Top Spanish athletes will be eyeing qualification for the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin when they appear at the 15th Míting Internacional d´Atletisme Ciutat de Barcelona on 25 July in the Estadio Lluís Companys, the stadium that will host the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona in 2010.

The event is part of the series of European Athletics Outdoor Classic Meetings.

The men's 1500m is the most anticipated race with top Spanish middle distance runners such as reigning Spanish champion Arturo Casado, Juan Carlos Higuero, Diego Ruiz, Reyes Estévez and Alvaro Rodríguez in the fray.

It has been a hard battle for 1500m supremacy so far this season with Ruiz winning in Huelva and Casado edging the rest in Málaga, the season's first two important meetings.

The battle will be no less intensive in the men's 5000m race, where reigning European champion Jesús España will lead the pack comprising season leader Alemaheyu Bezabeh, Carles Castillejo, Sergio Sánchez and Ayad Lamdassem. With only three spots on offer for the IAAF World Championships in Berlin the contest is set to be an absorbing one.

In the female category, Natalia Rodríguez, the world leader in 3000m this season, will vie with Nuria Fernández in the 1500m. Veteran Marta Domínguez will be the outright favourite starting in the 3000m steeplechase.

Natalia leads this year's ranking over 3000m (8:35.86), while Domínguez is second on the Steeplechase list behind Russian Olympic champion Gulnara Galkina-Samitova.

Among other prominent names at the meet will be Digna Luz Murillo in the 200m, European indoor silver medallist Ruth Beitia in the High Jump, Manolo Martínez in the Shot Put and Joan Lino in the Long Jump.

The Olympic Stadium Lluís Companys will also host the 89th edition of the Spanish Championships on 1-2 August. The performances in the two competitions will be instrumental in getting a call-up to the team for the IAAF World Championships in Berlin this August.

The two meets will also be an ideal test event for the 2010 European Athletics Championships in Barcelona.