Top 5 high school distance performances of 2025: No. 2 – Jane Hedengren solos 9:17 2-mile at Brooks PR
Hedengren rewrote the record books this year, setting HS records across 9 distances
By Tate SheehyThis week, we’ve been counting down the Top 5 High School Distance Performances of 2025.
- No. 5: Quentin Nauman’s Festival of Miles breakthrough and state meet quadruple.
- No. 4: Owen Powell & Josiah Tostenson: Historic 1500m Times in Portland.
- No. 3: Natalie Dumas caps national meet triple with historic 800.
Here is #2:
No. 2 – Jane Hedengren’s record-smashing 2-mile
Before Cooper Lutkenhaus shocked the track world at the US Championships earlier this month, I had marked Jane Hedengren as having the #1 distance performance of the year. Not only that, but it was difficult to choose just one performance from Hedengren this season. After all, she ran 4:23 in the mile, 8:40.03 in the 3,000m, 9:17.75 in the 2-mile, and 14:57.93 in the 5,000m – all American U20 records.
Put those marks in context, and they look even more absurd: her 5,000m would have ranked third in the NCAA this year, her mile would have been second indoors (and the second-fastest collegiate time ever), and her 3,000m would have led the NCAA indoor list, and her 2-mile is an even superior mark than her 3000 (it converts to 8:17.6 for 3000).
Any of these could make a case for “performance of the year,” but the nod goes to Hedengren’s 9:17.75 2-mile for the fact that it was run completely solo in a pacer-less race. It was incredible enough when she broke the high school 2-mile record in April, running 9:34.12 to win Arcadia by 27 seconds against arguably the deepest field of the year. But to return to the distance less than two months later and obliterate her own record by another 17 seconds is something high school distance running has simply never seen before. In an era where many of the top marks are run in paced or professional races, Hedengren’s new national record – by a massive margin – is incredible.
Hedengren’s time now stands nearly 21 seconds faster than Mary Cain’s 9:38.68i mark from 2013 – the same year she qualified for the World Championships 1500m final. En route to Hedengren’s 4:23.50 HS record mile she split a 4:04.68 1500m, just 0.06 seconds shy of Cain’s HS mark. Hedengren was as fast as a World Championship finalist in what probably wasn’t even her best event.
And in case you missed what she did in cross country last year, she won Nike Cross Nationals in a meet record 16:32.70 – 40 seconds ahead of second place. Hedengren is headed to BYU, where she will be joining the reigning cross country national champions and Coach Diljeet Taylor. Considering how her PBs stack up to the NCAA competition, don’t be surprised if she’s finishing in the top 10 at the national championship at the very least.
We’re pretty sure everyone can guess what No. 1 is going to be — hint: it involves someone running 1:42.17 — but while you wait, take a look at the rest of the top five:
