By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2026 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
NEW YORK (25-Jul) — After winning the second of two 1500m heats here on Thursday at the Toyota USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Icahn Stadium, three-time defending champion Nikki Hiltz said that competing in New York felt “fresh and different” when compared to competing at the national championships in Eugene, Ore., the last three years.
Perhaps.
But the result was still the same. The former Arkansas Razorback came out on top in a sprint finish, making it four consecutive titles.
“It was, honestly, probably, I think, out of all my titles, the hardest one,” Hiltz told reporters. “I feel really, really, really happy with that one. It’s so hard to defend one. It’s hard to defend two. Going into this, I was a three-time defending champ, and I think the weight just gets heavier and heavier and heavier. So, I feel a lot of relief right now.”
Like a great symphony, today’s race finished with an incredible crescendo. Little-known Jessica Cain, a product of San Diego State University, took the lead with two laps to go and held that position for a full lap. Hiltz, Addy Wiley, Rachel McArthur, and Emily Mackay were right on her heels. At the bell, Wiley and Hiltz moved to the front and dueled down the backstretch. McArthur couldn’t keep pace, but Mackay managed to remain in contact.
The three leaders came around the final bend with Hiltz on the front. The 2024 Olympian was in a great position, but was wary of Wiley. Wiley, who won a bronze medal in the 800m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in March, was definitely a threat.
“I know she’s strong right now, so I wasn’t really surprised,” Hiltz said. “I know how good she is, and she looked great in the 800 yesterday.”
The three athletes barrelled down the homestretch. Mackay went to the outside and literally threw herself across the line, landing hard on her chest.
“I gave it my all the last one hundred,” Mackay told Race Results Weekly. She continued: “I think that’s the first time I’ve fallen over a finish line before. There’s a first time for everything.”
It was unclear who won, but the official finish photo told the story. Hiltz got the win over Wiley by 4/100ths of a second, 4:06.92 to 4:06.96. Mackay was just 2/100ths behind Wiley in 4:06.98. Hiltz closed in 58.80 seconds, Wiley in 58.85, and Mackay in 58.69. Hiltz has now won 11 national titles in multiple disciplines.
“Today, I had no idea (if I could win),” Hiltz said. “I was like, just fight, fight, fight, fight. And, honestly, dive if you have to. I’m confident that I am going to do my best no matter what, and I’m confident that I’m going to fight for every spot. It kind of felt like it came down to maybe who wanted it more in the last step of that thing.”
Wiley, who will also contest the 800m final tomorrow, was proud of how she raced.
“It was really fun from a championship-type racing perspective,” Wiley said, looking upbeat. She continued: “Second is a hard place to be, especially in that type of a race. I’m really proud; I think I did everything that I could. Maybe I’ll watch it and notice that I had some tactical errors (where) I could have moved a little sooner. We’ll see.”
The men’s 1500m final also came down to a homestretch sprint. The first 400 meters was covered in a pokey 68 seconds, and the second was about the same. Nick Plant, Nathan Green, and Eric Holt were on the front. At the bell, Gary Martin and Green went to the lead and the pace got hot, quickly. Vince Ciattei moved up, was running behind Green, and followed him into the homestretch. Green, who won the national 1500m indoor title back in March, exploded down the Icahn Stadium’s sky-blue track and hit the tape in 3:50.27 to Ciattei’s 3:50.32. Rheinhardt Harrison of Northern Arizona got third in 3:50.65, and Martin fourth in 3:50.74. His time was the slowest winning time at a national championships since Lopez Lomong ran 3:50.83 in 2010.
“I made a move that I never made before with 600 to go,” Green explained. “I was just trying to see if I could make something different work, and it worked out really well and I’m just really proud of it. It feels really big.”
Unlike the two 1500’s, the 3000m steeplechase finals for men and women were fast. On the women’s side, 19 athletes lined-up (there weren’t enough competitors to hold a prelim), and the stronger women made sure the pace was fast enough to string the field out to avoid accidents. The first kilometer was covered in a decent 3:08.93 with Gabbi Jennings, Lexy Halladay, Sydney Masciarelli, and Marisa Howard at the front. Ten-time national champion Emma Coburn stayed tucked in the pack.
“Obviously it was tactical, and like everyone else in the race I felt very relaxed for the first kilometer,” Coburn said.
Jennings asserted herself and upped the pace at the front. Halladay was ready for that and was happy to tag along.
“Actually, it’s kind of weird but that’s exactly how I thought it was going to play out,” said Halladay, the event’s defending champion. She added: “When Gabbi took it I was like, OK, here we go.”
Jennings and Halladay shared the lead with two laps to go, and on the backstretch Halladay surged into the lead. She quickly put a gap on Jennings and held it to the finish. Halladay won her second consecutive national title in 9:12.54. Jennings got second in 9:17.42, and Madie Boreman moved up from sixth place with two laps to go to take third.
“When I felt it was time to go, it was time to go,” said Halladay, who competed for Brigham Young University during her collegiate career. “I was waiting, waiting and waiting and I think it was like 700 meters (to go) and I was like, OK it’s time. I went around her (Jennings). In that moment I had to make a decision and I made a hard move.”
Coburn, who received a warm reception from the crowd when she was introduced before the race, ended up seventh in 9:29.68. She felt a mix of emotions: happy to be back to a national championships for the first time since 2023, but disappointed with her result.
“That was a pretty bad race,” she told reporters. She continued: “The last two laps felt like I should have one to go instead of two to go. Running’s not a straight path. I know my workouts are as good as they should be. It’s just a matter of getting it right on the day.”
The men’s steeplechase was a wild affair with a big upset in the end. Former University of Virginia athlete Nathan Mountain, who was just ninth at the NCAA Division I Championships last month, took a ride behind Duncan Hamilton for six laps before launching a big sprint coming out of the final water jump. Mountain, Hamilton and Carson Williams charged down the homestretch together, all hoping for victory. Mountain took the lead with 100 meters to go and held it, despite tripping over the final barrier and nearly falling. He later tumbled to the track as he broke the tape to win in 8:13.81 to Williams’s 8:13.88 (a personal best) and Hamilton’s 8:14.05.
“That last hundred I knew I had to go,” said Mountain, rocking side to side with nervous energy. “There are no tactics for the last hundred. I’m flying and I clipped the last barrier. I just knew, stay on the feet; this is no time to go down. We’re getting to that finish. Stumbled a little and it took some momentum, but I was still in the lead. I slowly felt someone coming, but I knew I had to lean for it. I wasn’t going to leave it to chance.”
Hamilton was pleased with how he raced, shifting-up his tactics from previous races this season.
“That was the plan,” said Hamilton. “Ever since that first meet this year, Trackfest I think, I was just thinking the plan of staying in the pack, conserve energy, and then kind of rip the last 800. I’ve been trying that for so long, and it hasn’t worked. Like, I’m closing faster when I’m out front, just like competing. My head’s more in it and I’m more focused.”
Williams, who is in his rookie season as a pro, was happy with second. In addition to getting a personal best, he thought that his tactics were solid.
“I knew I had some juice left in the legs, and if I could hit the last hurdle hard I had a chance for the win,” said the former Furman University athlete. “So I just gave it everything I had. It wasn’t enough today, but that’s what we do it here for; just try to get better every day.”
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EL YOUSSFI AND XX WIN BIX 7, HOST OF 2025/26 PRRO CHAMPIONSHIPS
This morning, Mohammed El Youssfi of Morocco and Everlyn Kemboi of Kenya won the Quad-City Times Bix 7 Mile in Davenport, Iowa, host of the 2025/26 PRRO Championships. In warm, but not oppressive, conditions both athletes scored convincing wins. El Youssfi, 29, who represents Nike, clocked 32:07 and beat second place Dawit Seare of Eritrea by three seconds. Kenyan Amon Kemboi, who lives and trains in Raleigh, N.C., took third in 32:15. The top American was Biya Simbassa of Flagstaff, Ariz., who finished fourth overall in 32:16.
In addition to the $12,500 prize money awarded to the race winners, El Youssfi also earned the $10,000 PRRO “Super Bonus” which was available to selected athletes in the race based on specific prior accomplishments. El Youssfi was eligible for the bonus because he won at least one prior PRRO event during the 2025/26 season (he actually won two). That gave him a $22,500 total payday.
Kemboi dominated the women’s race. Her time of 35:29 was the third-fastest in race history and only nine seconds short of Mary Keitany’s 2016 course record (it was her first time running the race). The On-sponsored athlete beat second place Veronica Loleo of Kenya, the defending PRRO champion, by a comfortable 27 seconds. Kemboi received a $2500 bonus as 2025/26 PRRO champion, giving her a total payday of $15,000.
Today’s race was the 52nd edition of the Bix (51st in-person), and the 29th edition of the PRRO Championships. A total of 8791 athletes finished the race.
PHOTO: Nikki Hiltz wins the women’s 1500m at the 2026 Toyota Outdoor Track & Field Championships in New York City (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: Nathan Green just edges Vince Ciattei to take the 1500m title at the 2026 Toyota Outdoor Track & Field Championships in New York City (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: Lexy Halladay (left) and Gabbi Jennings battle for the lead in the women’s steeplechase final at the 2026 Toyota Outdoor Track & Field Championships in New York City (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: Nathan Mountain (right) out-sprints Carson Williams and Duncan Hamilton to take the men’s steeplechase title at the 2026 Toyota Outdoor Track & Field Championships in New York City (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
ENDS
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