Saturday’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix is the first stop in the 2020 series

This year’s World Athletics Indoor Tour begins in Boston on Saturday (January 25) as the Reggie Lewis Center welcomes athletes for the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

Nia Ali (pictured) and Donavan Brazier of the United States are among those competing, along with the likes of Britain’s Jake Wightman, Chris O’Hare and Tiffany Porter, who continues her comeback following the birth of her daughter, Chidera, in July.

World champion Ali and British record-holder Porter both race in the 60m hurdles, where they will be joined by Jasmin Stowers, Isabelle Pedersen and Lolo Jones.

After almost two years away from racing, Porter returned to action in Michigan on January 11 with times of 8.32 and 8.37 in the 60m hurdles and 7.75 in the 60m.

Brazier won the world 800m title in Doha and also broke the world indoor 600m best last year, clocking 1:13.77, and it’s the three-lap event he will contest in Boston.

Wightman, who finished fifth in the world 1500m last year and claimed European and Commonwealth bronze medals at that distance in 2018, takes on the 1000m against the likes of NCAA champion Bryce Hoppel and world indoor medallist Saúl Ordóñez.

The 3000m features world indoor medallist Bethwell Birgen and 2017 European indoor champion Adel Mechaal plus Britain’s Jonny Davies, Adam Craig and steeplechaser Jamaine Coleman.

Another steeplechaser in action is 2017 world champion Emma Coburn as she races the 2-mile event.

The Tommy Leonard Memorial Men’s Mile will be contested by Britain’s Chris O’Hare and USA’s Olympic 800m medallist Clayton Murphy, while Britain’s 400m specialist Amy Allcock goes in the 300m against the likes of 2015 world 400m hurdles medallist Shamier Little.

World 5000m bronze medallist Konstanze Klosterhalfen drops down to race the 1500m after winning the 5000m at this meet last year and she’ll line up alongside Britain’s Sarah McDonald and Ireland’s Ciara Mageean.

USA’s Trayvon Bromell won the world indoor 60m title in 2016 but hasn’t raced indoors since that season, having been hit with injury. He returns in Boston where he goes up against multiple world medallist Asafa Powell and Britain’s Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.

Sydney McLaughlin, however, was a late withdrawal from the meeting. The world 400m hurdles silver medallist was a little stiff after travelling and pulled out of the 500m as a precautionary measure.

The action kicks off with the women’s high jump at 5pm local time (10pm UK time), while the women’s 500m is the final event at 7.55pm.

The full schedule and entry lists can be found here.

More information on the seven-meeting 2020 World Athletics Indoor Tour, including dates, disciplines and scoring details, can be found here.

The fifth edition of the tour features 11 point-scoring disciplines, including the men’s 60m, 800m, 3000m/5000m, pole vault, triple jump and shot put and the women’s 400m, 1500m, 60m hurdles, high jump and long jump. The scoring disciplines rotate each year.

As well as prize bonuses, wildcard entries for the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing are up for grabs.

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