EUGENE, Ore. – Former Eastern Oregon University Track & Field athlete Isaac Updike has always been a stout competitor when it came to distance running for the Mountaineers. It showed as the EOU alumnus ran the world leading time on Saturday night in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
 
In what was the first ever professional meet at the new Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon, Updike was one of three athletes to post a world leading time/mark in the USATF Gran Prix kicked off the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series.

Updike was the event winner in the steeplechase running a final time of 8:17.74. The former Mountaineer had never broken 8:20 in his career, but Saturday he smashed that mark as he took down the field of competition and surpassed his previous best time by nearly eight seconds.
 
No stranger to racing at the big stage, Updike placed eighth at the 2019 Toyota USATF Outdoors and his time is now the world leader. Updike's time is also the fastest since the beginning of the New Year. In the EOU record books, Updike's name is in the No. 1 spot in multiple races.
 
He still owns the fastest steeplechase time set in 2015 at 8:47 flat and he is the record holder in the 5,000-meter run at 14:17.28, a time he also ran in the 2015 season. For the indoor season, Updike is the record holder in the 3,000 at 8:23.70, which he ran in 2014. He is fourth all-time in the Mile at 4:17.28 and is 10th in the 1,000-meter run at 2:30.85.

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