Heather MacLean

Birthday: 08/31/95 Mile PR: 4:20.41 - 2024
Metric Mile (1500m) PR: 3:58.31 - 2024
High School: Peabody Veteran Memorial HS '13
Hometown: Peabody, MA
College: University of Massachusetts '17
Current Residence: Boston, MA

Team: Team New Balance Boston

Heather MacLean, in late June at the 2024 Olympic Trials, finished 7th in 3:58.31, a PR, in the greatest U.S. women's 1500 ever, and later, finished a close second at the Guardian Mile, running 4:35 (4:34.79) and third at Sir Walter Miler in a PR 4:20.41, #9 U.S. woman all-time outdoors.

On her training track in a thrilling finish, she won the 2023 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Mile, setting a personal record of 4:23.42 (#8 U.S. all-time indoors) and edging Canadian Lucia Stafford (4:23.52) at the line.

In a blanket finish with Josette Norris and Elle Purrier St. Pierre, she won the 2022 USA Indoor 1500 meter title in 4:06.09, her first national crown. In March, she placed 7th in the 1500m at the World Indoor Championships. In August, she finished second in the Monaco Diamond League 1500m, setting a personal record of 3:58.89, and later in the month, won the NACAC Championship 1500m gold medal (4:04.53, event record).

On April 15, 2022 in Boston, Heather ran the first leg of the Distance Medley Relay team (1200 = 3:14.92, 400, 800, 1600) that shattered the indoor and absolute world record, clocking 10:33.85; previous WR 10:39.91.

On a warm evening at Hayward Field, she finished third at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials 1500m, running a 3-plus second personal record of 4:02.09 to qualify for her first Olympic team (Tokyo).

MacLean won the Blankenship Women’s Mile in 4:27.54 at the 2021 American Track League meet #2 and also the 1500 meters in 4:06.32 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

At the 2020 NYRR Wanamaker Mile, she finished 6th, clocking a personal record of 4:25.98.

In 2019, MacLean was 7th at the USA Outdoor Championships 1500m, setting a personal record of 4:05.27.

In college at U-Mass, she earned 2017 All-American cross country honors (the school's first woman to do so), established records for 800 meters, 1000m, 1500m & Mile and also qualified for the NCAA Championships in track and cross country.

At Peabody Veteran Memorial High School, MacLean was a member of the All-State Champion cross country team and also set school records at 400, 600 and 800 meters as well as numerous relays.

FUN FACT: Heather was the first in her family to graduate from college.

FUN FACT II: She was a finalist for 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Photo credit: Kevin Morris

@heathair31

News

Gregorek, DeGenero win thrilling Guardian Mile races

July 28, 2024

Men's champion, Gregorek, four-peats at 6th edition; $25,000 in prize money awarded

By Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND — Fractions of a second separated the winners in both the Elite men’s and women’s race at the 2024 Guardian Mile, held across the iconic Hope Memorial Bridge in...

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MacLean wins thrilling homecoming New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Mile

February 05, 2023

“I’ve been visualizing this for so long. Actually seeing it, and seeing my family with a whole row to themselves with all my nieces and nephews here, made me so happy.”

By Matt Williams, The Salem News

BOSTON — Heather MacLean is still getting used to the idea of racing from the front — so...

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How Peabody’s Heather MacLean blossomed into an Olympian

July 09, 2021

A “blue-collar kid” who’s extremely gritty and relentlessly pursues her goals.

By Trevor Hass. Boston.com

As Heather MacLean has ascended from running rookie to collegiate athlete to All-American to Olympian, her journey has been anything but linear.

Unrelenting bouts with pneumonia in...

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Elle Purrier St. Pierre Dominates U.S. Olympic Trials 1500m

June 21, 2021

Cory McGee, Heather MacLean also set personal records to earn Team USA berths to Tokyo

By Taylor Dutch, Runner's World

Leading wire-to-wire, Elle Purrier St. Pierre convincingly won the women’s 1500 meters at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials on Monday in Eugene, Oregon. At the new,...

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Meet rising star Heather MacLean

February 16, 2021

“Running with this group, she’s taken it up a level. She knows she belongs. She knows with a lap to go she’s going to be there."

By Sarah Lorge Butler, Runner's World

Ask Heather MacLean, who is an 800 meter / 1500 meter / Mile specialist, which event is her favorite, and she’ll tell you it’s...

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The Best Mile Moments of 2019

December 20, 2019

Longstanding indoor and outdoor Mile world records broken; Herrera & Kampf BBTM Grand Prix Tour champions and more BBTM Effect!

By Ryan Lamppa, Bring Back the Mile

The Bring Back the Mile campaign was launched in January 2012 to elevate & celebrate the storied distance, and over the past 8...

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Mackey, Hurt Headline Fields for Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile

August 13, 2019

Guaranteed $15,000 prize purse plus time bonuses; 24th edition fourth stop on the BBTM Grand Prix Tour 2019 presented by Running Warehouse

From Falmouth Road Race

FALMOUTH, Mass. — Katie Mackey, the only three-time winner in the race’s history, and Tripp Hurt, the reigning USA 1 Mile Road...

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Return the Mile to prominence on the American & worldwide sports and cultural landscape by elevating and celebrating the Mile to create a movement.

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