Birthday: 08/31/95 Mile PR: 4:17.01 (indoors) - 2025
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
Heather MacLean won the 2025 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Mile in Boston, setting a then personal record of 4:23.32, and the following Saturday at the Millrose Games, finished second in the Wanamaker Mile (4:23.41). In March, she also won the Mile at the BU Last Chance meet, clocking 4:17.01, indoors #4 world all-time and #2 U.S. AT as well as the fastest women's Mile for that month and a Massachusetts state record. En route, the 2020 Olympian also set the U.S. indoor 1500m in 3:59.60.
In late June at the 2024 Olympic Trials, she 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, MacLean won the 2023 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Mile, setting a then PR of 4:23.42 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
Yared Nuguse eyes three-peat at iconic indoor Mile race
From World Athletics
Olympic and World indoor medalists Josh Kerr and Yared Nuguse will renew their rivalry and Paris Olympic 1500m medalists Jessica Hull (silver) and Georgia Bell (bronze) lead the women’s field for the NYRR Wanamaker...
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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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“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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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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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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“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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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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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...
Read More commentsReturn the Mile to prominence on the American & worldwide sports and cultural landscape by elevating and celebrating the Mile to create a movement.
ELEVATE
Bring Back the Mile as the premier event in the sport, and increase interest in and media coverage of the Mile for both those who love the distance as well as the general public.
CELEBRATE
Bring Back the Mile to celebrate the storied distance and to recognize the people who made and make the Mile great and to promote Mile events and the next generation of U.S. Milers.
NATIONAL MOVEMENT
Bring Back the Mile to create a national movement for the Mile as America’s Distance, to inspire Americans to run the Mile as part of their fitness program and to replace the 1600 meters at High School State Track & Field Meets across the country.
Become a Mile Maniac member or a BBTM sponsor today! Join us, and go Mile!