Appleton and Kessler Capture the 2026 Sir Walter Miler
RALEIGH, N.C. — The 2026 Sir Walter Miler delivered two thrilling sprint finishes and a pair of national records under the lights at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Margot Appleton claimed the women’s elite mile in 4:23.45, surging to the front during the final straightaway to narrowly defeat Kayley DeLay, who finished in 4:23.77. Lindsey Butler placed third in 4:24.18.
Eleven women broke 4:30—the most in event history—with Appleton becoming the 50th woman to surpass the barrier at the Sir Walter Miler. Carmen Alder also ran 4:26.13 to establish a new Ecuadorian national record.
The men’s race produced an even closer finish. Olympian Hobbs Kessler edged Abe Alvarado by just nine-hundredths of a second, winning in 3:51.86. It was the second-fastest winning performance in the event’s 13-year history.
Alvarado finished in 3:51.95, breaking his own Mexican national record, while Davis Bove placed third in 3:52.59 and became the 100th man in Sir Walter Miler history to run under four minutes.
The night also delivered career milestones for DeLay and Juliette Whittaker, who broke 4:30 for the first time, and Colin Kelly, who recorded his first sub-four-minute mile in 3:59.29.
With packed fields, record-setting performances and two races decided in the final strides, the 2026 Sir Walter Miler once again showed why it has become one of the premier mile events in American track and field.
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