Record-Filled Night Wraps Up 2025 RunningLane Championships

Photo: Andrew Brown/MileSplit

- - -

Over the last five years, the team behind RunningLane has steadily built one of the best championship meets in the country.

The second and final night of the meet saw heats of the 400m, 2000m Steeplechase, and a ton of mile races, as meet records and national history made the sixth edition of the 2025 RunningLane Track Championships the best. 

TJ HANSEN AND CORBIN COOMBS MAKE HISTORY IN THE MIDST OF SUB-FOUR RUNS

What. A. Race. 

The word historic doesn't quite do the performances of TJ Hansen and Corbin Coombs justice. Last night, in the grand finale of the 2025 RunningLane Track Championships, two college-bound stars added their names to a short but historic list. 

After following the pacers through 800m, both boys broke away from the 19-person field and threw down a hefty negative split, with the pair closing the last half-mile in 1:58.62 and 1:58.95, respectively. 

Heading into the 6th edition of the RunningLane Track Championships, no athlete had ever broken 4:00 under and alongside the lights, but Hansen and Coombs made quick work of that as they became the 23rd and 24th high schoolers to break 4:00, and the fifth and sixth to do so in 2025. 

It's also worth noting that the performances now mark the two fastest performances ever run by a high schooler on Alabama soil.

Just as it was for all 22 athletes that broke 4:00 before them, this feat was a long time coming for the duo. Hansen, who is headed to the University of Colorado this August, had gone as quick as 4:03.87 this February but used a huge PB to break off a piece of history. 

For Coombs, he had come within less than two seconds from breaking 4:00 at the Track Night NYC (4:01.84) earlier this month, so it's safe to say the future Wake Forest Demon Deacon is at peace knowing the job is done for now.KINLEY WOLFE USES CLOSING SPEED TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIP MILE

In what is one of her final races before she continues the Wolfe legacy at the University of North Carolina, Cherry Creek (Colo.) senior Kinley Wolfe had a goal in mind in Alabama. 

This year marked the third consecutive trip that Wolfe has made to Huntsville for the Track Championships, running 4:54 and 4:52, respectively, in her previous two showings. 

For Wolfe, "Out with the old and with the new" was the name of the game, as she took over 11 seconds off of her previous PB. Granted, she had gone as quick as 4:51 this season, but that doesn't exactly convert to a blistering 4:43.08.

From the boom of the starting gun to the ring of the bell, Wolfe had a group of challengers on her heels, until she unleashed a 67-second bell lap to leave the field behind. 

Juniors Danielle Graham (IMG Academy, Fla.) and Rowan Saacke (Bridgeland, Texas) finished second and third in 4:45.36 and 4:46.02, as Cardinal Gibbons freshman Kaitlyn Estep was fourth in 4:46.46.

ARIA PEARCE DEFENDS TITLE, SETS 400M MEET RECORD

A year ago, as a freshman, the Kansas native made the trek to Huntsville, Alabama, where she promptly won the 400m by two and a half seconds over Oak Mountain (Ala.) sophomore Catarina Williams. This time around, Pearce had her work cut out for her, having to deal with a trio of girls in under 57 seconds.

Ultimately, Pearce broke the tape, running a new meet record and PB of 54.90 to go back-to-back. The sophomore is now the second Kansan to run sub-55 this season and is the No. 15 sophomore at the distance this spring. KEETON JOHNSON HANGS ON FOR 400M WIN, BREAKS MEET RECORD

As six boys dipped below the 50-second barrier, it was the Leesville (La.) senior who broke the tape as he held off both Ocala Vanguard's (Fla.) David Reed and Tuscola's (N.C.) Brandon Jordan, who joined Johnson under the previous meet record.

Led by Keeton Johnson, The trio ran 49.43, 49.49, and 49.69, respectively, with Reed notching a lifetime best in the process. The fifth and final heat saw five athletes run sub-50, with only one resulting in a PB.ELIZABETH SCUDDERS PICKS UP BIG-TIME WIN IN STEEPLECHASE DEBUT

In her first-ever time taking on the challenge that is the 2000m Steeplechase, the Rogers (Ark.) sophomore ran the second-fastest time in state history according to the MileSplit database. Elizabeth Scudder never created a huge gap on the field, but kept her foot on the gas from the get-go, closing in an 84 to take the win in Huntsville. 

Scudder ranks No. 8 nationwide amongst sophomores this year.

IAN LARKIN SNAGS DRAMATIC WIN IN STEEPLECHASE

In his second steeple race of the season, and first since late March, Northfield's (Colo.) Ian Larkin took on one of the most formidable events at the high school ranks and left a national champion. After watching the first three of four heats, the time to beat was 6:06.26, a blistering time that was solo'd by Connor Tyrrell, a 10-second PB for the senior.

Through 800m, Larkin was three seconds off of the necessary pace but had gotten back on track thanks to a 74-second fourth lap. Despite closing one-fifth of a second slower than Tyrrell, Larkin held on for the win in 6:06.21, winning by five-hundredths of a second.