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Josh Hoey will race at the Monaco Diamond League meeting tomorrow, July 11. He is considered one of the best in the world at the 800m distance, but before his rise to stardom he was a high schooler at Bishop Shanahan High School in Pennsylvania.
He wasn't just any high schooler - the 2018 Graduate was considered one of the best to ever do it.
Hoey was a dominant 800m specialist - and collected honors throughout his HS career. Topping his achievements was his 800m Indoor HS National Record of 1:47.67. He held that mark until Cooper Lutkenhaus bested his record at the 2025 Millrose Games, this year.
Hoey won two individual state titles in Pennsylvania - the 2017 PTFCA Indoor State Championship and the 2017 PIAA AAA State 800m title.
On the Cross Country course, he held his own. During the 2017 cross country season he finished seventh at the PIAA 3A State Championship and led Bishop Shanahan to a fifth place finish.
During the 2018 track season, he opted to not run the typical high school calendar and did not compete at the PTFCA or PIAA State Championships.
Going Pro Out Of High School
After his HS Career, Hoey made the ambitious decision to go pro out of high school, but for the most part he fell off the map. It was a bumpy road for Hoey over the better part of the next six years.
He jumped from coach to coach, but struggled to find his footing in the professional landscape. He was close to calling it quits, and was committed to the idea of the 2024 season being his last.
But, since pairing with Coach Justin Rinaldi, Hoey has turned it all around.
He found confidence with a third place finish in the 800m at the 2024 USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships. He then ran 1:45.54 to win his opener at the Florida Relays 800m. He later finished fourth at the U.S. Olympic Trials, narrowly missing his first Olympic berth.
His momentum was set in motion.
The 2025 campaign started with an American Record in the 1,000m (2:14.48) at the Quaker Invitational at UPenn.
Hoey then set the American Indoor 800m Record at the 2025 Millrose Games (in the same race that Lutkenhaus broke his HS Record), and reset that mark at the USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships, running 1:43.24.
Hoey went on to the 2025 World Indoor Championship where he continued his 2025 undefeated season with his first global medal and first world gold.
Taking On A Stacked Field In Monaco
An excerpt from - The Most Stacked Men's 800m Race Since The Olympics: Monaco DL Full Preview - By Harry Prevor.
The entire Paris Olympic podium returnsin Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN), Marco Arop (CAN), and Djamel Sedjati (ALG) to face top Americans in a thriller that could end up being the race of the night. (In fact, every single Paris 800m finalist is in this race except 7th-placer Tshepiso Masalela.)
As the man who single-handedly pushed a dying event back into the 1:41s last year, Wanyonyi deserves to be the favorite but he hasn't been untouchable, placing 2nd at the Kingston Slam 800m and 3rd in Rabat before winning the Oslo and Stockholm DLs this year. Arop is undefeated in 2025 and will be running his first non-Grand Slam race this year after making considerable headway in the 1500m that should improve his 800m strength.
There were some on and off-the-track questions about Sedjati going into this year, but his 3rd in Oslo and runner-up Stockholm performances have assured us of his fitness and to not count him out in a kick.
Above: Hoey At The Wanda Diamond League Meeting In Paris - Photo By Getty Images
Americans Bryce Hoppel and Josh Hoey have come to challenge the Paris podium to see if either can steal their medals at Worlds in Tokyo later this year, and they both have solid cases. Hoppel was the closest to do it as the Olympic 4th-placer, and he's put down solid times in Doha (2nd, 1:43.2) and Paris (3rd, 1:43.1) this year despite an anomalous 9th-place showing in Stockholm. Hoey didn't make the Olympic team last year but has been on a tear in 2025, winning World Indoor gold and beating Hoppel in Stockholm (3rd) and Paris (2nd). The U.S. has seen somewhat of a renaissance this year in the men's 800m, meaning Hoppel and Hoey will be looking for confidence on the circuit leading into USAs to secure their Worlds team spots.
What Is The Wanda Diamond League?
The Diamond League is a high-octane, world-class professional track and field series, featuring the top track & field athletes in the world. Think of it as the NBA of track & field, but with fewer dunks and more world records. It started in 2010 and has grown to become one the most exciting and prestigious series in track & field.
The Diamond League features 15 meets with the world's best competing across the globe in places like China, Doha, London, Monaco, Paris, and Eugene, Oregon. It's high stakes, with the athletes chasing points that could give them a shot at the coveted Diamond Trophy at the end of the season.
You can learn more about the Wanda Diamond League HERE.
