Trans nonbinary runner Nikki Hiltz completes historic sweep at U.S.A. indoor championships

Nikki Hiltz experienced a memorable weekend at the USATF Indoor Championships in Staten Island, N.Y., accomplishing what no other runner had achieved before.

On Saturday, Hiltz secured victory in the women’s 3,000 meters and followed up with a win in the 1,500 meters on Sunday. Hiltz made history as the first runner to claim five consecutive U.S.A. 1,500-meter titles, spanning both indoor and outdoor tracks. They also became the first to sweep both the 1,500 and 3,000 middle distance women’s races since 2020, according to ‘Out Sports’.

Hiltz, who identifies as trans and nonbinary, proudly competes for the LGBTQ+ community, a fact highlighted by their partner, Emma Gee, who is also a successful runner, on Instagram.

“1500 AND 3k Indoor Champion‼️ Feeling very lucky to be able to watch @nikkihiltz do what they love this weekend,” Gee wrote. “All I have to to say is…if you’ve never been interested in watching track, just go watch a race Nikki’s in (or just a 1500 on general it’s WIlD) and you’ll be on the edge of your seat.

“Thank you @nikkihiltz for making this sport so exciting and for showing the queer community that they belong anywhere they decide to be ❤️ especially now, and especially in sports.”

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” Hiltz mentioned to Citius, noting they set personal records in both races while clinching victories. At the Paris Olympics, Hiltz reached the finals of the 1,500 meters, finishing in seventh place. Speaking to Lewis Johnson on NBC Sports about their race strategy, Hiltz explained, “Indoors is about positioning. You can lead indoors better than outdoors. There’s no wind. The turns are tighter. Sometimes the pole position is the best position.”

In the 3,000 meters, Hiltz narrowly defeated Shelby Houlihan, finishing just .15 seconds ahead. With these victories, Hiltz qualified for the upcoming indoor championships next month but chose to skip them to focus on the upcoming Grand Slam outdoor season, which begins in Jamaica in April.