What In The World (Record)?! ⏱️

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Compiled by David Melly and Paul Snyder

What’s In A World Record? 🌎

There aren’t many periods of track world history where multiple world records get set in close proximity outside of a global championship… let alone six in nine days. (Yep, count ‘em.) That sort of thing just doesn’t happen in a sport where athletes peak precisely for postseason glory. But here we are:

• February 8: Grant Fisher sets the indoor 3000m WR.

• February 8: Yared Nuguse sets the indoor mile WR.

• February 13: Jakob Ingebrigtsen breaks both the 1500m and mile WRs.

• February 14: Fisher sets the indoor 5000m WR.

• February 16: Jacob Kiplimo sets the half marathon WR.

Sure, we spent a good chunk of last week complaining about world record attempts being over-hyped as part of pre-race narratives, but we’ve gotta admit: all those records made for a pretty fun week in athletics. 

In our defense, part of what made this particular set of record-setting performances sparkle was the rivalry narratives baked in. Shots were fired—albeit across three countries, two continents, and six time zones. Whether you love him, hate him, or love to hate him, Jakob stealing Yared’s thunder in the most Jakob-y way possible gave fans plenty to chatter about. Kiplimo reclaimed the record Yomif Kejelcha had taken from him four months ago. Only Kejelcha broke his record by one measly second, whereas Kiplimo obliterated the new mark by a whopping 48, becoming the first sub-57 runner in history in the process.

Grant Fisher, having taken down Cole Hocker over 3000m the week prior and facing little chance of losing at BU, really was battling a different kind of foe: the 2024 version of Grant Fisher. Recall that, at the same track, on the same weekend, one year earlier, Fisher had embarked on a similar solo mission, chasing an Olympic standard and the American record in the 5000m, only to come up two-tenths of a second short of Woody Kincaid’s 2023 mark. And when Kincaid had set his record, the time he’d taken down was Fisher’s from 2022. But this year, Grant Fisher (2025 Edition) left no room for error and gave Kincaid—or whoever chases it next—a steep target to hit next time around. Fisher obliterated Kenenisa Bekele’s world indoor best in the event by an astonishing five seconds!

Grant’s busy week immediately joined the annals of all-time great competition stretches. The comparisons evoked included Daniel Komen’s August ‘97 run (3:29.46 1500m on the 16th, 12:39.74 5000m on the 22nd, 3:46.38 mile on the 26th), Haile Gebreselassie’s June ‘98 (26:22.75 10,000m on the 1st, 12:39.36 on the 12th), or Bekele’s own double world record week in 2004 (12:37.35 5000m on May 31st, 26:20.31 on June 8th). Even if you think Fisher’s performance ranks fourth, simply entering that conversation is seriously impressive.

If you’re in the camp that’s starting to get desensitized to fast times, we can’t blame you. But before you tear up your meticulously-updated handwritten record books and decide to look into whether or not professional pickleball is worth your fandom, consider what these performances queue up…

Ingebrigtsen has long shown the world he can run faster than anyone else when the circumstances are perfect. Already the WR holder in the 1500m indoors, his mile mark brings his total collection of world records (indoors and out) up to five. But every legacy-defining regular-season performance only adds weight to the crushing expectations on the Norwegian’s shoulders in championship settings. The quicker he runs in time trials only increases the potential for humiliation should he get beaten in a fourth straight 1500m final this fall.

Fisher now has two Olympic medals, six American records, and very little to prove on the domestic scene. So at 27 years old, the only place for him to go next is a step or two up the podium. That will require leveling up in both fitness and execution. And the current three-time defending global champion in the 5000m is a guy named Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

Nuguse, with the American record both indoors and out and an Olympic bronze of his own, should be able to make a solid claim to the mantle of top American miler—were it not for the presence of Cole Hocker and his shiny Olympic title from Paris. To truly emerge from the pack of talented middle distance runners and assert his place as an all-time great, Nuguse has to start regularly and repeatedly beating a crop of guys that are just as talented, just as fit, and more or less at the same stage in their careers.

And for Hocker, Kincaid, Hobbs Kessler, Cooper Teare, Joe Klecker, or any number of potential rivals, the assignment is clear. The targets on Nuguse and Fisher’s respective backs just got even bigger. That’s the problem with being on top of the world in February: it’s pessimistic to say there’s nowhere to go but down, but the path upward is very narrow and steep. And for the guys clamoring behind you to rise up, their best path forward involves beating you.

Kiplimo is a slightly different story. His narrative will take him to the busy roads of London where he’s scheduled to make his debut in the marathon in a few short months. And with two World XC titles, two global 10,000m medals, and two of the three fastest half marathons ever run under his belt, expectations have never been higher for a first-time marathoner. Following the tragic death of world record holder Kelvin Kiptum in 2024, the sub-two-hour barrier seemed to retreat to the realm of “what ifs” with no heir apparent. But now, if Kiplimo takes to the 26.2 distance any near as well as he has its half-size sibling, it can’t be considered out of the realm of possibility.

Fast times alone can only take the sport so far. While it can be momentarily thrilling to bask in the glow of an unprecedented athletic achievement (or to return to the highlight reel every few days and click “play again”), what gives these performances real lasting significance is the context in which they land and the stories they help tell. And for each of these four athletes, the next chapter is just beginning.

“If You Can See It, You Can Be It” 💪

Hardly a day goes by in 2025 without an old record being broken and a new standard being set. The head-spinning nature of how high the bar continually being raised and how quickly athletes rise to meet it has us old-timers scratching our heads and griping about NCAA cutoff times.

There are many theories as to why times have gotten faster overall (each coming with a varying degrees of credibility and boring-ness): super shoes, super tracks, super baking soda, to name a few. But there’s a secondary effect at play that gets less attention: the “Après moi, le déluge” phenomenon. 

Roger Bannister is famously reported (albeit never confirmed) as quoting the 18th-century French saying—literally: “after me, the flood”—following his historic dip below the four-minute barrier in 1954. The idea is that all it takes is one person to break a barrier to inspire a wave of others to match a once-unprecedented feat.

Another great philosopher, Oregon distance coach Shalane Flanagan, shared a similar perspective after watching her athlete Silan Ayyildiz set the NCAA record in the women’s mile last weekend. She believes that the sea change in collegiate distance running comes down to a simple truth: “if you can see it, you can be it.”

That sentiment makes a ton of sense coming from the coach who’s guided four different women to mile performances 4:30 or faster (and a fifth at 4:32.40) this season alone. And there’s literal linearity for at least two of those athletes: Wilma Nielsen running 4:25.89 in January at the Dr. Sander Scorcher, then NCAA #3 all-time, and her training partner Ayyildiz following suit with a collegiate record 4:23.46 at BU three weeks later. If you can stick to the collegiate leader in workouts, why couldn’t you be the next number one?

But that doesn’t explain the other part: Shortly behind Ayyildiz in Boston came not one, not two, but five other top-15 all-time performances. Prior to Saturday, only seven collegians in history had run sub-4:27. On Saturday, six did it at one meet. Perhaps the most impressive of these runs came from NC State junior Grace Hartman, who ran an 8:46.57 3000m across town at New Balance the day before, then came back 24 hours later to run the third fastest time in NCAA history out of heat 3. Hartman may have only been the second collegiate finisher on the day, but Ayyildiz finished fifth in heat 1 behind a wall of professionals, while Hartman won her race by 10 seconds.

And it wasn’t just the mile lists that got a rewrite this weekend. Five of the ten fastest 3000ms in collegiate history were run this weekend (four at the UW Husky Invite), led by BYU runner Lexy Halladay-Lowry’s 8:40.60 at NCAA #3 all-time. Olympians Karissa Schweizer (2018) and Jenny Simpson (2009) are the only remaining names on that top-ten list whose times were posted prior to 2023. Similarly, the number of college women under 15 minutes in the 5000m indoors has quadrupled this season, from one to four.

Where did this explosion in women’s distance running come from? The boring, process-y answer comes back to advances in technology and training. But the more intriguing answer may all come down to a 22-year-old New Yorker by the name of Katelyn Tuohy.

Oh yeah, remember her? Injury may have abbreviated Tuohy’s 2024 season, taking some of the shine off her first full year as a professional, but she’s back in action with a pair of decent races at the Armory, her signature track (a 4:25.54 mile at Dr. Sander and an 8:47.34 3000m at Millrose). But let’s travel back in time, to the year 2022. 

Tuohy is primarily known at the time as arguably the greatest cross country runner the U.S. high school circuit had ever seen, but her first two years at NC State were relatively low-key as the teen phenom adjusted to a new level of competition. She finished 24th and 15th in her first two NCAA XC championships, a strong start for a true(ish, pandemic eligibility being complicated) freshman/sophomore. Her big breakout on the NCAA scene was a 5000m title outdoors after two runner-up finishes indoors, in a then-personal best of 15:18.39.

But the next academic year was when Tuohy really came into her own—and laid the groundwork for where collegiate distance running would soon go. Hot on the heels of her first national XC title in fall 2022, Tuohy went on a tear of an indoor season, running 15:15.92 for 5000m, 4:24.26 for the mile, and 8:35.20 for the 3000m, the latter two being collegiate records at the time. After pulling off the 3000m/5000m double indoors, she ran 15:03.12 outdoors in May, the fastest in-season mark by a collegian. Not since Jenny Simpson (then Barringer)’s epic conclusion to her college career in 2009 had a female NCAA distance runner moved the goalposts so dramatically across so many distances.

The next year, of course, Parker Valby’s Bowerman-worthy performance included several record-breaking marks at 5000m and 10,000m, and Valby became the first collegiate woman in history to break 15 minutes indoors. And following Ayyildiz’s record-setting run at BU, Tuohy’s only remaining record is her 3000m. (She’s still the only NCAA woman ever to break 8:40 indoors.) It’s remarkable how, only two years later, it’s easy to forget just how mind-boggling Tuohy’s marks felt at the time—because so many others have risen to the standard she set.

If you’re searching for a more scientific-based explanation of this rising tide in performances, best of luck. The “COVID eligibility” wave has crested and receded, and the vast majority of the all-time top-ten performances belong to collegiates who aren’t 25 years old. Super spikes were around far earlier than 2023, and so was the BU track. And it’s certainly possible that every single NCAA athlete is now taking bicarb before races, but that feels unlikely.

The simplest explanation may be that generational athletes like Katelyn Tuohy can still have a Roger Bannister-like effect on their particular level of running, and now we’re seeing the results. Whether it’s a conscious effort on the part of individual athletes to emulate their role models, a shifting of expectations by the coaches guiding them, or a subtle, subconscious change in our shared perspective on the sport, it really does seem like seeing is believing.

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A National Title Is One Ferry Ride Away 🇺🇸

With all due respect to the Dempsey Indoor Facility and the Tyson Track Center, when it comes to indoor track racing in 2025, the East Coast is where it’s at. And for the first time since 2019, the U.S. Indoor Championships are back at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island this Saturday and Sunday, February 22-23.

For the second year in a row, spots on Team USA are up for grabs as the rescheduled 2020 2025 World Indoor Championships are set for Nanjing, China. Each event’s top two qualified finishers will earn their seats on the plane, should they choose to accept. There will be quite a few new World champions crowned as reigning champs Christian Coleman (60m), Ryan Crouser (shot put), Tara Davis-Woodhall (long jump), Bryce Hoppel (800m), and Elle St. Pierre (3000m) are not entered in the U.S. championship. But that just means there will be plenty of hardware up for grabs and rising stars eager to make a name for themselves.

A full list of entries can be found here as well as a full schedule of events. The primetime window of Day 2 competition will be shown from 1-3pm on Sunday, Feb. 23 on NBC and Peacock (subscription required).

Here are a few of the most intriguing storylines to watch as the two-day championship plays out along the FDR Boardwalk:

Will experience or youth prevail in the 60m dash?

If the only 60-meter race you’ve watched recently was the Millrose Games, it’s understandable that you’d bet big on a pair of youngsters fresh out of college—Jacious Sears and Marcellus Moore—to cruise to their respective national titles. But a long racing resume tends to pay dividends on the brightest stages, and veterans like Ronnie Baker and Trayvon Bromell on the men’s side and Celera Barnes and Mikiah Brisco on the women’s will be tough to take down with team spots on the line. But with two other accomplished and experienced sprinters out of the meet (Noah Lyles and Aleia Hobbs), it’s entirely possible that the sprint podium will be a refreshing mix of new blood and familiar faces.

Can anyone stop Josh Hoey?

2024 was a year of near misses for 25-year-old Josh Hoey, who was the first man out for both the indoor and outdoor U.S. teams. But so far in 2025, Hoey hasn’t left much to doubt when it comes to racing, going three for three on wins so far this season with American records in the 800m and 1000m in two of those outings. Given that Hoey successfully outdueled Hoppel—the reigning World indoor and U.S. champ—at Millrose and Hoppel won’t be making the trip to New York, Hoey has to be considered the heavy favorite to finally get his chance at a Team USA berth.

Who comes out on top in a wide-open women’s 800m?

It’s been a while since the women’s 800m felt this unpredictable. For years, Ajee’ Wilson and Raevyn Rogers had two podium spots more or less spoken for, and the explosive entrance of Athing Mu on the world scene in 2021 only narrowed the path for others to make the team. But so far this year, the best American 800m runners are mostly still in college, and neither Juliette Whittaker nor Michaela Rose decided to throw their hat into this particular professional ring. So Wilson, who’s only managed a 2:02.31 so far this season, will vie for the win against the likes of Olivia Baker, Nia Akins, Sage Hurta-Klecker, and more, as the top eight entrants all sport seed times between 2:00.00 and 2:01.00. Who comes out on top will more likely be the product of excellent positioning and racing instincts rather than who can post the fastest mark.

Which heavy hitters will be going for gold in the women’s distance?

The women’s 1500m and 3000m will surely be two of the most highly-anticipated events of the whole weekend given the talent that’s crammed into both fields. Heather MacLean, Sinclaire Johnson, and Dani Jones have opted to focus on the 1500m, which takes place on Day 2, while MacLean’s teammate, World Indoor 1500m medalist Emily MacKay, has entered just the 3000m along with 5000m Olympian Whittni Morgan. Among the double entrants are Nikki Hiltz, Shelby Houlihan, and Katelyn Tuohy, all of whom could be in the mix for one or both podium spots. These two events could easily see athletes finish in fifth or sixth place who could conceivably medal in Nanjing, such is the depth of American middle distance at the moment.

Can Hobbs Kessler win his first national title—or two?

Hobbs Kessler may have two World medals (road mile gold and indoor 1500m bronze) and a shiny new 3:46 mile personal best, but the 21-year-old has yet to win a U.S. title over any distance or surface. But with no Yared Nuguse or Cole Hocker on the entry lists for Saturday, Kessler has to be considered the favorite in the 1500m, and possibly also the 3000m, where he’s got the second-fastest PB. In 2024, Kessler proved he’d leveled up tactically by making the Olympics in both the 1500m and 800m (plus kicking his way to the aforementioned World Indoor medal), so he should have both the fitness and the racing toolbox to come home with at least one USATF gold medal.

Will Vashti Cunningham keep her streak alive?

It’s been a full decade since high jumper Vashti Cunningham lost a U.S. Indoor title, which is a pretty wild stat considering Cunningham was still in high school when she picked up her first national crown. She enters the competition something of an unknown quantity, as she hasn’t competed since finishing fifth in the Olympic final (her best result of three appearances at the Games). Cunningham also lost her outdoor title streak last summer in Eugene, finishing third at the 2024 Trials, but with fourteen USATF gold medals on her shelf already at 27 years old, it feels premature to proclaim the Reign of Vashti to be over—at least until we see what kind of form she shows up in this weekend.

What happens when three big names are fighting for two spots?

In at least a few events, there are some serious international contenders who may be hard-pressed simply to make the smaller roster of a World Indoor squad simply because the U.S. is top-heavy with talent. In the women’s 60H, one of the six fastest athletes in the world this year will not be contending for gold in Nanjing because Masai Russell (7.76, world #1), Grace Stark, and Alia Armstrong (7.81, T-world #5) are all American. Similarly, one of Team USA’s three 6-meter pole vaulters (Sam Kendricks, KC Lightfoot, and Chris Nilsen) will be staying home, although unlike the hurdles, there’s a likely candidate for odd man out as Lightfoot has only cleared 5.65m, finishing seventh, in his sole competition of the year so far.

When all is said and done, there may still be some ambiguity over Team USA spots as several athletes have expressed hesitation about cramming World Indoors into a busy 2025 competition schedule, but don’t let that take away from the fun. Regardless of what happens next, the head-to-head clashes on tap for Ocean Breeze are well-positioned to deliver.

The Inherent Risk – And Opportunity – Of Novelty Indoor Meets 😬

Less than a week out from the Keely Klassic—Keely Hodgkinson’s first foray into meet-hosting, a billed attempt at the indoor 800m world record, and a bold push to attract a more youthful audience to the sport—calamity struck (or was it kalamity?). Hodgkinson was forced to pull out of her own eponymous meet with a hamstring injury. For just about any other singular-athlete-focused track meet out there, the removal of said star from the start list would be catastrophic (Katostrophic?).

Yet even without competing, merely lending her name to a track meet made it a must-attend event for the fine young people of Birmingham. By most accounts, the Keely-less Klassic was still a rousing success. There was still exciting racing—Georgia Bell continued her hot streak, winning the 1500m in 4:00.63 and the men’s 1000m was rock solid—and there was a DJ that people seemed to enjoy. But make no mistake: this meet worked because, even relegated to the sidelines, Keely is Keely. (No efforts will be made to rename next year’s installment the “Bell’s Ball” or “The Georgia Gala,” mispronouncing the g-word of your choice for alliterative purposes.) 

Hodgkinson, the reigning 800m Olympic gold medalist, is the sort of celebrity in the United Kingdom that contemporary American track fans might have a hard time comprehending. She was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2024—an award that has also recently been won by the likes of Formula One’s Lewis Hamilton and tennis’s Andy Murray. Her off-track activities are breathlessly chronicled by the notorious British tabloid press. And something like 13% of the population of the UK tuned in specifically to watch her compete in the Olympic final. 

Just because American track stars have a harder time capturing national attention doesn’t mean that this is not a remotely replicable model here in the States. But at the same time, any American Olympic gold medalists reading should not necessarily assume that they can personally save the sport.

Here’s what it does mean: there’s a clear appetite for doing things differently that extends beyond a whole new racing circuit or an off-year Super-Duper Very Cool Ultimate Championship. One-off meets do still have value in the track and field calendar if done correctly, strategically, and effortfully.

The World Athletics Indoor Tour isn’t quite the “stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen” of track circuits but it’s… uh… not exactly catching on in the American track consciousness. Internationally, track and field athletics has a lot less trouble breaking through in the mainstream than here in the United States. But it’s still worth trying new things: the reality that the U.S. is a huge, wealthy country with an eager audience of potential consumers, and any broader gains track and field makes globally likely hinge on capturing a greater slice of the American attention pie.

And while it’s fun to look across the pond for inspiration to a nation that’s long embraced track and field in a way we simply don’t, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Though Team USA is lousy with Olympic medalists and world record holders, none of them currently command the sort of broader cultural attention of someone like Keely Hodgkinson in the UK. Maybe, just maybe, a Sha’Carri Showdown or a Sydney Smash or a Trials of Lyles moves the needle, but the real takeaway is that enterprising meet directors should take a look at the calendar, find a quiet weekend, and try and peel some professional athletes away from their local college track with some cash and a spotlight.

When it comes to spicing up the indoor meet schedule, there are no bad ideas in brainstorming. WWE-style walkouts? Let’s do it. Celebrity guests? Sure! Pole vault in the Mall of America? Why not. It’s a long season, and simply offering up a certified meet to secure World standards doesn’t put butts in seats or toes on the start line. So why not think outside the box, inside our own backyard?

More News From The Track And Field World 📰

– The first six Challengers for Grand Slam Track’s Kingston Slam have been announced, all Jamaican athletes: Hansle Parchment (men’s Short Hurdles), Shiann Salmon (women’s Long Hurdles), Alana Reid (women’s Short Sprints), Malik James-King (men’s Long Hurdles), Orlando Bennett (men’s Short Hurdles), and Danielle Williams (Women’s Short Hurdles). 

– In the BU Valentine Invitational “undercard races,” Georgetown’s Tinoda Matsatsa—already the collegiate record holder over 1000m—went 1:45.21 in the 800m, #3 on the NCAA all-time list, and Nozomi Tanaka established a new Japanese national record and Asia area record in the indoor 5000m thanks to her 14:51.26 victory.

– Olympic 100m champ Noah Lyles and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill have agreed to race “sometime in 2025,” meaning, they likely won’t, and we’ll continue to write periodic updates about this low simmering feud for the foreseeable future.

– At the Tyson Invitational (yes, like the chicken), 400m world leads abounded, with Amber Anning* going 50.57 and Christopher Bailey running 44.70.

– *Anning’s WL was bettered two days later in Poland at the Copernicus Cup by Henriette Jæger, who ran 50.44, a new Norwegian national record. Gudaf Tsegay took another shot at lowering her own indoor 1500m world record, but had to settle for #2 on the all-time list after crossing the line in 3:53.92.

– The big ol’ purple oval at the University of Washington’s Dempsey Indoor propelled DMR squads to never-before-seen times for the event, indoors or out. The Washington men clocked in at 9:14.10, and the BYU women went 10:37.58, towing Stanford, NAU, Washington, and Utah teams to marks below the previous collegiate best.

– The U.S. 100-mile champs (yes, that’s a thing) did not pass by without a little controversy, as Rajpaul Pannu crossed the finish line first in a little under 12 hours but was later disqualified for wearing the HOKA Skyward X, whose stack height exceeds the competition-legal limit of 40 millimeters. The title ultimately went to Cody Poskin and his Hawaiian race shirt who crossed the line next up in 13:26:03.

– Mondo Duplantis opened up his 2025 campaign with a 6.10m vault at the ISTAF Berlin meet last Friday. As is typically the case whenever he lines up, that’s a world lead for Mondo. He made a couple of attempts at 6.27m—which would have been a new indoor world record—but no dice.

– Keturah Orji has announced her retirement from the sport. A perennial presence on the global triple jump stage and one of the greatest Americans to ever hop, step, and jump, she laid out her reasoning in a very interesting blog post.

– Shelby McEwen and Masai Russell participated in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in San Francisco over the weekend. McEwen got to showcase his seriously impressive in-game dunking ability, and Russell reported having had a nice time. But most importantly for readers of this newsletter and coaches everywhere who grimace at the thought of their star athlete playing in a pickup game, neither Olympic medalist sustained a season-disrupting injury.

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