This feature on the amazing Brooks PR Invitational, held on June 8, 2025, was written for RunBlogRun by Deji Ogeyingbo.
Brooks PR Invitational Review: Hedengren’s Historic Double Headlines a Scorcher in Seattle
Under hot, hard sunshine at Renton Memorial Stadium, the 2025 Brooks PR Invitational delivered what many had hoped for: a glimpse at the future of American distance running. At the center of it all stood Jane Hedengren, who reminded everyone why she’s rewriting high school history with ease and grace.
The 18-year-old from Timpview High School in Utah looked unbothered by the rising 88-degree heat, cruising through eight laps of the 2-mile like she had been training for this moment her whole life. Her time of 9:17.75 didn’t just break her own national record, it shattered it by 17 seconds. It was smooth, calculated, and almost surgical. Only seven American women have ever run faster.
The performance capped a stunning week for her. Just three days earlier, she clocked 4:23.50 in the mile at the HOKA Festival of Miles, a time that ranks third all-time for the U-20 category globally. To run that fast on Thursday, fly back across the country, and dominate again on Sunday says everything about her form and mindset.
She hit her first mile in 4:41.16 and negative-split the second half in 4:36.59. That second mile alone would have won the girls’ mile race. It also would have beaten three boys in the boys’ 2-mile. Along the way, she also broke the U.S. U-20 3000m record en route with a time of 8:40.99 and was clocked at 9:14.65 for 3200m.
Hedengren credits her faith for the performances. “It’s not me, it’s God,” she said. “I’ve just been trying to do the best I can and show what this gift is.”
Behind her, Rylee Blade ran a big personal best of 9:57.10 for second, with California’s Hanne Thomsen just behind in 10:00.41. That duo flipped positions from the state championships, showing the form of national-level consistency.
The 800 meters brought another record, this time from Union Catholic’s Paige Sheppard. The sophomore clocked 2:01.50, breaking Alexa Efraimson’s 2014 meet record. It also erased Sophia Gorriaran’s sophomore class best. Sheppard’s timing and surge with 150 meters left was perfect, overtaking Emmry Ross, who had led early and still finished in 2:02.83, good enough to also beat the previous meet record. Georgia’s Oluwatosin Awoleye…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at runblogrun…