Excitement Building, Records In Play For Thursday's Racing In St. Louis

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Will Nelson (Hedengren) and Keenan Gray (Tostenson/Kitchen)

Jane Hedengren has mowed down so many records in 2025 it might seems there are no more blades left to cut. 

The recent graduate of Timpview High in Utah will begin her postseason on Thursday evening at the HOKA Festival of Miles and go to the spot where the high school record in the full mile was broken not once, but twice, last year. 

WATCH THE HOKA FESTIVAL OF MILES LIVE FOR FREE THURSDAY ON RUNNESPACE  |  LIVE RESULTS ON ATHLETICLIVE

Hedengren last raced the full mile distance at Nike Indoor Nationals, where she ran 4:26.14. She has not yet run the event outdoors, but did run 4:32.61 at altitude for 1,600 meters. 

She has the high school records a 5,000 meters, 2 miles and 3,200 meters. 

In 2024 at Festival of Miles, Allie Zealand from Virginia broke the outdoor mile record when she ran 4:30.38 in the girls championship mile. And a few minutes ater that, Sadie Engelhardt broke that with 4:28.46 in the pro women's field. 

The boys championship race includes five who have joined the sub-four club already. Owen Powell of Mercer Island WA, the indoor national record holder, is a scratch, but Crater OR duo Josiah Tostensen and Tayvon Kitchen, Tommy Latham from Marist GA, TJ Hansen from Freeland MI and Corbin Coombs from Organ Mountain NM are all in. 

With Derek Holdsworth handling pacing duties, even Alan Webb's seemingly untouchable 3:53.43 mile from the 2001 Prefontaine Classic is within the realm of possibility. 

"If not this year, next year or the next two years," predicted Kitchen, who ran 7:58.82 for 3,000 meters last Friday at the Oregon state meet. "I think all records are in jeopardy. It's a time in the sport where names and records up there are going to fall. It goes wthout saying that no records are safe. That one (Webb's) in particular, because it's such an impressive one and a lot of guys want it, I would not be surprised if it went down at Fesival of Miles or next year at another race."

The boys championship mile field includes Iowa standout Quentin Nauman, who was on the cusp of sub-four when he ran 3:59.60 in the 1,600 at his state meet. 

Canadian Robin Lefebrve, Charlie Vause of Rio Rancho NM, Philip Blum from Riverside NC, Jack Anstrom from Seaforth NC, Caden Leonard from Southlake Carroll TX, Benji Anderson from Mountain Vista CO, Matthew Shelly and Brian Burns from Bentonville AR and Jackson Spencer from Herriman UT round out the field and all have run in the equivalent of 4:05 or better. 

The top talent also spills into the second section, where Tiago Soccaras of Belen Jesuit, Soheib Dissa of Newtown CT and Caleb Ten Pas (Des Moined Christian IA) figure to be top contenders. 

Hedengren could face a challenge from Californians Braelyn Combe and Hanne Thomsen, who finished 1-2 in the state meet 1,600 meters on Saturday in hot conditions in Fresno. Combe, of Santiago (Corona), won it in 4:35.64 with Thomsen (Montgomery CA) less than a tenth of a second back. 

Oregon state champion Chloe Huyler (Lakeridge), Elin Latta of South Texas Heat, Blair Bartlett of the Lawrenceville School NJ, Libby Castelli of O'Gorman SD, Gabbie Bishop of Providence Academy AR, Sundara Weber of Sandwich IL, and Coloradoans Rosie Mucharsky (Denver East), Keeghan Edwards (Mountain Vista) and Emily Cohen (Cherry Creek), Kinga Czajkowska of Palo Alto CA, Abby Faith Cheeseman of The Webb School TN and Rowan Sacke of Bridgeland TX  make it one of the best girls fields of the year.

In the boys 800, Bryson Nielson of Eastmark AZ comes in as US#3 with a best of 1:48.91. Tayshaun Ogomo of Herriman UT also brings sub-1:49 credentials (US#7 1:49.40).

Missouri's own, Elyse Wilmes of Father Tolton, leads the girls 800 lineup with a PR of US#13 2:06.24. Mia Perez of Smithson Valley TX has run 2:07,01 and Abby Downin from Unionville PA has run 2:07.45.

Defending women's champion Jenn Randall o Pacific Athletics, the only pro to beat Engelhardt last year, is returning. She'll face Colleen Quigley of Lululemon. Krissy Gear of Hoka, the Grand Blue Mile champion, and Alex Teubel. 

HOKA NAZ Athlete Olin Hacker is in the men's race along with notables Brandon Miller of Brooks Beasts, Craig Engels of Nike and Austen Dalquist from Tracksmith and Isaac Updike and Kasey Knevelbard of Under Armour Dark Sky.