Heather MacLean Breaks American Indoor Record at 1500m (3:59.60)
Drug cheat Regina Jacobs' record from 2003 erased
By Weldon JohnsonShe didn’t know it at the time, but American Heather MacLean split 3:59.60 for 1500m en route to her 4:17.01 mile at the 2025 Last Chance Indoor Qualifier at Boston University to break the long-standing American record of 3:59.98 from convicted doper Regina Jacobs in 2003.
MacLean’s mile time moved her up to #2 on the all-time list of Americans, behind only New Balance Boston teammate Elle St. Pierre, who ran her American record of 4:16.41 in 2022 at Millrose and also 4:16.85 in 2020 at Millrose.
But in both those races, St. Pierre closed very fast in a competitive race, so her 1500m splits (4:00.31 in 2022 and 4:00.20 in 2020) were just off Jacobs’ American record.
After today’s meet it was revealed by text from MacLean’s agent Paul Doyle to LetsRun.com and by an Instagram post by MacLean’s New Balance Boston coach Mark Coogan that she split 3:59.60 to break Jacobs’ American record, pending verification.
View this post on Instagram
When LetsRun.com spoke to MacLean after today’s race, she was pleased to think she had come close to St. Pierre’s record, not realizing she had surpassed Jacobs’ record at 1500m.
“I look up to Elle, Elle is one of my best friends, so [it is] super cool to be in that conversation,” MacLean said. Now she turns her sights on trying to medal at World Indoors in China.
“I feel like when you’re a US athlete going to a championship like that, it’s always in your head,” MacLean said. “We’re the best country in the world when it comes to track & field, so it’s definitely a goal of mine.”
After the race, MacLean’s coach Coogan told LetsRun.com that he had the pacing lights set at 32 seconds per 400, which gets you to 4:16 for 1600, but 4:17.44 for the mile, but he meant for them to be set at 4:16.00 for the mile, not 1600 (31.82 per 200 instead of 32). But missing the mile record was definitely softened by the surprise of finding out later MacLean got the American 1500m record. And for anyone who remembers the Balco drug scandal in the sport, it was refreshing to see Jacobs erased from the record books as Coogan’s Instagram said, “American Record for @heather_maclean31 in indoor 1,500 meters today! Drug cheat gone off the board!”
Video of MacLean’s race:
Mile Results
| Place | Athlete | Time | Heat | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heather Maclean
New Balance
|
4:17.01
|
F | 1 | |
| 2 | Sintayehu Vissa
OAC
|
4:21.51
|
1 | ||
| 3 | Maia Ramsden
OAC
|
4:21.56
|
1 | ||
| 4 | Susan Ejore
Under Armour Dark Sky
|
4:22.21
|
1 | ||
| 5 | Dorcus Ewoi
Puma Elite Running Team
|
4:22.39
|
1 | ||
| 6 | Simone Plourde
Nike
|
4:22.47
|
1 | ||
| 7 | Angelina Ellis
UA DARK SKY DISTANCE
|
4:26.69
|
1 | ||
| 8 | Hannah Segrave
Atlanta Track Club Elite
|
4:28.47
|
1 | ||
| 9 | Sadie Sargent
Nike
|
4:29.68
|
1 | ||
| 10 | Teagan Schein-Becker
Brooks Beasts TC
|
4:30.29
|
1 | ||
| 11 | Adva Cohen
UA DARK SKY DISTANCE
|
4:31.10
|
1 | ||
| 12 | Lindsay Butler
ON
|
4:31.37
|
1 | ||
