Cole Hocker put on an absolute clinic Saturday night at the Sound Invite, running 3:45.94 to shatter the American indoor mile record. The Olympic 1500m champion’s time is the second-fastest indoor mile ever run, sitting just behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s 3:45.14 from last February.
This wasn’t just fast. This was historically fast.
Hocker’s mark demolished Yared Nuguse’s 3:46.63 from the 2025 Millrose Games. For context, Nuguse’s run briefly stood as the world record before Ingebrigtsen went even lower five days later. Now Hocker has wedged himself between Nuguse and that world record, and he came within a second of catching Ingebrigtsen.
The race played out tactically in the early going. Virginia Tech’s Dylan DeCambre led through 609 meters in 1:25.14, then James Gormley took over and brought the field through 1,000 meters in 2:22.81. By that point, the pack was already strung out.
That’s when Hocker made his move.
Hocker Closes Like a Freight Train
With 400 meters to go, Hocker surged to the front and started gapping everyone. Vincent Ciattei of Under Armour Dark Sky tried to hang on, but Hocker’s closing speed was too much. He ripped through that final lap in 54.82 seconds, with his last 200 meters coming in at 27.34.
Nike teammate Cooper Teare finished second in 3:50.49, more than four seconds back. Ciattei took third in 3:51.70.
Here’s what makes Hocker’s performance even more remarkable: this is now the second-fastest mile an American has ever run under any conditions. Only Nuguse’s 3:43.97 outdoor American record from the 2023 Prefontaine Classic is faster. Indoor, outdoor, doesn’t matter. Hocker just ran the second-best mile in U.S. history.
Sam Ruthe Holds His Own Against the Pros
The other storyline coming into this race was 16-year-old Sam Ruthe, the New Zealand phenom who set a national record of 3:48.88 two weeks ago in Boston. Could he hang with the Olympic champion and a field of seasoned pros?
The answer: mostly, yes.
Ruthe finished seventh in 3:52.46, which sounds pedestrian compared to his national record but really isn’t when you consider the circumstances. He was sitting third heading into the final lap before getting boxed in. That forced him to swing wide as the pace ramped up, and he lost touch with the leaders over the final 200 meters.
Still, this was Ruthe’s fourth sub-four-minute mile. He became the youngest person ever to break four minutes last year, and every time he races against this level of competition, he learns something. Getting beat by an Olympic champion running the second-fastest indoor mile in history? That’s a pretty good learning experience.
Ruthe’s time fell just outside the 3:51.80 standard Athletics New Zealand set for Commonwealth Games selection. He has until May 3 to hit that mark.
Fellow Kiwi Sam Tanner didn’t finish the race, continuing to deal with the Achilles issue that bothered him in Boston last month.
Full Results
- Cole Hocker (Nike) – 3:45.94 (American Record)
- Cooper Teare (Nike) – 3:50.49
- Vincent Ciattei (Under Armour Dark Sky) – 3:51.70
- Titouan Le Grix (New Balance) – 3:51.90
- George Couttie (Virginia Tech) – 3:52.02
- Jack Anstey (Under Armour Dark Sky) – 3:52.09
- Sam Ruthe (Nike) – 3:52.46
- Eduardo Herrera (Under Armour Dark Sky) – 3:54.12
- Ronan McMahon-Staggs (Diadora) – 3:57.23
