500m - Start Time @ 8:35pm PT

The men's 1500m field is filled with top talent, which promises thrilling finishes. U.S. Olympic Trials 1500m finalists Henry Wynne and Craig Engels are entered and in sharp racing form. Wynne enters with the top personal best in the field having run 3:32.94 in Eugene and was a member of the world record setting men's DMR team at the Oregon Relays back in April.

After Wynne and Engels, Bowerman Track Club standout Moh Ahmed tests his fitness over the 1500m distance. Ahmed ran 12:54.22 for 5000m earlier this season and readies to contest the 5000m and 10,000m for Team Canada in Paris. He's joined by Drew Hunter, who ran an incredible 10,000m race at the U.S. Olympic Trials, placing fourth. Justine Kipkoech is another top entry to watch having a 3:33.51 PR to his name and a handful of very strong performances this season.

Women's 1500m - Start Time @ 8:45pm PT

The main event Saturday evening is the women's 1500m, with an incredible line-up ready to challenge for victory. Reigning U.S. 1500m champion Nikki Hiltz and two-time Olympic champion Sifan Hassan are the two biggest names in the field. Hiltz recently lowered their personal best to 3:55.33, besting the field to win the American title in the deepest race in American history. Hiltz earned 1500m silver at the World Athletics Indoor Championships back in early-March and continues to show they are one of very best in the world.

Hassan is the reigning Olympic champion over 5000m and 10,000m, but also earned a bronze medal in the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Hassan's personal best over 1500m is 3:51.95, run in 2019, but she's yet to break four minutes over the distance this season.

The duo are joined by fellow Olympians Karissa Schweizer, Whittni Morgan, and Courtney Wayment. Schweizer finished third in both the 5000m and 10,000m at the U.S. Olympic Trials, but will focus on the 10,000m in Paris. Morgan earned her spot on the 5000m team by placing fifth in the event in Eugene, while Wayment finished second in the 3000m steeplechase to earn her spot on Team USA.

Other top contenders include Ella Donaghu, who earned a seventh place finish in the 5000m at the U.S. Olympic Trials, and Josette Norris, who ran an eye-opening 14:46.51 indoors in late-January but has dealt with injury much of the outdoor season.

Women's 5000m - Start Time @ 9:20pm PT

Sifan Hassan finishes her distance double on Saturday as the marquee athlete in a very strong women's 5000m field. Hassan ran 14:34.38 at the Prefontaine Classic earlier this season and while she will no doubt be the class of the field, there are numerous other women fully capable of dipping under the 15 minute barrier.

Katelyn Tuohy, who placed 12th in the women's 5000m at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month, is sure to challenge for the win. Tuohy recently signed with adidas to continue her career as a pro and will look to lower her 15:03.12 personal best from 2023.

Allie Buchalski and Natosha Rogers are two other veterans ready to make their mark in Los Angeles. Buchalski placed sixth in the 5000m final at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month in Eugene, while Rogers placed ninth in the 5000m and 12th in the 10,000m coming off a 2023 campaign where she qualified to compete for Team USA at the World Athletics Championships in both the 5000m and 10,000m, ultimately finishing 14th in the 10,000m final.