Hobbs Kessler and Josh Hoey break world records, beating Noah Lyles in the 300 meters at the New Balance Grand Prix

It’s been 30 years since the very first New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, and each iteration delivers competition that surpasses the results of previous years. Today in Boston, Olympians and World Champions like Noah Lyles and more came to TRACK at New Balance to show off what they’ve been working on since the World Championships in Tokyo.

Here’s a guide to which of athletics’ brightest stars made history today.

Hobbs Kessler is making a big statement for the 2026 season

Olympic and American indoor champion Hobbs Kessler can now add another world record to his extensive list of accolades. Earlier in Boston, Kessler put in a great performance in the 2000 meters, running a time of 4:48.79, setting a new world and American record.

His achievement comes less than 24 hours after Olympic champion Cole Hocker set the American record in the event at the Hokie Invitational, where he ran 4:52.92. This was two seconds faster than the previous record set by Bernard Legat in 2014.

Two-time Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher was not far behind Kessler. He controlled most of the race but could not beat Kessler’s strong finish. Fisher ran 4:49.48, also under the American record that Hocker set yesterday.

This is Kessler’s first competition of the 2026 athletics season. Last year, the world record holder ended his indoor season on a high. He won American titles in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters. He was a favorite for Team USA after finishing 5th at the 2024 Olympics. However, Kessler failed to secure his spot to compete in Tokyo last September.

Despite the disappointment, Kessler’s new world record shows he is determined to regain everything he lost last season.

Josh Hoey finds his rhythm and sets a new world record in the 800 meters

Kessler wasn’t the only athlete to rewrite history in Boston. World record holder indoor 600 meters and world champion indoor 800 meters Josh Hoey took part in the 800 meters this afternoon. Hoey, paced by his brother Jaxson in the 500 meters, ran 1:42.50 and set a new world record in the indoor 800 meters.

Hoey, like Kessler, failed to make Team USA in September despite winning the world indoor title in March. The world champion did not let this setback stop him from starting 2026 as the fastest man in history.

The previous world record of 1:42.67, set by Wilson Kepketer in 1997, stood for 29 years.

“This is far from the end of the journey; it is close to the beginning,” said How.

The now two-time world record holder is juggling the idea of ​​which events he will compete in in a month’s U.S. Championships, according to a FloTrack interview. Depending on how well he does at the Millrose Games next weekend, he could even consider running the 1500m at the championships.

Noah Lyles will compete against silver medalist Jareem Richards in the 300 meters

The last event of the day was the men’s 300 meter sprint. The lineup included seven-time world champion Noah Lyles, two-time Olympian and four-time world champion Vernon Norwood, world champion and bronze medalist Trayvon Bromell, and Jareem Richards, a world gold, silver and bronze champion.

In the days leading up to the race, Norwood and Lyles called each other out on social media, building hype for the race earlier in the day.

Lyles had stiff competition against Richards and Norwood. Although Lyles holds the U20 world record in the 300 meter sprint at 31.87, Richards and Norwood are 400 meter sprint specialists, giving them more than enough strength to run a solid 300 meter sprint. Lyles is known for his impeccable top speed in shorter events such as the 100-meter and 200-meter dash. Plus, it’s been nine years since Lyles broke the U20 record. Bromell, like Lyles, is better known for his proficiency in shorter events.

Richards didn’t let the pressure of Lyles’ talent deter him from getting his win today. Right at the line, the 400-meter sprint silver medalist surpassed Lyles to become the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix champion with a time of 32.14.

Lyles came in second with a time of 32.15. Norwood ran a personal best for third place, finishing in 32.38. Bromell finished fourth in 35.36.

In a post-race interview with NBC, Lyles and Richards said they want a rematch at an upcoming meeting. If their schedules allow, this could be another close race before the World Indoor Athletics Championships in March.

The exciting track and field action continues next week at the Millrose Games on February 1 at The Armory in New York City. So far, Olympic champions Quincy Wilson, Cole Hocker and others have been confirmed to participate. Live coverage begins on NBC and Peacock at 4:00 PM EST.