Nikki Hiltz Runs Down Shelby Houlihan To Win 2025 US Indoor 3000m Final

NEW YORK – Unlike their male counterparts, US middle distance women have not been smashing world and American records during this 2025 indoor season. But if the first distance final of the 2025 USATF Indoor Championships on Saturday in Staten Island was any indication, the women are going to be very fun to watch this year as well, with a budding rivalry at the center.

Running in her first US final since 2020 – she missed the last four years due to a doping violation – Shelby Houlihan tried to go wire-to-wire in the women’s 3,000 meters and came oh so close, holding off a slew of determined challengers again and again while ratcheting up the pace over the last two laps. But Nikki Hiltz, who has emerged as America’s premier last-lap assassin during Houlihan’s absence, would not be denied, kicking past Houlihan in the dying meters to win a thrilling 3,000 in 8:48.28 to Houlihan’s 8:48.43 thanks to a 29.22-second last 200.

Nikki Hiltz edges Shelby Houlihan for the 2025 USA 3000 title. Phil Bond photo

One of the biggest questions entering the 2025 season was whether Houlihan – who continues to deny intentionally doping – would still be able to contend with the best in the United States. Her early-season results clearly indicated she could. By USAs, the question had become whether she would be able to regain her status as America’s top 1500/3000 woman after sweeping those events at USA Indoors in 2017, 2018, and 2020. 

Hiltz delivered the answer: not yet. With the 32-year-old Houlihan still working her way back into racing sharpness (today was just her third official race since 2020) and Hiltz looking stronger than ever (this was Hiltz’s first national title in the 3,000 after winning the 1500 at this meet in 2023 and 2024), both have the potential to reach even higher levels as the year goes on. It is early, but Houlihan vs. Hiltz has the potential to become one of the defining rivalries of the 2025 season. We’ll get the second installment in the 1500-meter final at 2:35 p.m. ET tomorrow.

Not that this was a two-woman race. Coming off the final turn, four women were still battling it out for the win, and all four wound up separated by just .40 of a second, with 2024 Olympians Whittni Morgan 3rd in 8:48.56 and Emily Mackay 4th in 8:48.68 (Mackay actually had the fastest last lap of the race at 29.17).

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Women’s 3000m final results

1. Nikki Hiltz (lululemon) – 8:48.28
2. Shelby Houlihan (Unattached) – 8:48.43
3. Whittni Morgan (adidas) – 8:48.56
4. Emily Mackay (New Balance Boston) – 8:48.68
5. Ella Donaghu (NIKE) – 8:49.70
6. Bailey Hertenstein (NIKE) – 8:50.13
7. Olivia Markezich (On AC) – 8:52.49
8. Katelyn Tuohy (adidas) – 8:54.46
9. Kayley DeLay (BROOKS Beasts TC) – 8:55.87
10. Abby Nichols (HOKA NAZ Elite) – 8:57.67
11. Andrea Rodenfels (Unattached) – 8:58.20
12. Allie Buchalski (BROOKS Beasts TC) – 9:01.90
13. Gracie Hyde (Puma) – 9:02.28
14. Bethany Hasz (Boston Athletic Association) – 9:02.64
15. Angelina Ellis (Under Armour) – 9:02.90
16. Hannah Steelman (On) – 9:03.87

The Race

Houlihan – who received a warm welcome on the start line, with cheers from the Staten Island crowd – employed an identical strategy to her last US 3000m final in 2020, getting to the front early and gradually increasing the pace lap by lap. But the early pace was slow enough (4:56 at 1600m) that the entire field was still in it with 800m to go.

A 67.06 penultimate 400m thinned the field, and with two laps to go, the top women began making moves, with Morgan pushing up onto Houlihan’s shoulder before Hiltz quickly passed her to take the same position. After a 30.52 penultimate lap, Hiltz moved wide at the bell but couldn’t get around Houlihan and backed off until the back straight, where Hiltz pushed hard for the lead, Houlihan again defending it. Off the final turn, Houlihan held a tenuous lead but was under attack from Hiltz on the outside and Morgan on the inside. Hiltz attacked once again with 50m to go, and this time it was successful, with Hiltz catching Houlihan just before the line thanks to an impressive 59.66 final 400.

Though disappointed to be outkicked, Houlihan was pleased to clinch a spot on the World Indoor team – her first global championship appearance since the 2019 outdoor Worlds in Doha. 

“I’m happy with second – the biggest goal was to make the world team and I still have four weeks to continue sharpening up and getting ready for Worlds,” said Houlihan. 

Morgan will be joining her on the team as Hiltz is skipping World Indoors to get ready for Grand Slam Track.

Quick Take: Nikki Hiltz is still #1 – and now with better range

Over the last two years, Hiltz has occupied the same position as Houlihan did before her ban – America’s top female miler. Hiltz, who is biologically female but identifies as trans non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, has the best kick in the field but is also very hard to drop, having improved their endurance since relocating to the high-altitude mecca of Flagstaff to train under coach Mike Smith in 2022. Now Hiltz is a perfect six-for-six in US finals since the start of 2023 (two indoor 1500, two outdoor 1500, one road mile, one indoor 3000).

Hiltz was beaten by fellow American Heather MacLean in the mile at Millrose two weeks ago (Hiltz will face MacLean in the 1500 tomorrow), but their win in the 3000m today was a sign that Hiltz is continuing to make progress.

Hiltz said they had considered doubling in the 1500/3000 last year at USA Indoors but wound up running the 1500 only. That still ended up well – Hiltz earned silver at World Indoors – but, looking back, Hiltz said they wished they had doubled in 2024 and resolved not to have that regret in 2025.

“I saw Elle win that one and then go and win Worlds and I was like, dang, I wish I would have seen how close I could have been to the top in the US,” Hiltz said.

Quick Take: Shelby Houlihan is still a force

Houlihan ran fast in her first two races in 2025, an 8:31 3000m at Arkansas and a 4:20 mile at Boston University, both low-key college events. But her kick had yet to be tested in a close race, and she had yet to race on a stage as big as the US championships. Would her closing speed still be there? And how would the fans react to Houlihan’s return?

The answer to the latter was, pretty positively. Houlihan was the last woman to be introduced on the start line, and with Mike Jay (a Houlihan fan given their shared Iowa background) on the PA mic, he asked the crowd to “Welcome back Shelby Houlihan.” They obliged – we heard a smattering of cheers and no boos.

As for Houlihan’s closing speed, it was pretty good – 59.87 for her last lap and 29.35 for her final 200. It’s hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison to her prime because of a number of confounding variables – some of her previous US finals were at altitude, some were 2-miles instead of 3000s, and, most importantly, she did not race in super spikes until now. But this was Houlihan’s fastest last 400 at USA Indoors and her second-fastest final 200 – though it was also her first defeat in this event.

Shelby Houlihan in 3000m/2-mile at USA Indoors, 2016-25

To finish 2nd and only narrowly get outkicked by a 3:55 1500 runner who was 7th in last year’s Olympic 1500 final shows that Houlihan is in a good spot right now – and she will get a shot at her first global medal in Nanjing next month. Ethiopians Freweyni Hailu (8:19), Gudaf Tsegay (8:25), and Birke Haylom (8:25) hold the top three spots on the 2025 world list, but Morgan (8:28) is 4th – and Houlihan just beat Morgan today.

Quick Take: Whittni Morgan is on team #2

We didn’t get a chance to talk to Morgan, but considering she is dropping down from her best event (the 5k), she did well to hold her own in a kick against miler Hiltz and combo runner Houlihan. And she beat a reigning World Indoor 1500 medalist in Emily Mackay. Just as at last summer’s Olympics, Morgan made the team thanks to another runner scratching, but she looks to have made progress since then thanks to another six months of healthy training and should be competitive at World Indoors considering she ranks #4 in the world.

Katelyn Tuohy post-race

Tuohy ran near the front until the final 600 and was pleased that she put herself in position to contend but acknowledged that she needs to work on her kick – she only closed in 34.24 tonight for her last lap and said that her all-out 200m speed is only about 28 seconds (Hiltz closed in 29 FTW). But Tuohy did say that training has been going well, so she is optimistic for what is to come outdoors (she’s also running the 1500 on Sunday). 

### (the following is by Robert Johnson)

In the women’s 800 heats, there were some surprises as neither the early 2025 US leader Olivia Baker (2:00.02 sb, 2:02.03 today) nor 2024 US leader Addy Wiley made it to the finals.  Wiley led most of heat 1 until she faded in the final 50 as the Brooks Beasts’ Valery Tobias got the win with an inside pass and indoor pb of 2:00.64. Baker led most of heat 4 before being passed late by 2024 Paris Olympian Nia Akins, who had her best race of the year to win in 2:01.36. Akins admitted afterwards that she’s been struggling with panic attacks during races (that’s why she dropped out at Boston University last weekend) while Wiley said she got sick after Millrose and hadn’t been working out well.

Kaela Edwards, who is looking for her first US title at age 31, had the fastest time of the day in winning heat 3 in 2:00.44. 2023 US steeple champ Krissy Gear initially tied Sage Hurta-Klecker for the heat 2 win in 2:00.56 but she was DQ’d for a lane violation on the first turn.

We have a slew of post-race interviews with many 800 runners including Valery Tobias, Sage Hurta-Klecker, Ajee’ Wilson, Addy Wiley, Krissy Gear, and Nia Akins on our YouTube page. Follow us today.

Heat 1:

1. Valery Tobias (BROOKS Beasts TC) – 2:00.64 Q
2. Sammy Watson (adidas) – 2:00.83 q
3. Addy Wiley (adidas) – 2:00.89
4. MaLeigha Menegatti (Unattached) – 2:02.33
5. Kristie Schoffield (Unattached) – 2:02.92
6. Rachael Walters (Unattached) – 2:03.51

Heat 2:

1. Sage Hurta-Klecker (On AC) – 2:00.56 Q
2. Rachel Gearing (Atlanta Track Club) – 2:03.48
3. Michaela Meyer (Unattached) – 2:03.51
4. Mallory Lindaman (Unattached) – 2:04.44
5. Teagan Schein-Becker (BROOKS Beasts TC) – 2:05.83
6. Krissy Gear (HOKA) – DQ [163.5(e)]

Heat 3:

1. Kaela Edwards (Unattached) – 2:00.44 Q
2. Mckenna Keegan (NIKE) – 2:00.82 q
3. Kate Mitchell (New Balance Boston) – 2:01.54
4. Natalie Varela (Miami Elite T C) – 2:02.75
5. Gracie Morris (Puma) – 2:02.98
6. Sarah Underwood (Central Park Track Club) – 2:03.17

Heat 4:

1. Nia Akins (HOKA) – 2:01.36 Q
2. Olivia Baker (Atlanta Track Club) – 2:02.03
3. Ajee Wilson (Unattached) – 2:02.29
4. Emily Richards (Atalanta NYC) – 2:02.31
5. Angel Piccirillo (Puma Elite Running) – 2:03.01
6. Brynne Sumner (Clemson University) – 2:07.92

Talk about the day 1 action at 2025 USA Indoors on our world-famous messgaeboard/fan forum:

1. Official 2025 USA Indoor Discussion Thread 
2. THE Shelby Houlihan interview. Houlihan talks to LetsRun after making first Worlds team since doping suspension
3. I am so HAPPY that Nikki beat Shelby
4. CITIUS not posting about Shelby, deleting comments!
5. SHELBY GOES HOME DEVASTATED

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