Nikki Hiltz had a weekend to remember at the USATF Indoor Championships in Staten Island, N.Y., and did something no other runner had accomplished.
On Saturday, Hiltz won the women’s 3,000 meters. They followed it up on Sunday with a win in the 1,500. Hiltz became the first runner to win five consecutive U.S. 1,500-meter titles, including both indoor and outdoor tracks. They also became the first runner to sweep the 1,500 and 3,000 middle distance women’s races since 2020.
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“1500 AND 3k Indoor Champion‼️ Feeling very lucky to be able to watch @nikkihiltz do what they love this weekend,” Gee wrote. “All I have to to say is…if you’ve never been interested in watching track, just go watch a race Nikki’s in (or just a 1500 on general it’s WIlD) and you’ll be on the edge of your seat.
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Nikki Hiltz poses after winning the women’s 1,500 meters in 4:05.76 during the USATF Indoor Championships at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, N.Y. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“Indoors is about positioning,” Hiltz told Lewis Johnson on NBC Sports about their race strategy this weekend. “You can lead indoors better than outdoors. There’s no wind. The turns are tighter. Sometimes the pole position is the best position.”
In the 3,000 meters, Hiltz outdueled Shelby Houlihan down the stretch, winning by .15 seconds. With their wins, Hiltz qualified for next month’s indoor championships, but will skip them to focus in the upcoming Grand Slam outdoor season that starts in Jamaica in April.
* Original Article:
https://www.outsports.com/2025/2/24/24107976/trans-nonbinary-runner-nikki-hiltz-u-s-indoor-championhips-sweep/
