| Ponce Grand Prix de Atletismo | |
| Recurrence: | yearly |
| Purpose: | Track and field sports, athletes worldwide participate |
| Headquarters: | Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Leader Title: | Presidente |
| Leader Name: | José E. Costas Loyola[1] |
| Website: | purclassic.com |
| Remarks: | Organized by Voluntarios por Ponce, Inc. |
The Ponce Grand Prix de Atletismo is a track and field competition held yearly in Ponce, Puerto Rico at the Francisco Montaner Stadium. The event started in 2007, after the successful hosting of the 2006 Ibero-American Championships.[2] It was considered among the most important athletic events in the Caribbean based on the competitive and organizational quality of the event.[3] Starting with the 2012 season, the Ponce Grand Prix joined the IAAF World Challenge competitions until 2015 and represented the only other city in the Americas, outside Kingston, Jamaica, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the circuit.[4] The event was relaunched in 2022 named Puerto Rico International Athletics Classic as part of the silver level scheduled World Athletics Continental Tour.[5] [6] [7]
In early seasons the event was one of three competitions in the IAAF-NACAC circuit beside the Adidas Track Classic in Carson, California, and the Jamaica Invitational in Kingston, Jamaica, where competitors accumulated points in the IAAF rankings system.[8]
The 2009 Ponce Grand Prix was witnessed live by some 9,000 fans at the Francisco Montaner Stadium, plus hundreds of thousands more throughout the Americas via satellite television.[9] This edition was considered to have initiated “the greatest feat in Puerto Rican sports history”, as new records were established, and a local hero surfaced, Javier Culson, competing in the 400 metres hurdles.[10] He was later crowned Athlete of the Year in Puerto Rico.
The relaunched 2022 edition saw eleven meet records fall with eight of them were Puerto Rican all-comers' records.[11]
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 9.92 | Trayvon Bromell | 12 May 2022 | [12] | ||
| 200 m | 20.21 | Brendan Christian |  Antigua and Barbuda | 17 May 2008 | [13] | |
| 300 m | 31.52 | Steven Gardiner | 12 May 2022 | [14] | ||
| 400 m | 44.14 | Lashawn Merritt | 17 May 2014 | [15] | ||
| 800 m | 1:44.79 | Duane Solomon | 17 May 2014 | |||
| 1500 m | 3:36.64 | Geoffrey Kipkoech Rono | 19 May 2007 | [16] | ||
| 3000 m | 8:02.71 | Andrew Poore | 18 May 2013 | [17] | ||
| 110 m hurdles | 13.12 | David Oliver | 8 May 2010 | [18] | ||
| 400 m hurdles | 47.72 | Javier Culson | 8 May 2010 | |||
| Pole vault | 5.60 m | Lázaro Borges | 12 May 2012 | |||
| Long jump | 8.27 m | Brian Johnson | 17 May 2008 | |||
| Triple jump | 16.88 m | Donald Scott | 12 May 2022 | [19] | ||
| Shot put | 22.75 m | Ryan Crouser | 12 May 2022 | [20] | ||
| Hammer throw | 79.31 m | Krisztián Pars | 17 May 2014 | |||
| Javelin throw | 75.32 m | Curtis Moss | 12 May 2012 | [21] | ||
| 4 × 100 m relay | 38.83 | Brian Mariano Geronimo Goeloe Prince Kwidama Churandy Martina | 17 May 2008 | |||
| 4 × 400 m relay | 3:04.93 | Yoel Tapia Arismendy Peguero Pedro Mejía Félix Sánchez | 19 May 2007 |
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 10.93 | Elaine Thompson-Herah | 12 May 2022 | [22] | ||
| 200 m | 22.37 | Tianna Madison | 12 May 2012 | |||
| 400 m | 50.42 | Athing Mu | 12 May 2022 | [23] | ||
| 800 m | 1:59.35 | Rose Mary Almanza | 23 May 2015 | [24] | ||
| 1500 m | 4:05.96 | Adelle Tracey | 12 May 2022 | [25] | ||
| 3000 m | 8:53.38 | Gabe Grunewall | 17 May 2014 | |||
| 100 m hurdles | 12.50 | Alaysha Johnson | 12 May 2022 | [26] | ||
| 400 m hurdles | 54.09 | Janieve Russell | 12 May 2022 | [27] | ||
| 3000 m steeplechase | 9:37.62 | Genevieve Lacaze | 18 May 2013 | [28] | ||
| Pole vault | 4.72 m | Sandi Morris | 12 May 2022 | [29] | ||
| Long jump | 6.78 m | Ese Brume | 12 May 2022 | [30] | ||
| Triple jump | 13.66 m | Luvia Saldivar | 18 May 2013 | [31] | ||
| Hammer throw | 72.16 m | Amanda Bingson | 17 May 2014 | |||
| Javelin throw | 59.47 m | Yainelis Ribeaux | 12 May 2012 | |||
| 4 × 100 m relay | 43.58 | USA Team A Kellie Wells Moushami Robinson Tianna Madison Gloria Asumnu | 8 May 2010 |