BOSTON – Two American stars who were seeking redemption after disappointing finishes at last summer's USATF Outdoor Championships achieved that goal and more Saturday as they wrote their names in the record books at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.
Calling his shot like Babe Ruth at the World Series in 1932, Josh Hoey shattered one of the more venerable world indoor records with a stunning 1:42.50 in the men's 800 that broke the 29-year-old global best of 1:42.67 that was set by Denmark's Wilson Kipketer in 1997. Hoey, who set the American indoor record at 1:43.24 last year, had a familiar pacemaker with brother Jaxson pulling him through 200 in 24.81 and 400 in 50.21. From there it was all Josh, cruising past the 600 mark in 1:16.19 before a 26.31 final lap gave him the record he had promised leading up to the meet.
Hoey won the world indoor gold last March and had the second fastest 800 time ever by an American with a 1:42.01 at the Monaco Diamond League meet, but he was an agonizing fourth at the national championships and missed out on the World Championships in Tokyo.
Also fourth at the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships but in the 1500, Hobbs Kessler felt he had something to prove in his season debut. Like Hoey, Kessler used a 26.31 final 200 to crush the world best and American record in the men's 2000, speeding away from Grant Fisher to stop the clock at 4:48.79 and take 1.2 seconds off the previous world indoor best that was set by Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele in 2007. Fisher also beat Bekele's mark with a 4:49.48 in second and both men were well under the 4:52.92 pending American record that was run by Cole Hocker Friday night in Virginia. Belgium's Pieter Sisk ran the fifth fastest time ever in third at 4:52.41.
Excellent pacemaking by Davis Bove took the field through the first kilometer in 2:23.57, and Bove stayed with it for another three laps before stepping aside for Fisher to take the lead. Fisher went by 1600 in 3:52.83, a stride ahead of Kessler, and the record chase was on. Needing a final lap of just over 27 seconds for the world best, Kessler stalked Fisher and passed him around the bend to claim his biggest win ever.
In addition to the record-setting efforts, five other world-leading marks were achieved. New Hampshire native Elle St. Pierre loves running in Boston, and that showed with her triumphant return to the track after a year off to give birth in 2025. St. Pierre, the 2024 world indoor champion and American record holder, battled Australia's Linden Hall over the final lap in the women's 3000 to win in a world-leading 8:26.54, the fifth fastest performance ever by an American.
Jessica Hull, who anchored Australia to gold in the mixed relay at the World Cross Country Championships in Florida earlier this month, took the lead after the pacemaker moved aside with more than half the race remaining, and Hull went through 2K in 5:39.08, a quarter-second up on St. Pierre. St. Pierre's 5:39.32 for 2000 was the second fastest ever by an American, and she kept applying pressure to Hull before surging past her with two to go. Hall had a slight edge over St. Pierre at the bell, but savvy tactical running saw the American slingshot off the last curve to grab the victory by .49 seconds.
Coming off an American record in the road mile in Hawaii last month, Sinclaire Johnson appeared primed to run a very fast 1500, and she was up against Tokyo 1500 fourth-placer Dorcus Ewoi of Kenya. The duo stayed in touch with Gracie Morris through 1K and Ewoi made a move to take the lead with 300 to go. Johnson tagged along comfortably with the Kenyan and off the final turn the sprint to the finish saw Ewoi come away with the win in a world-leading 4:01.22 as Johnson set a lifetime best of 4:01.30 in second, becoming the No. 4 all-time U.S. indoor performer. Morris had the race of her life in fifth with a 4:02.12 that vaulted her to No. 5 on the U.S. all-time indoor performer list.
After hovering on the heels of the pacemaker through the first mile of the men's 3000, Graham Blanks went to the front and took the pack through 2K in 5:01.51. Blanks held that lead for the next four laps before being passed by Australia's Cam Myers on the penultimate circuit. Myers powered away to win in 7:27.57, making him the No. 10 all-time world performer, with Blanks hanging on for third in 7:31.97. Marco Langon of Villanova claimed a lifetime best in fifth at 7:34.56 to move to No. 4 on the all-time collegiate performer list.
Two-time world 100H champion Danielle Williams of Jamaica beat reigning world indoor 60H champion and world record holder Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas with a world leading 7.87. Christina Clemons was the top American finisher in third at 7.94.
The other world leading time came from reigning USATF outdoor champion Roisin Willis, who lowered her lifetime best to 1:59.59 to win the women's 800.
One of the most talked about matchups was in the men's 300, which certainly lived up to its hype. American record holder Noah Lyles, he of the multiple Olympic and world titles in the 200, lined up inside Jereem Richards of Trinidad, a pretty handy 200/400 guy himself, with relay legend Vernon Norwood to their inside in lane four. Richards held a very slight edge almost all the way and outleaned Lyles at the finish to win by .01 in 32.14, with Norwood third in a lifetime best 32.38. The 32.15 by Lyles was the ninth-fastest ever by an American.
Facing world outdoor 110 hurdles champion Cordell Tinch in the men's 60H, 2024 USATF indoor champion Trey Cunningham was quickest out of the blocks and kept the lead through the finish to tie the world lead with a 7.48. Connor Schulman set a personal best of 7.51 in second.
Ireland's Cian McPhillips, last summer's fourth place finisher in the 800 at the World Championships in Tokyo, pulled away around the final bend in the men's 600 to win in a lifetime best of 1:16.37 ahead of former American record holder Donavan Brazier and Bryce Hoppel. Brazier clocked 1:17.20, .04 ahead of Hoppel in third.
A first round leap of 6.64/21-9.5 was enough to give Monae' Nichols the women's long jump victory over double Olympic jumps bronze medalist Jasmine Moore, who took the runner-up spot with her opener of 6.57/21-6.75, and reigning world indoor champion Claire Bryant, who was third at 6.51/21-4.25.
Khaleb McRae, who was third at the USATF outdoor championships last year, was a half-stride ahead of Quincy Wilson at the break in the men's 400 and staved off the high schooler on the final lap to win in 45.38 over Wilson's 45.96.
2023 USATF indoor 400 winner and reigning heptathlon world champion Anna Hall went quickly to the lead through 200 in the women's 400 and was still leading off the final bend, but Great Britain's Nicole Yeargin eased past her down the stretch to win by .14 in 52.63.
In other events, James Carter took top honors in the men's triple jump with a best of 16.32/53-6.5. Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith won the women's 60 in 7.08 and Ackeem Blake of Jamaica took the men's dash in 6.53.