Nikki Hiltz outkicks Faith Kipyegon in the Prefontaine mile, 4:17.49 to 4:17.80
At Hayward Field, Hiltz ran a world-leading 4:17.49 to beat the world record holder and Dorcus Ewoi in a five-deep sprint for the line.
Photograph: Nikki Hiltz racing the mile for Arkansas at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas, by jenaragon94, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsNikki Hiltz won the women's mile at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday in 4:17.49, the fastest time in the world this year, and beat Faith Kipyegon to do it. Kipyegon holds the world records at 1500 m and the mile and set the 1500 m mark, 3:48.68, at this meeting a year ago.
The race was still a pack with a lap to go. Kipyegon was first through 1500 m, with Hiltz on her shoulder, and Hiltz moved past on the home straight. Kenya's Dorcus Ewoi split them, second in 4:17.62, a personal best, with Kipyegon third in 4:17.80. Klaudia Kazimierska set a Polish record in fourth, 4:17.90, and Jessica Hull was fifth in 4:18.03. Sarah Healy ran 4:18.49, Georgia Hunter Bell a personal best 4:18.52 in eighth, and Laura Muir was tenth in 4:22.31. Seven women finished inside 4:19.
Hiltz had already won the Wanamaker Mile and a world indoor bronze this year. This was the biggest scalp of the lot.
Earlier, Lilian Odira beat Keely Hodgkinson over 800 m for the second time this season, 1:56.19 to 1:56.73, after Sanu Jallow-Lockhart went through 400 m in 53.58 and faded. In the sprints, Tate Taylor, 18, ran 19.75 to beat the Olympic 200 m champion Letsile Tebogo, and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden edged Sha'Carri Richardson in the 100 m, 10.78 to 10.79.
Kipyegon does not lose miles. On Saturday she lost one by three tenths, to a runner who refused to be dropped.
Sources: Canadian Running; Athletics Weekly; Wikipedia.
