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≡ 117th MILLROSE GAMES ≡
The 117th Millrose Games was expected to be a hot meet at The Armory in New York, but volcanic was more like it with two world records, an American Record and eight world leaders:
● Men/600 m: 1:14.04, Will Sumner (USA)
● Men/800 m: 1:43.90, Josh Hoey (USA) ~ American Record
● Men/Mile: 3:46.63, Yared Nuguse (USA) ~ World Record
● Men/3,000 m: 7:22.91, Grant Fisher (USA) ~ World Record
● Men/60 m hurdles: 7.38, Dylan Beard (USA)
● Women/60 m: 7.02, Jacious Sears (USA)
● Women/60 m hurdles: 7.76, Masai Russell (USA)
● Women/Pole Vault: 4.82 m (15-9 3/4), Katie Moon (USA)
The much-anticipated men’s 3,000 m had Olympic 1,500 m champ Cole Hocker, double bronze winner Grant Fisher and more, with the American Record and possibly the world record under threat. Fisher led Hocker and Ty Robinson (AUS) as the pacesetter dropped off at 1,800 m. Fisher passed 2,000 m in a fast 4:58.01, and Fisher and Hocker were 1-2 and Hocker took the lead with three laps left. That surge broke Robinson, but Fisher was a stride behind at the bell.
Fisher tried for the lead on the back straight, but could not pass and tried one more time on the home straight and got by and blasted to the line in a world record of 7:22.91! That smashed Ethiopian Lamecha Girma’s mark of 7:23.81 from 2023, and, of course, the American Record of 7:28.23 by Yared Nuguse in 2023. That earned Fisher a $25,000 world-record bonus.
Hocker finished 7:23.14 – no. 2 all-time – and Jimmy Gressier (FRA) came up for third in 7:30.18, with Robinson fourth at 7:30.38. Fisher won the Olympic 5,000 m and 10,000 m bronzes in 2024; he is signaling that he can run with anyone now.
The men’s Wanamaker Mile had Olympic 1,500 m bronze medalist Nuguse trying for a third straight win in this race, and he settled in behind pacemaker Abe Alvarado in the first quarter (57.17). World Road mile champ Hobbs Kessler was just behind Nuguse; Alvarado passed 880 yards in 1:53.02 (55.86), and Nuguse took over with three laps left.
He passed 1,320 yards in 2:50.23 (56.95), with Kessler and Robert Farken (GER) right in line behind him. At the bell, Nuguse was pulling, but Kessler was a step behind and coming hard off the final turn. But Nuguse would not be denied and pushed through the tape in a world record of 3:46.63! Kessler was also under the old mark of 3:47.01 by Yomif Kejelcha (ETH: 2019) at 3:46.90, then 3:47.48 – a World Junior record – for Cam Myers (AUS), Azeddine Habz (FRA: 3:47.56) and Gary Martin (USA: 3:48.82 lifetime best).
Nuguse became the first American world-record holder in the indoor mile since Dick Buerkle ran a 3:54.93 stunner on 13 January 1978, 47 years ago!
The American 1,000 m record holder, Josh Hoey, had the lead in the men’s 800 m at the bell, chased by World Indoor champ Bryce Hoppel. But Hoey was too strong off the final turn and got to the line in an American Record of 1:43.90, also the world leader in 2025 and now no. 3 all-time! Hoppel was close behind at 1:44.19 (no. 6 all-time world) and then Jonah Koech (1:44.82, no. 4 all-time U.S.). In sixth was Cooper Lutkenhaus (Northwest HS of Justin, Texas), who got the indoor high school mark at 1:46.86, breaking Hoey’s 1:47.67 mark from 2018!
In the men’s 600 m, a lot of the interest was on 17-year-old prep star Quincy Wilson, but it was 2023 NCAA 800 m champ Will Sumner who had control of the race at the bell, trying to hold off Olympians Brandon Miller and Isaiah Jewett. Sumner broke away down the final straight and won in a world-leading 1:14.04, moving him to no. 3 all-time, with the no. 4 performance!
Jewett was body-to-body with Miller to the tape and had to raise his left arm to get past the shorter Miller to get second in 1:14.17 (no. 4 all-time), with Miller third in 1:14.37. Wilson got fourth in 1:16.20, the no. 2 performance in U.S. high school history.
Dylan Beard took charge of the men’s 60 m hurdles from the start and withstood a challenge from Cordell Tinch to win in a world-leading 7.38, also a meet record and equal-11th on the all-time list! Tinch finished a clear second in 7.43, a lifetime best and Cameron Murray was third in 7.52.
The women’s 60 m confirmed the full-power return of former Tennessee sprinter Jacious Sears, who blew out of the blocks and ran away to a world lead of 7.02, now equal-22nd all-time and equal-8th all-time U.S. Celera Barnes came up for second at the line in 7.15, just ahead of Tokyo relay Olympian Aleia Hobbs at 7.16.
In the women’s 60 m hurdles, Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent, the 2024 100 m hurdles world leader was charged with a false start and allowed to run under protest. On the re-start, Olympic champ Masai Russell got to the front right away and held on to win in a world-leading 7.76. Nugent came on at the fifth hurdle and appeared to get second, but her disqualification was upheld, so Paris Olympian Grace Stark was second in 7.83 and world-record holder Devynne Charlton (BAH) was third in 7.83.
Katie Moon won the women’s vault – the only elite-level field event – at 4.82 m (15-9 3/4), on her second attempt. Emily Grove and Gabriela Leon went 2-3 at 4.60 m (15-1). Moon increased her world lead by 2 cm.
There was a lot more, of course.
Former Purdue and Texas sprinter Marcellus Moore reached the NCAA and Olympic Trials semis in 2024, but got a good start and clearly defeated a good field in the men’s 60 m in 6.65, equaling his lifetime best. Trayvon Bromell, the 2016 World Indoor champ, closed hard but was second in 6.59.
American Olympic gold medalist Alexis Holmes got to the lead right away in the women’s 400 m and won going away in 51.21, ahead of Leah Anderson (JAM: 52.12). Holmes moved to no. 3 on the year list.
Addy Wiley took the lead in the women’s 800 m with a lap and a half to go, but Olympic finalist Shafiqua Maloney (VIN) took over off the back straight and ran away to a decisive win in 1:59.07, no. 2 in the world for 2025 and a meet record. Americans Olivia Baker (2:00.02) and Kaela Edwards (2:00.14) came up to get second and third, with Wiley fourth (also 2:00.14).
The women’s Wanamaker Mile saw Australia’s Linden Hall lead at the 1,320 mark, with Susan Ejore (KEN) just behind and then taking the lead at the bell over 2022 U.S. indoor champ Heather Maclean. Britain’s Georgia Bell, the Olympic 1,500 m bronzer in Paris, moved up with 100 m to go and she moved best on the final straight to win in 4:23.35, no. 3 in the world in 2025. Maclean got second in 4:23.41 and Nikki Hiltz, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials 1,500 m winner, was third in 4:23.50.
Sarah Engelhardt of Ventura HS (California) finished in 4:27.97 in 11th and got the U.S. high school record, previously held by the legendary Mary Cain from 2013.
Olympic 1,500 m silver winner Jess Hull (AUS) was the headliner in the women’s 3,000 m, and took over at 1,400 m. But Ethiopia’s Tsige Gebreselama was the leader with six laps left, and continued until American Josette Andrews burst into the lead on the penultimate lap. Andrews then was passed herself as Paris Olympian Whittni Morgan blew by on the backstraight and ran solo to the line in 8:28.03, a lifetime best, no. 2 on the 2025 world list, and no. 5 all-time U.S. Andrews was a clear second in 8:29.77 (no. 4 in 2025), with Ireland’s Sarah Healy in 8:30.79, and Hull fourth in 8:30.91.
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At the World Indoor Gold meet in Karlsruhe (GER) on Friday, Germany’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic women’s long jump champion, Malaika Mihambo, got a world-leading win at 7.07 m (23-2 1/2), equaling her lifetime indoor best.
In the women’s shot, Canada’s Sarah Mitton – the 2024 World Indoor champ – was third heading into the final round, but exploded to equal her outdoor lifetime best at 20.68 m (67-10 1/4), the world lead in 2025. She passed two-time European champ Jessica Schilder (NED: 20.09 m/65-11) and two-time World Champion Chase Jackson of the U.S. (20.06 m/65-9 3/4).
Reigning World Indoor champ Molly Caudery (GBR) moved to no. 2 in the world for 2025 at 4.75 m (15-7) to win the women’s vault.
South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso won the women’s 800 m in 1:59.88, a national record and no. 4 in the world for 2025.
At the World Indoor Tour Silver meet in Metz (FRA), Ethiopia’s 2024 World Indoor women’s 800 m champ, Tsige Duguma, got the world lead in 1:58.97 over Jemma Reekie (GBR: 1:59.72) and German Max Hess won the men’s triple jump with a world-leading 17.41 m (57-1 1/2).
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