Roisin Willis dominated from start to finish in the 800m at the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University on Jan. 30, 2026. She is the reigning US champion in the 800m outdoor, having won the title in 2025.
Willis was a standout athlete at Stanford University, winning two 800m titles before signing a professional deal with New Balance to turn professional.
Roisin Willis Etched Her Name in History With Her 800m Performance at BU Terrier Classic
Willis entered the two-day event at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center in Boston with a national title on her résumé. She graced the lineup and cruised to an American record time of 1:57.97, despite falling behind Great Britain’s Isabelle Boffey in the final stretch. Boffey clocked 1:57.43 to earn the victory and catapult herself to No. 8 on the all-time list.
This came just a week after Willis dominated the track at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, her season-opening event. She earned a victory in 1:59.59, while Boffey trailed in second. Willis’ record-breaking feat in Boston made her the first US woman to ever run under 1:58 indoors. That was also her personal best time.
After her exploits, the Stanford alum revealed that competing in the event was a decision made just four days before the event.
“I decided to do this race four days ago. So it’s kind of crazy.”
Willis was the 800 m champion at the 2025 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, triumphing in the semifinal with a time of 1:58.40 before sealing her victory in the final in 1:59.26. She was also among the elite athletes at the 2025 World Championships, where she finished fourth in her first-round heat, clocking 2:00.24.
Despite being just one step away from the podium, she did not qualify for the semifinals, thus ending her title bid. In December last year, she gave up her NCAA eligibility to turn full-fledged professional.
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The 21-year-old attended Stevens Point Area Senior High School, where she set the U.S. high school indoor 800m record. She also qualified for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials but did not advance to the finals after finishing 13th. Willis later won the 800m event at the World U20 Championships, setting a personal best of 1:59.13.
At the collegiate level, she set both facility and meet records with her victory at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Two years later, she repeated the title-winning feat in the 2025 edition, setting a new meet record. In doing so, she moved up to No. 3 on the all-time NCAA list, trailing only Athing Mu and Michaela Rose.
