Top track and field athletes prepare for Lilac Grand Prix return to The Podium on Jan. 27

Is there another world record run in the works for Spokane’s indoor track at The Podium?

Well, that’s a “reply hazy” if you’re consulting a Magic 8-Ball.

But Nike’s Union Athletic Club is bringing back the Lilac Grand Prix for a second running on Jan. 27, which means Olympians and national champions will take some swift spins around The Podium’s banked 200-meter oval, with world ranking points at stake in the men’s and women’s 800 and 1,500 meters.

One of three silver-level World Indoor Tour events in North America this winter, the abbreviated program will also include races at 3,000 meters and high school miles for boys and girls. Tickets are available through TicketsWest.

At the first Lilac Grand Prix last year, the UAC foursome of Ella Donaghu, Raevyn Rogers, Sinclaire Johnson and Shannon Osika took down the indoor world record in the distance medley relay with a run of 10 minutes, 39.91 seconds. Two months later in Boston, an all-star quartet sponsored by New Balance sliced six more seconds off the record.

The Union group would like to reclaim the record, but finding suitable competition has been problematic, and weather issues have impacted early-season training. So it hasn’t been decided if there will be a relay in this year’s event. If not, the relay members will likely pop up in individual events, making the fields that much stronger.

Two of the sport’s young guns figure to be the main attractions.

Olympian Cole Hocker, who won the 1,500 and 3,000 meters at last year’s USATF Indoor Championships at The Podium, returns to run the longer race as his season debut. Hocker was a three-time NCAA champion in his lone year at the University of Oregon.

And 18-year-old Kenyan sensation Noah Kibet is one of four sub-1:45 runners entered in the men’s 800. Kibet, who has been training with the UAC group, was the silver medalist at last year’s World Indoor Championships.

Among the early entries is one Olympic medalist – Clayton Murphy, who won bronze in the 2016 800 meters. The Nike-sponsored 27-year-old will step up to 1,500 meters at the Grand Prix and take on an elite group that includes two other Olympians, Australian Charlie Hunter – the event’s defending champ – and Canadian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot. In addition, Vince Ciattei, Henry Wynne and Brannon Kidder – all U.S. top-10 rankers of the past two years – are entered.

Johnson, sixth in last year’s World Indoor Championships, will headline the women’s 1,500 if she doesn’t run the relay, and in the 800 would face UAC teammates Michaela Meyer – an NCAA champion at Virginia – and McKenna Keegan.

The UAC is hosting the meet in conjunction with Trackland and Spokane Sports. A webcast of the meet will also be available (tracklnd.com/meet/LGP and on the Tracklandia YouTube channel).