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Nikki Hiltz

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Nikki Hiltz
Hiltz in 2024
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1994-10-23) October 23, 1994 (age 30)
Santa Cruz, California, U.S.
Height5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Sport
Country United States
SportTrack, middle-distance running
Event(s)1500 meters, mile
College teamArkansas Razorbacks (2015-18)
Oregon Ducks (2014-15)
ClubAdidas (2018–21)
Lululemon (2021–present)
Turned pro2018
Coached byTerrence Mahon (2018–20)
Mac Fleet (2020–21)
Mike Smith (2022–present)
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing the  United States
World Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place 2024 Glasgow 1500 m
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2019 Lima 1500 m

Nikki Hiltz (/ˈhɪlts/ HILTS; born October 23, 1994)[1] is an American middle-distance runner specializing in the 1500 meters and mile. Hiltz holds the American record in the mile and is the 2023 US 1500 m champion. They won a silver medal at the 2024 World Indoor Championships.

Hiltz competed collegiately for the Oregon Ducks and Arkansas Razorbacks.[2]

Assigned female at birth,[3] they came out as transgender and nonbinary on International Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31, 2021.[4] They have been competing in the Women's category.[3]

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hiltz finished seventh in the Women's 1500 meter final.[5]

High school

While attending Aptos Middle School, Hiltz ran a 400 m in 1:07.41 (2009), an 800 m in 2:51.54 (2008), a high jump of 1.37 m (2009), and long jump of 3.94 m (2008). At Aptos High School, Hiltz won 6 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Central Coast Section titles.

High school personal bests

Event Time Date Location Year
Outdoor 200 m 26.51 4 May 2013 Soquel, California 12th grade
400 m 57.11 27 April 2013 Aptos, California 12th grade
800 m 2:09.50 18–24 May 2013 Salinas, California 12th grade
1500 m 4:26.13 23 June 2011 Eugene, Oregon 10th grade
1600 m 4:42.45 2 June 2012 Clovis, California 11th grade
Mile 4:51.52 30 March 2013 Palo Alto, California 12th grade
3200 m 10:48.23 13 April 2013 Santa Cruz, California 12th grade
300 m hurdles 47.86 7 May 2011 Santa Cruz, California 10th grade

Collegiate career

Hiltz competing for the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2018

Hiltz is a 6 time NCAA Division I All-American. Hiltz began their college career at Oregon in 2014[6] before transferring to Arkansas in 2016.[7]

At the 2015 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships Hiltz finished in 8th place with a time of 4:38.47 in the mile for the Oregon Ducks.[8] Hiltz was a 2015 NCAA Division 1 & Pac-12 Conference Track and Field Team Champion as a member of the Oregon Ducks at the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[9][10]

After the 2015 season, Hiltz transferred to Arkansas. In 2016 Hiltz, along with Arkansas Razorbacks teammates Daina Harper, Therese Haiss and Jessica Kamilos, placed 5th in the DMR (Distance Medley Relay) with a time of 10:59.22 at the 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.[11] Hiltz placed 6th in the mile, finishing with a time of 4:34.57 at the 2017 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.[12]

In 2018, Hiltz earned First Team NCAA Division I All-America honors in the 1500m Outdoors at the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Hiltz also placed 3rd in the mile at the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.

University personal bests

Event Time Date Location Year
Outdoor 800 m 2:05.83 11–13 May 2017 Columbia, South Carolina JR-3 Arkansas
1500 m 4:09.40 6–9 June 2018 Eugene, Oregon SR-4 Arkansas
Indoor 800 m 2:05.16 27 January 2018 Fayetteville, Arkansas SR-4 Arkansas
1000 m 2:45.94 15 January 2016 Fayetteville, Arkansas SO-2 Arkansas
1500 m 4:15.40 3 February 2018 New York City, New York SR-4 Arkansas
Mile 4:32.59 9–10 March 2018 College Station, Texas SR-4 Arkansas
3000 m 9:04.64 9–10 February 2018 Seattle, Washington SR-4 Arkansas
XC 3.1 miles 16:41.9 1 October 2016 Fayetteville, Arkansas JR-3 Arkansas
5 km 16:55.1 29 September 2017 Notre Dame, Indiana SR-4 Arkansas
6km 19:35.5 10 November 2017 College Station, Texas SR-4 Arkansas

Professional

2018

In 2018, Hiltz signed with Adidas and trained with The Mission Athletics Club, now known as The Golden Coast Track Club based in California after running a 1500 m time ranked in the top 100 in the world.[13] In January of the same year they ran a then-personal best 2:05.16 in the 800 m. Later in the year Hiltz ran the Aetna Falmouth Mile placing 4th in 4:32.29. They followed up with a 5th-place finish at the Memphis Ed Murphey Mile with a time of 4:32.59. They also ran the Bay Shore Hoka One Long Island Mile placing 12th in 4:39.23. Hiltz ranked 92nd in the world in the 1500 m with a personal best of 4:09.14.

2019

Nikki Hiltz (left) and Dominique Scott (right) running the Back Bay Mile at the Adidas Boost Boston Games in 2019.

Hiltz ran an indoor 3000 m (9:04.32) at the JDL Fast Track Invitational, won the indoor mile (4:31.42) at the Husky Classic, and at the 2019 USA Track & Field Indoor Championships placed 5th in the mile (4:32.40) and 15th in the 2 mile (9:55.50). Later that year, Hiltz won the 800 m (2:01.37) at the 2019 Bryan Clay Invitational, won the 1500 m (4:07.71) at the 2019 USATF Distance Classic, runner-up in the 1500 m (4:05.56) at 2019 Portland Track Festival, won the 800 m (2:02.93) at the 2019 Adrian Martinez Classic, won the 1500 m (4:05.97) at the 2019 Sunset Tour. They also placed 3rd in the 1500 m (4:03.55) at the 2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Hiltz ranked 19th in the world in the 1500 m with a personal best of 4:01.52 in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Athletics Championships.[14]

2020

Hiltz ran the mile at the Millrose Games in 4:24.45, splitting a 1500 m time of 4:07.09 and placing 5th with an indoor personal best.

2021

In New York, Hiltz competed in the 1500 m at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. At the 2021 United States Olympic trials, Hiltz contested both the 800 m and 1500 m. They failed to qualify for the final in either event placing 13th in the 1500 m and 17th in the 800 m.[15]

2022

In the summer of 2022, no longer sponsored by Adidas, Hiltz announced that they had signed with Lululemon.[16] On September 11, Hiltz finished second in the 2022 the Fifth Avenue Mile in 4:17.4 behind winner Laura Muir.[17]

2023

Nikki Hiltz won their first outdoor USATF Outdoor National Championship title in the 1500 in 4:03.10, moving from 3rd to 1st in the last 300m.[18] On July 21, 2023, Hiltz finished 6th in the mile at the Monaco Diamond League in a time of 4:16.35, a personal best, North American Area Record[19] and an American Record.[20][21]

2024

In the first race of the 2024 season, Hiltz won the 1,000-meter run at the Mile City Mayhem Event at the UW Invitational in 2:34.09, setting a personal best and American Indoor Record.[22][23]

In an effort to test endurance, Hiltz decided to contest the 2 mile at the 2024 Millrose Games rather than their specialty event, the mile. Competing on February 11, they placed 4th in a time of 9:15.80 which improved upon their personal best set in 2019 by almost 40 seconds. The following week, Nikki contested the 1500 m at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, successfully defending their US indoor title in a time of 4:08.35. Placing top two, alongside Emily Mackay, qualified Hiltz to compete at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

In the qualifying round, on March 1, Hiltz posted the fastest time of the heats, running an indoor personal best of 4:04.34. In the final, Hiltz took second place behind Freweyni Hailu in a personal best of 4:02.32, earning a first global medal and becoming the first American to medal in the event since Regina Jacobs in 2003. Hiltz was joined on the podium by fellow American Emily Mackay who took bronze.

Hiltz competing in the final at the 2024 World Indoor Championships

In the 2024 US Olympic Trials, Hiltz competed in the 1500m run and made it through the preliminaries and semifinals. In the final, Hiltz won in a time of 3:55.33, thereby making the Olympic Team, and also setting a new trials record.[24]

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hiltz finished 3rd in both their preliminary heat and semifinal heat, qualifying for the final. In the Women's 1500 meter final, Hiltz finished seventh with a time of 3:56.38.[5]

Personal bests

Event Time Date Location
Outdoor 800 m 1:59.03 14 April 2023 Azusa, California
1500 m 3:55.33 30 June 2024 Eugene, Oregon
Mile 4:16.35 21 July 2023 Monaco
5 km 16:35 22 November 2018 San Jose, California
Indoor 800 m 2:02.51 7 February 2021 Fayetteville, Arkansas
1000 m 2:34.09 27 January 2024 Seattle, Washington
1500 m 4:02.32 3 March 2024 Glasgow, Scotland
Mile 4:24.45 8 February 2020 New York City
3000 m 8:39.92 11 February 2024 New York City
2 miles 9:15.80 11 February 2024 New York City

Personal life

In 2020, Hiltz founded Pride 5k, an annual charity race that has raised over $172,000 for The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ youth.[25][26][27] Thousands of people have supported the race.[28][29]

Since 2020, Hiltz has been in a relationship with Emma Gee, the first openly LGBT student-athlete to compete for Brigham Young University. Gee later competed for Temple University where she qualified for the 2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[30]

Competition record

International Competitions

Representing the  United States
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
2019 Pan American Games Lima, Peru 1st 1500 m 4:07.14
World Championships Khalifa International Stadium 12th 1500 m 4:06.68
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 17th 1500 m 4:00.84
2024 World Indoor Championships Glasgow, Scotland 2nd 1500 m 4:02.32
Olympic Games Paris, France 7th 1500 m 3:56.38

National Championships

Representing Aptos High School (2011–12), Arkansas Razorbacks (2017–18), Adidas (2019–21), and Lululemon (2022-present)
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
2011 USA Junior Track and Field Championships University of Oregon 4th 1500 m 4:26.13
2012 USA Junior Track and Field Championships Bloomington, Indiana 6th 4:29.52
2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Sacramento State University 6th 4:10.28
2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Drake University 9th 4:15.03
2019 USA 1 Mile Road Championships Des Moines, Iowa 1st Mile 4:29.7
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Drake University 3rd 1500 m 4:03.55
2021 United States Olympic Trials University of Oregon 13th 4:10.60
17th 800 m 2:01.42
2022 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships Spokane, Washington 10th 1500 m 4:10.7
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships University of Oregon 6th 1500 m 4:10.97
2023 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships Albuquerque, New Mexico 1st 4:17.10
USA 1 Mile Road Championships Des Moines, Iowa Mile 4:28.0
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships University of Oregon 1500 m 4:03.10
2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships Albuquerque, New Mexico 4:08.35
United States Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 3:55.33

NCAA Championships

Representing the Oregon Ducks (2014–15) and Arkansas Razorbacks (2015–2018)
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
2015 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Randal Tyson Track Center 11th Mile 4:38.47
NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Hayward Field 11th 1500 m 4:31.26
2016 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Birmingham, Alabama 5th DMR 10:59.22
NCAA Cross Country Championships Terre Haute, Indiana 151st 6 km 21:04.8
2017 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships College Station, Texas 6th Mile 4:34.57
NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Hayward Field 2nd 1500 m 4:13.80
NCAA Cross Country Championships Louisville, Kentucky 87th 6 km 20:37.2
2018 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships College Station, Texas 3rd Mile 4:32.59
NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Hayward Field 2nd 1500 m 4:09.14

References

  1. ^ "HILTZ Nikki". Paris 2024 Olympics. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  2. ^ "Episode 28: Nikki Hiltz, All-American NCAA Collegiate Runner". Strong Runner Chicks Podcast. April 16, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Fact Check: False posts take a stab at transgender, non-binary athlete Nikki Hiltz". Reuters Fact Check. July 9, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  4. ^ Mosley, Tonya; Hagan, Allison (June 17, 2021). "Nikki Hiltz Hopes To Become One Of The First Openly Transgender Athletes At The Olympics". WBUR-FM. Archived from the original on June 19, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Fried, Ina (August 10, 2024). "Nonbinary runner Nikki Hiltz finishes seventh in 1500 meter finals". Axios. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  6. ^ Goe, Ken (June 8, 2016). "Nikki Hiltz and Ashlee Moore open up about leaving". oregonlive. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  7. ^ "Nikki Hiltz". Arkansas Razorbacks. August 13, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  8. ^ "TFRRS | Nikki Hiltz – Track and Field Results & Statistics". www.tfrrs.org. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  9. ^ "2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships June 10-13, 2015 - Hayward Field - Eugene, OR". Track and Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  10. ^ "2015 Pac-12 Track & Field Championships May 15-16, 2015 - UCLA - Los Angeles, CA". Track and Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  11. ^ "2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships". Track and Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  12. ^ "TFRRS | Nikki Hiltz – Track and Field Results & Statistics". www.tfrrs.org. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  13. ^ "2018 IAAF World List Women 1500 meters". IAAF. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  14. ^ "2019 IAAF World List Women 1500 meters". IAAF. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  15. ^ 2021 USA Olympic Trials results USATF
  16. ^ "Nikki Hiltz Officially Signs on with Lululemon". June 23, 2022.
  17. ^ "New York Road Runners Official Race Results". results.nyrr.org. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  18. ^ "Results".
  19. ^ "Mile Run Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. July 21, 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  20. ^ https://monaco.diamondleague.com/live/libs/jetuniversalcomponents/modules/pdfViewer/viewer.html?file=https://livecache.sportresult.com/node/binaryData/ATH_PROD/MONACO2023/PDF_ATHW1MILE---DIAMOND---FNL-000100--_C73C1.PDF?h=TXFowzcUCA9M+rcDvLFyGOuvs9A= [bare URL]
  21. ^ Ep. 107 - Nikki Hiltz - “A Champion” - The RUN EAT SLEEP Show The RUN EAT SLEEP Show w/ Tommie Runz
  22. ^ "Aptos native Nikki Hiltz sets U.S. Indoor record in women's 1,000 in Seattle | Track and Field". Santa Cruz Sentinel. January 28, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  23. ^ "Track Scoreboard". live.pntfo.com. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  24. ^ "Results". results.usatf.org. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  25. ^ Team USA runner Nikki Hiltz hosting virtual 5k to raise money for The Trevor Project Outsports
  26. ^ Bumbaca, Chris (August 9, 2024). "Nikki Hiltz, US track Olympian, embraces 'superpower' of being queer and running 'free'". USA Today. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  27. ^ "About Us". Pride 5k. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  28. ^ Episode 41. Nikki Hiltz - Be True to Your Voice & Lift up Others. Voice In Sport
  29. ^ Nikki Hiltz and the Golden Coast Track Club Hosting a Virtual 5K for Pride Month RunnersWorld.com
  30. ^ Ennis, Dawn. "Sports Is Where Trans Nonbinary Runner Nikki Hiltz Found Themself". Forbes. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
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