Hoey breaks long-standing 800m indoor world record

Josh Hoey

American middle-distance runner Josh Hoey has broken the long-standing men's 800m indoor world record by running a blistering time at Saturday's Indoor Grand Prix in Boston.

The 26-year-old finished in one minute 42.5 seconds to beat the previous record of 1:42.67 set nearly 29 years ago in March 1997 by Denmark's Wilson Kipketer in Paris.

Hoey, who won gold in the same event at the World Indoor Championships in 2025, had been closing in on 53-year-old Kipketer's record, clocking a 1:43.24, then the second-fastest time in history, in New York last year.

After the race, Hoey said he just tried to stay calm and let his brother Jaxson, who was pace-setter, lead him to victory.

"The last 200 I could feel just the support of everyone, and the work of the last couple of months just bottomed out and I'm happy I got that time," he said.

Hoey narrowly missed out on making the US teams for both the 2024 summer Olympics and last year's outdoor World Championships in Tokyo.

Poland's Filip Ostrowski finished second with a personal best time of 1:44.68 while Dutchman Ryan Clarke secured third with a new national record of 1:44.72.

At the same meeting, Britain's Dina Asher-Smith, 30, won the women's 60m with a time of 7.08 seconds, beating Jamaica's Brianna Lyston, who was making her professional debut, and Leah Bertrand of Trinidad and Tobago.