Trans, nonbinary runner Nikki Hiltz does it again with win at U.S. Nationalshttps://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/trans-nonbinary-runner-nikki-hiltz-does-it-again-with-win-at-u-s-nationals/ar-AA1JU4Zk?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=13b83c912ad3433f86992ce5f06c23fe&ei=87Story by Karleigh Webb (4 Aug 2025)
The women's 1,500-meter final at Saturday's USA Track and Field National Championships was a sharp contrast to what finals in one of the deepest talent pools in the sport usually involve.
The race was tight and tactical through 1,100 meters, and two-time defending outdoor champ and 2024 Olympian Nikki Hiltz was hovering between fifth and fourth when the bell lap began.
The field was right where Hiltz wanted them as they surged past Sinclaire Johnson to win their sixth straight national title at 1,500 meters and third outdoors.
"I do this thing with 200 meters to go. I count backward from 30," Hiltz, who identifies as trans, nonbinary, told NBC Sports after the win. "I was staying with Sinclaire until I thought, 'Let's empty the tank in the last 100 and here I go.'"
The final surge was an example of what has been a continuous evolution for the middle distance competitor. From coming out in 2021, to a coaching change in 2022, to another coaching change in 2025, the 30-year-old Hiltz has dealt with the ups-and-downs of being an elite athlete by never standing still.
