Atlanta hosts the Edwin Moses Legends Meet at Morehouse on May 31

Atlanta will be in the national spotlight Friday night thanks to Edwin Moses, the Morehouse College alumnus who broke world records and won two gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics.

Morehouse College will host the Edwin Moses Legends Meet from 6 to 8 p.m., attracting some of the best track and field athletes in the world.

“This is the first fully professional track and field meet held on an HBCU (Historically Black College and University) campus,” Moses said in an interview Monday during the 2024 Atlanta Jazz Festival. was part of my long-term vision.”

Athletes coming to Morehouse will include:

• Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion in the 400 meters hurdles, where she set the Olympic record and also won a second gold medal in the 4×400 meters relay. In 2022, she won a world championship with a world record time of 50.68 seconds, becoming the first woman to break both the 52-second and 51-second barriers in the 400 meter hurdles. McLaughlin-Levrone will compete in the 400 meters hurdles on Friday after setting a new personal best of 22.07 seconds in the 200 meters less than two weeks ago at the Los Angeles Grand Prix. She may set a world record at the Edwin Moses Legends Meet.
• Matthew Boling is a multiple NCAA champion from the University of Georgia. Known for his exceptional speed, he is the 2024 U20 World Athletics Champion in the 100 and 200 meters, and he was a member of the gold medal-winning 4 × 400 meter relay team at the Nassau World Relays. Matthew will compete in the men’s 100 meters and 200 meters at the meet.
• Angel Piccirillo is a notable middle-distance runner and multiple-time NCAA Division I All-American in cross country and track. Known for her strong performances in various middle-distance events, she will compete in the women’s 1,500 meters.
• Khalifah Rosser is a formidable contender in the 400 meter hurdles, who finished third at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and qualified for the World Championships. He also won a silver medal at the 2022 NACAC Championships in the 400 meter hurdles. And he was a member of the gold medal-winning 4 × 400 meter relay team.

The invitation-only track and field meet will feature dozens of top runners in various competitions.

For women, the events will be 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1,500 meters, 100 meters hurdles, high jump and long jump.

For men, events will include the 100 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1,500 meters, 110 meters hurdles, 400 meters hurdles and long jump.

The promoter of the competition is the PUMA American Track League and Paul Doyle. Moses has signed a one-year license to use his name for the 2024 competition, which comes at a pivotal time as runners seek to qualify for the Summer Olympics in Paris this summer.

It’s been a journey for Moses, who attended Morehouse from 1973 to 1978. At that time, Morehouse didn’t even have a lead. But that didn’t stop the physics graduate from figuring out how to perfect his stride. He had a 10-year winning streak of 122, breaking world records in the process.

In 1986, Morehouse released a track named after Moses. But this track has fallen into disrepair. So Moses and his colleagues lobbied the administration and helped raise $4.5 million to renovate the track and make it a first-class facility. The restored Edwin Moses track opened in 2022.

“It’s a first,” Moses said of Friday night’s event. “If this is successful, let’s say we have 5,000 to 7,000 people in the stands, that will give us energy to attract state championships and run relays.”

The event is open to the public and tickets are still available.

Moses said there was a lot at stake.

For starters, the restored field could become a profit center for Morehouse, one of the nation’s leading HBCUs. Already, the restored estate is helping the college recruit strong student-athletes.

Although he is not the organizer of the competition, Moses, as host sponsor, is doing everything he can to make it a success.

During the event, the college will be in full hospitality mode with concession trucks and other amenities. Moses is sure participants will have a great experience.

“Not only does the meet have my name, but it’s on the Edwin Moses Track,” Moses said. “It’s the first. This is a highlight for me.

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