American Runner Smashes 29-Year Indoor 800m World Record

Josh Hoey didn't even realize he'd made history until he looked up at the clock.

The 26-year-old American crossed the finish line at Boston's New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on Saturday, clocking 1:42.50 in the men's indoor 800m. His time shattered a world record that had stood for nearly 29 years, breaking Kenyan-Danish legend Wilson Kipketer's mark by more than a tenth of a second.

What makes Hoey's achievement even more special is who helped him get there. His brother Jaxson paced him to the 500-meter mark with perfect precision, allowing Josh to focus entirely on the race. "He took me to 500m, and I didn't have to think at all," Hoey said after the race.

This record-breaking run came just seven weeks after Hoey set another world best in the indoor 600m, also in Boston. His younger brother Jonah paced that race in December, making both achievements true family affairs.

The three Hoey brothers train together on their family farm outside Philadelphia and spend winter months based in Flagstaff, Arizona. Their bond goes beyond blood, it's built on thousands of miles run together and an unwavering commitment to pushing each other toward greatness.

When Kipketer set his record in 1997, Hoey hadn't even been born yet. Now he's written his name in the history books, joining the ranks of middle-distance running legends.

Why This Inspires

Hoey's breakthrough shows what becomes possible when talent meets trust and family support. His brothers didn't just help him train, they literally ran alongside him to make his dream real, sacrificing their own race results to pace him perfectly.

The achievement also reminds us that records are made to be broken. What seemed untouchable for nearly three decades fell to an athlete who combined dedication, smart training, and the kind of teamwork only family can provide.

Hoey's story proves that behind every individual achievement, there's often a team of people who believed first and pushed hardest.

Boston witnessed another world record fall that same day when American distance runner Hobbs Kessler broke the indoor 2,000m mark, making it the first time two world records were set at the venue since it opened in 2023. The future of American middle-distance running has never looked brighter.