Anticipation built towards this weekend and it was all for good reason. The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix is a unique calibre of event. In just 2 hours, it managed to squeeze in 2 world records, 7 national records, 7 world leads and over 30 personal bests. Not bad for an event which marked the first or second race for most of the athletes!
Men’s 3000m
One such athlete is the Australian Cameron Myers. He opened his season last week with a bang. With his performance on Saturday, he proved it wasn’t just a one-off explosion. He may have strayed from his usual mile distance, but that risk paid off with a new 3000m national record to add to his resume.
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 2026: Men’s 3000m Results:
- Cameron MYERS (AUS) 7:27.57 AR
- Andrew COSCORAN (IRL) 7:30.97
- Graham BLANKS (USA) 7:31.97
- Nicholas GRIGGS (IRL) 7:32.79
- Marco LANGON (USA) 7:34.56
- Matthew WILKINSON (USA) 7:37.36
- Morgan BEADLESCOMB (USA) 7:38.59
- Kasey KNEVELBAARD (USA) 7:41.88
- Mahadi ABDI ALI (NED) 7:42.06
- Brian FAY (IRL) 7:42.58
- Adam FOGG (GBR) 7:50.14
- Derek JOHNSON (USA) 7:56.12
Men’s 600m
The men’s 600m was somewhat of an outlier on the event schedule. It’s fair to say its results stood out as such. Donavan Brazier and Bryce Hoppel, the names we thought would be up there as winners, weren’t even challengers. Cian McPhillips of Ireland judged the race to perfection and came through for a comfortable win.
Brazier, trapped as McPhillips made his final move, eventually managed to break away for second place, just catching his teammate Hoppel on the line.
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 2026: Men’s 600m Results:
- Cian MCPHILLIPS (IRL) 1:16.37
- Donavan BRAZIER (USA) 1:17.20
- Bryce HOPPEL (USA) 1:17.24
- Mehdi YANOURI (USA) 1:17.83
Women’s 1500m
This race was set up to be the perfect head-to-head. First, we had the Kenyan Dorcus Ewoi, silver medallist over the 1500m in Tokyo last year. Next to her, Sinclaire Johnson of the USA, national outdoor mile record holder making her debut with HOKA. What a successful debut it was, although to spoil it for you, not quite a winning one.
The intention was clear from the start: Ewoi tucked herself second-in-line behind the pacemaker with Johnson staying right where she wanted in her slipstream. They kept this position right up until the bell. It was then the gap between them widened ever so slightly but crucially for Sinclaire Johnson. She had almost no choice but to wait until the final straight for her move. Unfortunately, she came up short and Ewoi clung on to her win.
A frustratingly close second place, but one rewarded with the 4th fastest time in US history over the 1500m indoors. Furthermore, it was a new personal best of 4:01.30. The winner Dorcus Ewoi also ran her fastest time ever, laying down a world lead of 4:01.22.
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 2026: Women’s 1500m Results:
- Dorcus EWOI (KEN) 4:01.22
- Sinclaire JOHNSON (USA) 4:01.30
- Klaudia KAZIMIERSKA (POL) 4:01.78
- Sarah BILLINGS (AUS) 4:01.79
- Gracie MORRIS (USA) 4:02.12
- Gabija GALVYDYTĖ (LTU) 4:03.44
- Danielle JONES (USA) 4:03.54
- Elsabet AMARE (ETH) 4:05.38
- Sarah CALVERT (GBR) 4:12.16
- Nozomi TANAKA (JPN) 4:13.90
- Shannon FLOCKHART (GBR) 4:13.95
Men’s 2000m
No race has had quite the same lead up as this one. Grant Fisher, world indoor 3000m record holder, had said he thought an American record would be needed to win. Then, just the night before, Cole Hocker opened his season over the 2000m indoors with 4:52.92. Thus breaking Bernard Lagat’s 10 year old national record by almost 2 seconds. It turns out though Grant Fisher was only partly right. Cole Hocker’s American record was on life support from the very beginning.
After initially holding off the pace, by 2 minutes in that gap had closed considerably. Grant Fisher and Hobbs Kessler were breaking further and further away from the rest of the field. Forget the wavelights, they had reached world record pace and were showing no signs of stopping.
Kessler may have been the least decorated out of the big names in this race, but he had one key thing: the fastest mile personal best at 3:46.90. Down the back straight of the final lap, he made his move past Fisher and came storming through with a 13.02 last 100m. This extended his lead and gave the crowd their first world record of the day: 4:48.79. Kenenisa Bekele lost the last of his 5 world records after 18 years. Kessler wasn’t the only one though, because Fisher also ran under the previous record with 4:49.48.
To bring us full circle, I say Grant Fisher was only partly right because what the race actually needed was a world record. But, as the commentators made very clear, it was in fact an American record too.
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 2026: Men’s 2000m Results:
- Hobbs KESSLER (USA) 4:48.79 AR
- Grant FISHER (USA) 4:49.48
- Pieter SISK (BEL) 4:52.41
- Jake WIGHTMAN (GBR) 4:53.69
- Foster MALLECK (CAN) 4:54.08
- Romain MORNET (FRA) 4:55.54
- Sam GILMAN (USA) 5:09.36
- Luke HOUSER (USA) 5:13.22
Women’s 3000m
Then came the race that marked not only the return of US 3000m record holder Elle St.Pierre just 8 months after giving birth to her second child, but also a rematch between her and 2000m outdoor world record holder Jessica Hull of Australia.
Hull took the lead early on. Perhaps quite symbolically for her, the 2000m mark was the turning point and the pace slowed. Both St.Pierre and her fellow Australian Linden Hall used this dip to overtake. After a push and pull between St.Pierre and Hall for the lead, the American kicked up a gear to propel her to a win. Breaking the tape in a world leading time of 8:26.54. Another triumphant post-partum return completed. Also, with such apparent ease, that it is a feat that cannot go understated.
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 2026: Women’s 3000m
- Elle ST. PIERRE (USA) 8:26.54
- Linden HALL (AUS) 8:27.03
- Jessica HULL (AUS) 8:36.03
- Emily MACKAY (USA) 8:38.57
- Hannah NUTTALL (GBR) 8:38.96
- Margot APPLETON (USA) 8:39.79
- Elise THORNER (GBR) 8:39.87
- Şilan AYYILDIZ (TUR) 8:42.29
- Amina MAATOUG (NED) 8:45.60
- Alexandra MILLARD (GBR) 8:48.69
- Amaris TYYNISMAA (USA) 9:01.09
Men’s 800m
Josh Hoey had the weight of expectations on his shoulders when he lined up for this race. Broadcasting to the world that you’re going to target the world record and think yourself more than capable of doing so is no subtle move. The pressure was on to deliver.
Luckily for Hoey, he had a trusted pacemaker on his side – his very own brother Jaxson Hoey. Who better than big brother to lead him to that very goal? This race was a pure showcase of talent. No real challengers to distract, just Hoey against the clock. Paced to perfection it was, because Josh Hoey did it: 1:42.50, and with a 600m split faster than Cian McPhillips’ winning time form earlier in the evening. The 28 year old world record of Wilson Kipketer was broken by 0.17. Hoey had his brother right there to celebrate with him to make the moment even sweeter.
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 2026: Men’s 800m Results:
- Josh HOEY (USA) 1:42.50 WR, AR
- Filip OSTROWSKI (POL) 1:44.68
- Ryan CLARK (NED) 1:44.72
- Hiroki MINAMOTO (JPN) 1:52.08
Men’s 300m
Jereem Richards didn’t waste any time in getting out of the blocks to secure that instant edge over Lyles on his inside. But when Lyles snuck past in the final straight it seemed like the race would end his usual way. Except, this wasn’t a 200m, it was 300m. That difference allowed Jereem Richards, 400m world silver medallist, to just clip Lyles on the line by 0.01.
Special mention must be made to Trayvon Bromell, double world bronze medallist over the 100m, who decided to take his shot at the 300m. However, he will never do so again.
New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 2026: Men’s 300m Results:
- Jereem RICHARDS (TTO) 32.14
- Noah LYLES (USA) 32.15
- Vernon NORWOOD (USA) 32.38
- Trayvon BROMELL (USA) 35.36
For an event so early on in the season, it’s a wonder how the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix manages to produce so many great performances. 2026 was no exception. Anticipation built, and last night we saw its epic release.
