On Athletes end Diamond League season big a bang - Funk continues with strong results on the Triathlon Challenger Tour

Zurich, Switzerland, September 18, 2023 - A fantastic Diamond League season 2023 came to a fitting end with the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, USA, and the On athletes more than just rose to the occasion, breaking records, setting new personal bests, and storming the podium. 

First up, New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish claimed third place in the 3000m steeplechase, finishing in a time of 8:14.01. 

The men’s Bowerman Mile saw three records, and On athletes ranked second, third, and fourth. Yared Nuguse led the On pack and stormed to second place. He set a new American record of 3:43.97, which was, of course, also a personal best for the 24-year-old. 

OAC Europe’s George Mills continued his hot late-season streak with yet another personal best (3:47.65) and took third place in Eugene. The Brit is in arresting shape as the season winds down and can look back on a string of fantastic results lately. Only three days after setting a new PB at the Diamond League in Zurich, Mills won at the ISTAF in Berlin in dominating fashion, setting a new 1500m PB of 3:34.51. He then proceeded to take another win and set a mile world-leading time (3:49.64) at Abendsportfest Pfungstadt in Germany and claimed second place at the 5th Avenue Mile in New York City last weekend. 

In Eugene, Mario Garcia Romo completed the On trio on rank four. 3:47.69 meant a new Spanish national record for the 24-year-old.

Telahun Haile Bekele was responsible for yet another highlight on the second day of the Prefontaine Classic. The Ethiopian stormed to a new personal best of 7:25.48 in the men's 3000 m event, taking fourth place in the process.

Frederic Funk wins Challenge Samarkand

Also On triathlete Frederic Funk continued in great shape and took the win at the maiden edition of the Challenge Samarkand, the first international middle-distance race in Uzbekistan.

Funk exited the water 44 seconds down in second place but immediately went on the attack on the bike. He caught leader Aaron Royle on the first of the few climbs on the course and never relinquished control after that. Once out on the flat run course, Funk continued to hold his lead, and it quickly became clear nothing could prevent the German from making history and taking the inaugural Challenge Samarkand win in 3:38:34. 

His win comes only two weeks after claiming a silver medal at the Ironman 70.3 Championships in Lahti and another win at the Ironman 70.3 at Zell am See in Austria in early September. With his Samarkand result, Funk also secured his first position in the Challenge Ranking which the German is looking to defend and the Challenge events in Barcelona and Mallorca in October

About On

On was born in the Swiss Alps with one goal: to revolutionize the sensation of running by empowering all to run on clouds. Thirteen years after market launch, On delivers industry-disrupting innovation in premium footwear, apparel, and accessories for high-performance running, outdoor, and all-day activities. Fueled by customer recommendation, On’s award-winning CloudTec® innovation, purposeful design, and groundbreaking strides in sportswear’s circular economy have attracted a fast-growing global fan base — inspiring humans to explore, discover and dream on.

On is present in more than 60 countries globally and engages with a digital community on www.on.com.