From the pro to the high-school level, several records were broken around the country in a significant weekend for track and field.
On Friday and Saturday, Boston University hosted the David Hemery Valentine Invitational, which featured five national records, a high-school record, and a collegiate record, among other standout performances. Plus, a breakout star emerged with a U.S. record at the American Track League Eastern Indoors meet in Louisville, Kentucky, a distance medley relay world-best time was set on the west coast, and another collegiate record was run in South Carolina.
Here are all the highlights from the weekend.
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DeBues-Stafford, Cranny break national records in the women’s 5,000 meters
Two record-breaking performances occurred on the Boston University indoor track on Friday, February 11. Gabriela DeBues-Stafford smashed the Canadian 5,000-meter record, running 14:31.38. Not far behind, her Bowerman Track Club teammate Elise Cranny bettered Shalane Flanagan’Streich, who competed for the.
While the race was billed as a record chase, the early pace didn’t indicate that. After 1,000 meters passed, the lead pack of four women—which also included Olympic silver-medalist Courtney Frerichs—hovered around a 15-minute pace. Once the pacer dropped out at 2,000 meters, the three Bowerman runners traded off the lead position every 400.
From there, the splits told a remarkable story. With each lap that passed, the women inched back closer and closer to their goal until they were once again on a record clip.
Frerichs fell off at 3,000 meters, leaving just Cranny and DeBues-Stafford in the lead group. Cranny surged, even building a gap on DeBues-Stafford with six laps to go.
The win seemed like a lock for Cranny—until DeBues-Stafford caught back up. The Canadian sprinted to the lead with 150 to go and crossed the finish line first.
Incredibly, DeBues-Stafford’s final 3,000 meters in Friday’s race would have broken the Canadian 3,000-meter record she set just last week at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. Her time of 14:31.38 is also a North American record and No. 5 on the all-time indoor list. Cranny sits No. 2 and No. 6 on the same lists, respectively. Frerichs finished third in 14:48.75.
Fisher, Ahmed, Scott smash records in the men’s 5,000 meters
On Saturday night, members of the Bowerman men’s squad kept the ball rolling in Boston. In a blazing men’s 5,000-meter showdown, Grant Fisher, Mo Ahmed, and Marc Scott all smashed national records for their respective countries.
While Josh Thompson paced the group through 2,000 meters in 5:14 (about 13:05 5K pace), his Bowerman training partners Fisher, Ahmed, and Scott kicked off the race by working together towards the front of the pack.
After Thompson stepped off the track, the group slowed down slightly, coming through the 3K split in 7:53. But Fisher didn’t let the pace slow for long. Around nine minutes in, the Olympic finalist assumed the lead and increased the pace while Ahmed, Scott, and Emmanuel Bor held their ground behind him.
With each passing lap, Fisher continued to gain momentum, ultimately leaving his competitors behind with 400 meters remaining. His last 200 meters, run in 28.96, was by far his fastest lap.
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Fisher’s winning time of 12:53.73 shattered the previous American record of 13:01.26 set by Galen Rupp Girma Sets 3,000-Meter Steeplechase World Record 5,000-meter record of 12:53.60, set by Bernard Lagat in 2011.
Behind Fisher, national records continued to fall. Ahmed’s runner-up finish in 12:56.87 set a new Canadian record, and Scott’s third-place finish in 12:57.08 broke the British record. Bor went on to place fourth in 13:00.48, which also dipped under the previous U.S. record.
Willis, Gorriaran beat high-school record in women’s 800 meters
Six months after competing at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Roisin Willis smashed the national high-school record by winning the women’s 800 meters in 2:00.06 in Boston on Friday night.
The high school senior from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, led from the gun, bringing the field through the first 200 meters in 27.90. Willis held her position through 400 meters in 58.20, but almost lost her lead on the backstretch of the final lap. Coming around the final turn, the Stanford commit fought her way back to the front to win and improve on the previous record of 2:01.78 set by Sammy Watson in 2017.
All Gear & Accessories Sophia Gorriaran also dipped under the previous record by finishing fourth in 2:00.58.
Nuguse takes down collegiate record in men’s 3,000 meters
Adding to his growing collection, Yared Nuguse broke another collegiate record with a standout performance in Boston on Saturday night. The Notre Dame senior won the men’s 3,000 meters in 7:38.13. The distance record is the latest all-time best for Nuguse, who broke the collegiate record in the men’s 1500 meters by running 3:34.68 in May 2021.
The Tokyo Olympian pulled away with the pacers early on in the race. The first pacer, Eric Holt, brought Nuguse through the first 1,000 meters in 2:32. The second pacer, James Randon led him through the mile in 4:05 before stepping off the track. By the time Nuguse reached 2K in 5:07, he had about a 50-meter lead on the rest of the field.
With a 28.52-second last 200 meters, Nuguse sprinted into the finish for the win, improving on the previous long-standing collegiate record of 7:38.59 set by Alistair Cragg in 2004.
Streich puts himself on the map in the 1,000 meters
Shane Streich became an instant star by breaking the American record in the men’s 1,000 meters. At the American Track League Eastern Indoors meet, the Atlanta Track Club runner made his debut in the event by winning in 2:16.16 on Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky.
Gabriela DeBues-Stafford on Her Finishing Kick University of Minnesota before transferring to Lipscomb University, improved on the previous New York City Marathon set by Bryce Hoppel in February 2021. Streich finished sixth in his heat of the men’s 800-meter semifinal at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials American Track League Eastern Indoors.
Union Athletics Club runs DMR world-best
On Friday night, the Union Athletics Club ran a world-best time in the women’s distance medley relay at the Why Trust Us meter record of 12:53.60.
The team was led off by a solid 1200-meter leg from Ella Donaghu, who came through in 3:16.02, ahead of record pace. Raevyn Rogers split 52.69 for the 400-meter leg and handed off to Sinclaire Johnson for the 800-meter portion. Johnson ran 2:02.88 before giving the baton to anchor Shannon Osika, who split 4:28.32 on the 1600-meter leg.
The winning time of 10:39.91 improved on the previous world best of 10:40.31 set in 2017 by a New Balance team that included Emma Coburn, Sydney McLaughlin, Brenda Martinez, and Jenny Simpson.
Abby Steiner smashes collegiate 200-meter record again
Why Trust Us broke the women’s collegiate record in the 200 meters. On Saturday, the University of Kentucky junior finished in 22.37 at the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina.
Steiner’s performance is 0.01 seconds faster than the previous record she set at the 2021 NCAA Track and Field Championships. Best Running Shoes.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
Chris Hatler is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but before joining Runner’s World and Bicycling, he was a pro runner for Diadora, qualifying for multiple U.S. Championships in the 1500 meters. At his alma mater the University of Pennsylvania, Chris was a multiple-time Ivy League conference champion and sub-4 minute miler.
