Hedengren Sets New National Record at HOKA Festival of Miles

Now, the top four times ever have come at the race in St. Louis 

During the HOKA High School Girls Championship Mile race on Thursday, June 5, Jane Hedengren from Timpview, Utah, ran 4:23.50 to shatter the national U.S. record.

That mark was set by Sadie Engelhardt from Ventura, California, who ran 4:28.46 in a 2024 race here. Last year, Allie Zealand from Virginia won the race in 4:30.38 and holds the High School meet record since Engelhardt's mark came in the women's pro race.

Jenn Randall was third -- before tonight -- with a 4:33.86 from the 2022 race.

The top six finishers in this year's race featured the top 7 times in the U.S. this year, all of them faster than 4:40. 

Hanne Thomsen from Montgomery, California, took second in 4:35.63 and Elin Latta from South Texas Heat Homeschool was third at 4:36.74.

Hedengren is the National record holder in the 2 Mile after she ran 9:34.12 at the Arcadia Invitational this year and shattered Zealand's record by 7 seconds.

--

Hoka High School Boys Championship Mile

Quentin Nauman from Western Dubuque, Iowa, took home the boys' mile championship with a time of 3:58.65. The new No. 1 time in the nation this year came after he ran 59.93 on the third lap and then 54.71 in the last lap. 

According to the MileSplit leaderboard, this was the 8th fastest time ever. 

This field featured four runners to break 4:00 and two did that on Thursday.

Crater, Oregon's Josiah Tostenson, took second at 3:59.00, now No. 2 this year. Freeland, Michigan's TJ Hansen ran 4:00.69.

--

Drury Hotels Professional Women's Mile

Former Stanford standout Christina Aragon won the professional race in 4:29.38, winning by .05 seconds. Representing Nike, Aragon posted a close win against HOKA runner Krissy Gear.

The former Arkansas runner's time was 4:29.43. The aforementioned Randall was third running for Pacific Athletics.

Saint Louis Track Club Professional Men's Mile

In the final race of the day, Nike's Craig Engels took home first place with a time of 3:56.28. The former Ole Miss runner led the field, where the next 5 runners were all in 3:57s. Olin Hacker from HOKA NAZ Elite took second with 3:57.09. 

Missouri native and 2024 Olympian Brandon Miller made his triumphant return to the Festival of Miles, a meet he has dominated in the past, breaking 4:00 for the first time in his career - 3:57.91.

--

Final Surge Girls 800 Meters

Missouri runners went 1-2 in the race, led by a pair of state champions.

Father Tolton Regional Catholic's Elyse Wilmes, a four-time champion at three different classes, ran 2:04.05 to win. That was a drop from her time of 2:07.52 on May 31 and a new Missouri State record, beating Hannah Long's 2:04.23 from this same race in 2015.

Wilmes moved from No. 14 in the country to No. 7 with her showing.

In second place was Paige Stuart from Blue Springs, finishing in 2:05.92, now the third fastest time in State history, passing Samantha Levin's 2:06.74 from 2011. The Oklahoma State pledge has won the past three MSHSAA Class 5 championships.

Stuart beat both Mia Perez (No. 24 time) and Elena Rybak (No. 39). Stuart is now slotted in at No. 12 in the nation.

--

Final Surge Boys 800 Meters

Bryson Nielsen didn't have the time that won the AIA State Championship in Arizona, but his 1:49.53 secured a victory on Thursday night.

The Eastmark, Arizona runner secured the win over Owen Wolfe from Dowling Catholic (Iowa), who ran 1:49.92.

--

Spewak Training High School Girls Elite Mile

This race was particularly fast, with the top 5 runners recording top 20 times in the country.

Gianna Rahmer from Eldorado, New Mexico, took home top honors by winning in 4:43.24.

Coming into the race, she didn't have one of the top four times in the field. Annika Swan from St. Ignatius College Prep in Illinois had the fastest time among seeds, but took fifth.

Her 1:08 on the final lap led to a very close victory. 

Mary Nesmith from Marietta, Georgia, ran 4:43.30, besting her previous best time of 4:45.90.

--

Spewak Training High School Boys Elite Mile

The field featured 16 more boys with a season best under 4:10.

Benjamin Adams crossed in 4:02.56 to take home the title. The sophomore from Mountain Vista (CO) is coming off a runner-up finish in the Colorado state meet. That is now No. 5 in the U.S.

Caleb Ten Pas from Des Moines Christian (IA) took second with 4:03.01. He entered the race with the fastest time of the group with a 4:03.53 mark from the Iowa State Championships two weeks ago. 

His new time is No. 6, while third-place finisher Soheib Dissa from Newtown, Connecticut, is No. 9 with a 4:03.26.

Kirkwood's Graham Stevener was fourth and his 1600 (4:01.80) and Mile (4:03.31) times are both MO No. 2 all-time behind only Connor Burns. Rockhurst's Henry Acorn stays MO No. 4 all-time with his 4:04.09 (1600) and 4:05.55 (1 Mile) improvements.

--

Final Surge Junior High races

Isla Rahmer, from Hoover, New Mexico, started out the night in a big way.

The Class of 2031 runner broke the record in the junior high mile with a time of 4:55.23. The previous record was 4:57.21, set by Illinois runner Tatum David in 2019. Rahmer, representing Albuquerque Athletic Track, also climbed to Number 1 in MileSplit's all-time 6th grade Mile rankings, joining Anne Forsyth as the only 6th graders to ever break 5:00 for a full mile.

The runner-up was Molly Mocko from Zephyrs TC in Illinois. She's a seventh grader from Glen Ellyn.

Luke Surface, from North Raleigh Christian Academy in Raleigh, N.C., won the boys junior high race in 4:27.83.  The boys' race runner-up was Abram Garcia from Polo, Illinois. He ran 4:29.39.

--

Big River Running Girls Mile

Webb City's Brooke Hedger took first with a time of 4:57.16. She beat MSHSAA Class 3 state champion Ilene Limberg from Owensville. Limberg's time was 4:58.69.

Big River Running Boys Mile

Hollister's Sinry Mendoza took home first place with a 4:09.36. The Class 3 state champion cruised the final 400 in less than a minute.

The next three runners were about a second apart in time. SLUH's Alex Bendana was second in 4:12.60, followed by Festus' Carson Driemeier (4:13.23) and Park Hill South's Thomas Garrett (4:13.67). 

--

Design Aire Heating & Cooling Mascot 400 Meters

There is a new top dog this year --literally.

The Steve's Hot Dog hot dog took home first place in the mascot race.

Representing a local eatery with 6 locations in St. Louis, the hot dog ran 54.47 and didn't let anyone else "ketchup." The Knight from Farmington had the best chance but took second with a time of 55.02.