Ciattei defends, Gear wins thrilling USA road Mile titles in record times
Top two finishers also qualify for 2025 World Athletics Road Running Championships; top five women under previous U.S. record; 11 men sub-4 at Grand Blue Mile
From USATF & Drake Relays with BBTM support
DES MOINES, Iowa – The 2025 USATF 1 Mile Championships hosted by the Grand Blue Mile kicked off what is set to be an incredible week of athletics in Des Moines with the inaugural the World Shot Put Series on Wednesday and the 115th Drake Relays through Sunday.
Slight cloud cover and a 70 degree Tuesday evening made a picture perfect backdrop in downtown Des Moines for the 17th edition of the USATF 1 Mile Championships, which also served as the selection event for Team USATF at the 2025 World Athletics Road Running Championships.
Making her season debut, Karissa Schweizer, and American 1500m record holder Shelby Houlihan took an early lead and pulled the 15-woman pack through a quarter-mile in 64 seconds. The two Iowa natives were still together at the front through the halfway point in 2:12, with Schweizer a half-stride ahead. Schweizer upped the tempo to try and break away from the field, but Houlihan covered that move and then passed Schweizer, going by the three-quarter mile mark in 3:19.
Krissy Gear started to press forward in pursuit of the lead duo and was right beside Houlihan coming into the final stretch. Gear, 25, sprinted to the finish and broke the tape in 4:23.98 to shatter the U.S. road record with the victory over Schweizer (4:24.40), a fast-closing Gracie Morris (4:24.73) and Houlihan (4:25.06).
“I know that I’m a pretty good kicker, but so is half of that field,” said Gear following her win. “I knew they were going to rally going into the finish so I was trying to pump my arms as hard as I could, and fortunately, I was able to hold on.”
Gear's time made her the 4th-fastest woman ever in the event and she trimmed almost four seconds off the ratified U.S. record of 4:27.97 that was set in 2023 by Nikki Hiltz at the Grand Blue Mile. The first five women bettered Hiltz's national record and previous world record. Defending women's champion Rachel McArthur finished sixth in 4:30.43.
Seeking his third career victory after wins last year and in 2022, Vince Ciattei was among a tight pack of 20 men through the first quarter mile in 59 seconds. The field started to spread out over the next quarter and Ciattei had the lead in 2:00, albeit with seven men still in striking distance.
With a quarter mile remaining, Ciattei continued to hang near the lead, going by that checkpoint in 3:01 with 2023 champion Sam Prakel and Abe Alvarado. The top 12 runners were within a second of the lead, and as they saw the finish line in their distant vision, Crowd favorite Craig Engels put the pedal down and briefly took the lead, but Ciattei wasn't to be denied and he surged to the win in 3:54.55, breaking his event record of 3:56.97 from last year as well as setting the U.S. All-Comers and USA Championship record. Newcomer Sam Ellis nabbed the runner-up spot in 3:54.95, while Engels took third in 3:55.09. Overall, the top 8 men went under the previous event record and 11 of them went sub-4 minutes.
“I had some quiet expectations [as the defending champion] but channeled it the right way,” said the 30-year-old Ciattei following his win. “I didn’t have the best indoor season but I think my success in this race in the past allowed me to channel confidence instead of anxiety so I’m really excited about the way I competed today.”
Ciattei’s win makes him the first male runner since 2011 – David Torrence - to win three USA road Mile titles. His time made him the second fastest American ever, and Ellis moved to #3 on the U.S. all-time list on record standard courses.
The USA Championship awarded a record $50,000 in prize money, $10,000 to each national champion, and Gear also earned a $5000 U.S. record bonus.
The night commenced with the inaugural running of Spike's Sprint youth race made up of three separate age groups from six to 10-years-old. More than 2,100 participants then hit the pavement for the Grand Blue Mile recreational division with entrants of all ages and abilities maneuvering their way through the heart of Des Moines. Drake mascot Spike blitzed his counterparts in the Mascot Madness race, marking the second time in three years that Spike has been victorious in his hometown. Finally, the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships capped the night with a pair of nail-biting finishes.
16th Grand Blue Mile: USATF 1 Mile Road Championships
BBTM Featured Event
Des Moines, IA, Tuesday, April 22, 2025
MEN
1) Vince Ciattei (AZ), 3:54.55*, $10,000
2) Sam Ellis (GA), 3:54.95, $5000
3) Craig Engels (CA), 3:55.09, $3000
4) Josh Thompson (NV), 3:55.14, $2500
5) Casey Comber (MD), 3:55.65, $2000
6) Damien Dilcher (MD), 3:55.97, $1000
7) Olin Hacker (AZ), 3:56.37, $600
8) Sam Prakel (WA), 3:56.66, $400
9) Isaac Basten (MA), 3:57.01, $300
10) Kasey Knevelbaard (AZ), 3:58.33, $200
*event record (previous record, 3:57 (3:56.97), Vince Ciattei (AZ), 2024)
WOMEN
1) Krissy Gear (AZ), 4:23.98*, $15,000 (includes $5000 U.S. record bonus)
2) Karissa Schweizer (OR), 4:24.40, $5000
3) Gracie Morris (NC), 4:24.73, $3000
4) Shelby Houlihan (AZ), 4:25.06, $2500
5) Eleanor Fulton (OR), 4:27.81, $2000
6) Rachel McArthur (VA), 4:30.43, $1000
7) Taryn Rawlings (AZ), 4:31.18, $600
8) Jenn Randall (OR), 4:33.89, $400
9) Angelina Ellis (AZ), 4:35.40, $300
10) Colleen Quigley (CA), 4:41.10, $200
*event and U.S. record (previous record, 4:28 (4:27.97), Nikki Hiltz (AZ), 2023)
Complete race results HERE.
Photo Credit: Drake Relays
