Nikki Hiltz ( ; born October 23, 1994) is an American middle-distance runner specializing in the 1500 meters and mile. Hiltz holds the American record in the mile and as of 2025, has won eight consecutive US titles across the mile and 1500 m. Hiltz won a silver medal at the 2024 World Indoor Championships and a bronze medal at the 2026 World Indoor Championships.
Hiltz competed collegiately for the Oregon Ducks and Arkansas Razorbacks.
They came out as transgender and nonbinary on International Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31, 2021. Hiltz was assigned female at birth and has been competing in the women's category since childhood.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hiltz finished seventh in the women's 1500 meter final. They are currently the second-fastest American of all-time in the women’s 1500 meter and mile events.
Career High school While attending Aptos Middle School, Hiltz ran a 400 m in 1:07.41 (2009), an 800 m in 2:51.54 (2008), a high jump of 1.37 m (2009), and long jump of 3.94 m (2008). At Aptos High School, Hiltz won 6 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Central Coast Section titles.
In cross country, Hiltz finished fifth at the 2010 California state championships as a sophomore. Later that year, they qualified for Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals where they placed 17th.
On the track, Hiltz won a California state championship and three additional top-three finishes. As a sophomore, Hiltz finished third in the 1,600 meter race. During their junior year, in 2012, they won the California 1600 meter state title, running a high-school best 4:42.45. This was the third best time among US junior athletes in 2012. As a senior, Hiltz came back from injury to finish third in the 800 m and second in the 1500 meter race. Hiltz ran a high school best 800 meter race time of 2:09.50 at the 2013 California sectional meet.
During high school, Hiltz competed in the 1500 meter race at the USA Junior Track and Field Championships. In Eugene, Oregon in 2011, Hiltz finished in fourth place in a time of 4:26.13. In Bloomington, Indiana in 2012, they finished in sixth place in a time of 4:29.52.
High school personal bests Event Time Date Location Year Outdoor 200 m 26.51 4 May 2013 Soquel, California 12th grade 400 m 57.11 27 April 2013 Aptos, California 12th grade 800 m 2:09.50 18–24 May 2013 Salinas, California 12th grade 1500 m 4:26.13 23 June 2011 Eugene, Oregon 10th grade 1600 m 4:42.45 2 June 2012 Clovis, California 11th grade Mile 4:51.52 30 March 2013 Palo Alto, California 12th grade 3200 m 10:48.23 13 April 2013 Santa Cruz, California 12th grade 300 m hurdles 47.86 7 May 2011 Santa Cruz, California 10th grade
Collegiate
Hiltz is a 6 time NCAA Division I All-American. Hiltz began a college career at Oregon in 2014 before transferring to Arkansas in 2016.
At the 2015 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships Hiltz finished in 8th place with a time of 4:38.47 in the mile for the Oregon Ducks. Hiltz was a 2015 NCAA Division I & Pac-12 Conference Track and Field Team Champion as a member of the Oregon Ducks at the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
After the 2015 season, Hiltz transferred to Arkansas. In 2016 Hiltz, along with Arkansas Razorbacks teammates Daina Harper, Therese Haiss and Jessica Kamilos, placed 5th in the DMR (Distance Medley Relay) with a time of 10:59.22 at the 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. Hiltz placed 6th in the mile, finishing with a time of 4:34.57 at the 2017 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. They finished 2nd in the 1500 m 2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 4:13.80.
In 2018, Hiltz earned First Team NCAA Division I All-America honors in the 1500 m Outdoors at the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Hiltz also placed 3rd in the mile at the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.
University personal bests Event Time Date Location Year Outdoor 800 m 2:05.83 11–13 May 2017 Columbia, South Carolina JR-3 Arkansas 1500 m 4:09.40 6–9 June 2018 Eugene, Oregon SR-4 Arkansas Indoor 800 m 2:05.16 27 January 2018 Fayetteville, Arkansas SR-4 Arkansas 1000 m 2:45.94 15 January 2016 Fayetteville, Arkansas SO-2 Arkansas 1500 m 4:15.40 3 February 2018 New York City, New York SR-4 Arkansas Mile 4:32.59 9–10 March 2018 College Station, Texas SR-4 Arkansas 3000 m 9:04.64 9–10 February 2018 Seattle, Washington SR-4 Arkansas XC 3.1 miles 16:41.9 1 October 2016 Fayetteville, Arkansas JR-3 Arkansas 5 km 16:55.1 29 September 2017 Notre Dame, Indiana SR-4 Arkansas 6km 19:35.5 10 November 2017 College Station, Texas SR-4 Arkansas
Professional
2018 In 2018, Hiltz signed with Adidas and trained with California-based The Mission Athletics Club, now known as The Golden Coast Track Club, after running a 1500 m time ranked in the top 100 in the world. In January of the same year they ran a then-personal best 2:05.16 in the 800 m. Later in the year Hiltz ran the Aetna Falmouth Mile placing 4th in 4:32.29. They followed up with a 5th-place finish at the Memphis Ed Murphey Mile with a time of 4:32.59. They also ran the Bay Shore Hoka One Long Island Mile, placing 12th in 4:39.23. Hiltz ranked 92nd in the world in the 1500 m with a personal best of 4:09.14.
2019
Hiltz ran an indoor 3000 m (9:04.32) at the JDL Fast Track Invitational, won the indoor mile (4:31.42) at the Husky Classic, and at the 2019 USA Track & Field Indoor Championships placed 5th in the mile (4:32.40) and 15th in the 2 mile (9:55.50). Later that year, Hiltz won the 800 m (2:01.37) at the 2019 Bryan Clay Invitational, won the 1500 m (4:07.71) at the 2019 USATF Distance Classic, runner-up in the 1500 m (4:05.56) at 2019 Portland Track Festival, won the 800 m (2:02.93) at the 2019 Adrian Martinez Classic, won the 1500 m (4:05.97) at the 2019 Sunset Tour. They also placed 3rd in the 1500 m (4:03.55) at the 2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Hiltz ranked 19th in the world in the 1500 m with a personal best of 4:01.52 in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
2020 Hiltz ran the mile at the Millrose Games in 4:24.45, splitting a 1500 m time of 4:07.09 and placing 5th with an indoor personal best.
2021 In New York, Hiltz competed in the 1500 m at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. At the 2021 United States Olympic trials, Hiltz contested both the 800 m and 1500 m. They failed to qualify for the final in either event placing 13th in the 1500 m and 17th in the 800 m.2021 USA Olympic Trials results USATF
2022 In the summer of 2022, no longer sponsored by Adidas, Hiltz announced that they had signed with Lululemon. On September 11, Hiltz finished second in the 2022 the Fifth Avenue Mile in 4:17.4 behind winner Laura Muir. At the USA Indoor National Championships in Spokane, Washington, Hiltz finished 10th in the 1500 meters. At the USA Outdoor National Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Hiltz finished 6th in the 1500 meters.
Hiltz won first place in the mile at the Falmouth Track Festival in Falmouth, Massachusetts, the Sir Walter Miler in Raleigh, and the Fleet Feet Liberty Mile in Pittsburgh. Hiltz also won the 1500 meters race at the Sound Running Sunset Tour #3 in Los Angeles.
2023 Nikki Hiltz won their first outdoor USATF Outdoor National Championship title in the 1500 in 4:03.10, moving from 3rd to 1st in the last 300 m. On July 21, 2023, Hiltz finished 6th in the mile at the Monaco Diamond League in a time of 4:16.35, a personal best, North American Area Record and an American Record.
Hiltz also won the mile or 1500 meters races at the Start to the Park 10k and Kalakaua Merrie Mile in Honolulu, Fast 5000 in Montesson, France, Trond Mohn Games in Bergen, Norway, and the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa.
2024 In the first race of the 2024 season, Hiltz won the 1,000-meter run at the Mile City Mayhem Event at the UW Invitational in 2:34.09, setting a personal best and American Indoor Record.
In an effort to test endurance, Hiltz decided to contest the 2 mile at the 2024 Millrose Games rather than their specialty event, the mile. Competing on February 11, they placed 4th in a time of 9:15.80 which improved upon their personal best set in 2019 by almost 40 seconds. The following week, Nikki contested the 1500 m at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, successfully defending their US indoor title in a time of 4:08.35. Placing top two, alongside Emily Mackay, qualified Hiltz to compete at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
In the qualifying round, on March 1, Hiltz posted the fastest time of the heats, running an indoor personal best of 4:04.34. In the final, Hiltz took second place behind Freweyni Hailu in a personal best of 4:02.32, earning a first global medal and becoming the first American to medal in the event since Regina Jacobs in 2003. Hiltz was joined on the podium by fellow American Emily Mackay who took bronze.
In the 2024 US Olympic Trials, Hiltz competed in the 1500 m run and made it through the preliminaries and semifinals. In the final, Hiltz won in a time of 3:55.33, thereby making the Olympic Team, and also setting a new trials record.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hiltz finished third in both their preliminary heat and semifinal heat, qualifying for the final. In the Women's 1500 meter final, Hiltz finished seventh with a time of 3:56.38.
In October 2024, it was announced that Hiltz had signed up for the inaugural season of the Michael Johnson founded Grand Slam Track.
2025 On February 23, 2025, Hiltz became the first person to win five consecutive U.S. 1500 m titles (both indoor and outdoor) as they finished first in the 1500 m with a time of 4:05.76 in the 2025 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. They won the 3000 m in 8:48.28 on the previous day, making them the first person to sweep the 1500 and 3000 m in the competition since Shelby Houlihan in 2020.
In early 2025, Hiltz parted ways with coach Mike Smith and began being coached by Juli Benson. At the first Grand Slam Track in Kingston, Jamaica, Hiltz won the 800 m race with a personal best of 1:58.23.
Hiltz finished fifth in the 2025 Prefontaine Classic 1500 m with a time of 3:55.96, their second best time in the distance to date, as Faith Kipyegon set a world record in the 1500 m.
Hiltz finished first in the 1500 m in the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 4:03.15, securing their place in the 2025 World Athletics Championships and winning their eighth consecutive U.S. title.
Hiltz won the 1500 m at the 2025 Memorial Van Damme on August 22, 2025, as part of the 2025 Diamond League, finishing with a time of 3:55.94.
After finishing third in the second semifinal, Hiltz qualified for the 1500 m final of the 2025 World Athletics Championships. Racing in the final, they finished fifth overall with a time of 3:57.08, the top American in the race. Describing their experience of the race, Hiltz said “It got harder and harder every step, almost so it kind of just runs the legs out of you.”
2026 Hiltz was named to the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame, part of the 2026 induction class, in January 2026.
On February 1, 2026, Hiltz won the Wanamaker Mile race at the 2026 Millrose Games with a time of 4:19.64, their personal best for an indoor mile. Their win also marked a world-leading time at that point in the season.
Competing in the ASICS Sound Invite on February 15, 2026, Hiltz won the 3000 m with a time of 8:34.98, a facility record at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.