The Diamond League continues tonight with a stop in Rome. Toasty weather is promised in the Italian capital, with temperatures set to reach 37 degrees. Hopefully the Stadio Olimpico will deliver equally hot performances on the track. James Rhodes runs through who is competing in the middle distance races.

Another day, another Diamond League. This time, the show travels to Rome for the third event following the Olympic Games. It is another competition with multiple Olympic Champions and medallists competing, as well as those looking to bounce back from disappointing outings. From a middle distance perspective, the highlights are likely to come in the women’s 1500m and men’s 5000m.

Fantastic Faith

Faith Kipyegon returns to the event where last year she first broke the 1500m World Record. Admittedly, that edition was held in Florence rather than Rome, but it is an event she knows well.

The three-time Olympic Champion does not frequent the Diamond League all too often. When she does, you have a right to assume something special might happen. After all, she improved her own World Record to 3:49.04 at her sole appearance this season, in Paris last month.

Three of her five Diamond League races in 2023 produced World Records, each at different distances. The 1500m in Florence, 5000m in Paris and mile in Monaco. It will be exciting to see what she does tonight.

It is an impressive field behind her. Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull has had an unforgettable season and will be looking to continue that trajectory. She is second fastest in the field thanks to her 3:50.83 PB.

Birke Haylom and Nelly Chepchirchir, who won the 1000m at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday, are next fastest by PB. In total, 14 of the 16 athletes entered have run inside four minutes in their careers.

From a British and Irish perspective, Revee Walcott-Nolan and Sarah Healy compete. Revee ran the second fastest time of her career in Silesia on Sunday, having set her PB at the Olympics (3:58.08).

World Record Watch?

It feels like every Diamond League this season has come with a similar headline. This time, it sits under the men’s 5000m. There are notable absentees, including Olympic Champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and World Record holder Joshua Cheptegai. However, the field assembled is by no means a slow one, and there is every chance that some will have their eyes set firmly on the clock. The Meeting Record of 12:46.33, set by Nicholas Kipkorir in 2022, will likely be a second target. Kipkorir is in the field.

Five of the ten fastest men in history are present. That includes Hagos Gebrhiwet, who just missed the World Record at the Oslo Diamond League in May. Yomif Kejelcha, Berihu Aregawi, Telahun Haile Bekele and Selemon Barega all have PBs inside 12:45, and a further four have run inside 13 minutes.

That does not include Olympic silver medallist Ronald Kewmoi, who will undoubtedly be looking to become the 138th man to join that club.

Ireland’s Nick Griggs will also be racing.

Stellar Steeplechase

The three medallists from the Olympic Games, Winfried Yavi, Peruth Chemutai and Faith Cherotich race for the first time since Paris. No one has ever broken nine minutes at the meeting; Sembo Almayew coming very close last year with 9:00.71. The three medallists have all bettered that time this season, and are the only ones competing to have done so.

Also in the field are Americans Courtney Wayment, Val Constein and Gabby Jennings, the latter who raced over 800m recently in Watford. 2022 World Champion Norah Jeruto competes too, but she has yet to return to her sub-nine form (noting she was banned for anti-doping charges, although this was subsequently overturned by the CAS).

World Record holder Beatrice Chepkoech is absent.

The Rome Diamond League will be shown on BBC2 between 20:00 and 22:00 (UK time).