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He did it again! Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis set the 11th world record of his career with a victory at Friday’s All-Star Perche in Clermont-Ferrand (FRA) at 6.27 m (20-6 3/4)!
He was on fire from the start, clearing 5.65 m (18-6 1/2), 5.91 m (19-4 3/4), 6.02 m (19-9) and 6.07 m (19-11) all on his first try, leaving Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis (6.02 m) in second place. Duplantis then arched over 6.27 m on his first try for his second world mark set in this meet (also in 2023). Year-by-year:
● 2020: 2 records set (2 indoor)
● 2022: 3 (2 indoor)
● 2023: 2 (1 indoor)
● 2024: 3
● 2025: 1 (1 indoor: 6 total)
Remember, he’s still just 25.
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American Olympic 1,500 m bronze winner Yared Nuguse made a run to re-gain the world record in the indoor mile at the 2025 Last Chance Indoor Qualifier at Boston University on Sunday afternoon, but fell just short.
He was chased throughout by Australian star Olli Hoare but was clear at the front at 3:19.74 with a lap to go. Nuguse won in 3:47.22 with Hoare well back at 3:50.77 and then Luke Houser in third at 3:51.14.
It’s the no. 5 performance all-time indoors and Nuguse now owns three of the top six.
The women’s mile was a world lead for 2002 U.S. Indoor champ Heather MacLean, who broke away by the 800 m mark and won in a world-leading 4:17.01, well ahead of Italian Olympian Sintayehu Vissa (4:21.51) and New Zealand’s Maia Ramsden (4:21.56).
MacLean’s time moves her to no. 4 all-time, with the no. 5 performance and to no. 2 all-time U.S. with the no. 3 performance. Wow.
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At the Big 10 Championships in Indianapolis, Washington’s vaulting Moll twins produced a sensational 1-2 finish in the women’s vault, with another collegiate record.
Amanda was already the world leader at 4.88 m (16-0), and she and sister Hana both cleared 4.81 m (15-9 1/4) on their first attempt, and then Amanda increased her world-lead and the collegiate record by clearing 4.91 m (16-1 1/4), moving to equal-8th on the all-time indoor-outdoor world list, and equal-6th all-time indoors. Hana is now equal-6th all-time U.S. indoor.
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At the last World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meet in Madrid (ESP), the U.S. got wins from Brian Faust in the men’s 400 m in 45.74, and from two-time World Champion Chase Jackson in the women’s shot at 19.48 m (63-11).
Jonah Koech of the U.S. was second in the men’s 800 m, 1:45.39 to 1:45.78, to Belgium’s Adrian Ben, and Dylan Beard was fifth in the 60 m hurdles in 7.54. Cuba’s Lazaro Martinez won the men’s triple jump with a seasonal best of 17.12 m (56-2) and countrywomen Leyanis Perez won the women’s TJ at 14.42 m (47-3 3/4). Britain’s Molly Caudery won the women’s vault with a season’s best 4.85 m (15-11).
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World-leading performances for both men and women at the Tokyo Marathon, the first of the World Marathon Majors for 2025.
The men’s race had nine together at the half, but it was down to five by 30 km, with Kenyan Shadrack Kimining in the lead. He fell off the pace and the race was to be decided between Vincent Ngetich (KEN) and Ethiopians Tadese Takele and Deresa Geleta, running together at 35 km.
Takele, just 22 and a Tokyo Olympian in the Steeple, broke away and ran alone to the finish in 2:03:23, a lifetime best by one second over his 2023 Berlin third-place finish in 2:03:24. Geleta, fifth in the Paris Olympic marathon, was second (2:03:51, his third-best ever) and Ngetich, third in 2024, was third again in 2:04:00. They are 1-2-3 on the 2025 world list; fourth-placer Titus Kipruto (KEN: 2:05:34) ranks 10th.
The women’s race had defending champion Sutume Asefa (ETH) dominating the race from the start. She had a 44-second lead after 5 km, 42 seconds at 10 km, and 1:31 by the half. Fellow Ethiopian Tigist Ketema was similarly all alone in second, 31 seconds in front of Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN) at the halfway mark.
Asefa continued strongly and was never headed, although she slowed in the final 5 km, winning in a world-leading 2:16:31 for back-to-back titles. Kenya’s Winfridah Moraa moved up for second in the second half of the race and finished with a lifetime best of 2:16:56, followed by 2019 World Cross Country champ Hawi Feysa (ETH) in 2:17:00, also a lifetime best.
The women’s top three also moved to 1-2-3 on the year list; fourth-placer Magdalyne Masai (KEN: 2:19:28) stands seventh.
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The USATF Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, the selection race for the U.S. team for the 2025 World Road Running Championships in San Diego in September, started in near-freezing conditions, with two-time Steeple Olympian Hillary Bor leading a pack of nine through 10 km of the men’s race in 28:27.
The pack was six by 15 km, with Bor still leading, then he, Shadrack Kipchirchir – the 2016 10,000 m Olympian – and Alex Maier broke away. Maier, the 2022 NCAA 10,000 m runner-up, strode away after 19 km and won easily in 1:00:48, a lifetime best by three seconds.
It’s his first national title, and he was followed by Kipchirchir (1:00:58) and Bor (1:00:59) to make the U.S. team.
The women’s Half saw Weini Kelati, who won the U.S. Cross Country and 10,000 m titles in 2024, out in front at 10 km in 32:03, nicely in front of four others by eight seconds. By 15 km, Emma Grace Hurley and Taylor Roe had taken over and Kelati was third, seven seconds behind Roe. But Roe, eighth at the 2024 Olympic Trials 5,000 m, had the most left and sprinted away at the 19 km mark, winning in a lifetime best of 1:07:22.
Grace Hurley was second in 1:07:35 and Kelati faded, with Amanda Vestri getting third in 1:08:17. Jessica McClain was well back in fourth in 1:08:37; Kelati finished sixth (1:09:07).
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