Nikki Hiltz expressed that they never aim for fast times; rather, moving at a slow pace kept them energetic even in the last couple of laps. Hiltz won their first Wanamaker mile title at the 118th Millrose Games, one of the most prestigious indoor track and field events.
Hiltz held off Olympic and world medalist Jessica Hull to win their maiden mile title in a world-leading time of 4:19.64.
Nikki Hiltz Gets Real About Their Strategy of Posting Winning Runs
Hiltz specializes in the 1500m and holds an American record in the mile. They also forged successful collegiate careers with the Oregon Ducks and the Arkansas Razorbacks, becoming a six-time All-American and receiving other honors. The 31-year-old was in the 1500m line-up at the 2025 World Championships, where they aimed for their first world title outdoors, but faded to fifth in the finals.
At the 2026 Millrose Games, the 31-year-old put the athletics world on notice by clocking a world-leading time of 4:19.64 to win the Wanamaker Mile. The mark was also Hiltz’s personal best. After the victory, the eight-time U.S. medalist said that fast times are not their primary goal; rather, the focus is on being strategic and staying motivated in the closing laps.
“I don’t care about chasing fast times, I just want to compete. So when it wasn’t that fast, I thought it was going to set up for a really fun last two laps. I was just getting more and more excited as each lap went by, and I was still feeling good,” they said.
They further shared that it was a great opportunity to challenge themselves and cited their coach, who advised them not to be too decisive and simply enjoy the race.
READ MORE: Millrose Games Results 2026: Rajinder Campbell and Cooper Lutkenhaus Set New World Lead Marks
Hiltz, who came out as transgender and nonbinary on International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, 2021, underwent top surgery in 2024.
In an exclusive interview with Olympics, they opened up about their journey, something they had previously kept limited to close friends and family. Hiltz spoke about feeling more and more like themselves despite a long recovery process and delivered a strong message that personal growth and accomplishments always translate onto the track.
Hiltz finished seventh in the 1500m finals at the 2024 Paris Games and finished in the runner-up position at the 2024 World Indoor Championships. In 2025, they won their first Diamond League title in the 1500m at the Brussels stop, clocking a time of 3:55.94. This came after a fifth-place finish at the 50th edition of the Prefontaine Classic.
