From Oregon to Boston to Florida, this weekend was long, but the performances made it all worth it. 

The weekend started on Thursday in California at the Bryan Clay Invitational and ended on Monday in Boston at the Boston Marathon. Whether it was an HS national record in the 200m, or a course record over 42km, this weekend was worth every meter.

Here's what you missed over the past five days. 

5. Noah Lyles vs. Tate Taylor

At the Tom Jones Memorial, one of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend took center stage: high school phenom Tate Taylor vs. Olympic champion Noah Lyles.

Lyles and Taylor are separated by ten years of age, but the Olympic Development section of the 200m separated them by only 0.14 seconds. 

In the first section of the 200m, Lyles ran 19.91 (+1.9 m/s). In the second section, Taylor cruised to a 20.05 (+0.07 m/s) to win his heat. A new PR for the high schooler was not only a HS National Record, but the previous HS record was set by Noah Lyles in 2016.

Taylor's high school national record marks his fourth HS National Record, beating some of the best sprinters America has seen.

The following day, the two went head-to-head in the anchor leg of the 4x100m relay. 

The next day, the two met again in the 4x100m, anchoring stacked relay squads. Lyles’ team featured Bromell, Coleman, and Taylor's high school teammate, Odey-Jordan, who took the win in 37.78, with Taylor’s squad close behind in 37.97.

Taylor's high school national record marks his fourth HS National Record, beating some of the best sprinters America has seen.

4. Lex Brown Makes Pro Debut and All-Time List

Lex Brown graduated from Baylor in May of 2025 with one NCAA title and seven Big 12 titles. Clearly dominant in the NCAA, she had yet to step into the professional field until this past Saturday.

At the Tom Jones Memorial, Brown finally tested her limits as a pro. She jumped into the professional world with a new US #7 All-Time mark in the long jump.

On her fifth jump, she marked a wind-legal 7.07m. Her new best mark puts her in front of a two-time bronze medalist, Jasmine Moore. 

3. Hedengren Takes down Valby's Final Record

Two years ago, Parker Valby was a force to be reckoned with in the distance track world. Today, none of her records stand.

Valby once held the indoor and outdoor 5,000m record and outdoor 10,000m record, in what the track world thought were untouchable times. She set all three of her collegiate records in her final year as a Gator, and all of them were taken down by a freshman. 

BYU's Jane Hedengren broke all of Valby's records within the span of five months - all in their respective debut events. She took down the first record in December, breaking the 5,000m record by six seconds. At the beginning of April, she ran her first-ever 10,000m, and broke the record by three seconds. 

This weekend, Valby's final record was broken at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Hedengren was paced by Olympian, Shelby Houlihan, to run a 14:50.50. The new collegiate record was won over BYU alumna Lexy Halladay Lowry. 

With two records broken in two weeks, the only thing left to complete the season for the freshman is the NCAA Championships, which is still a month away.

2. Boston Marathon Runs American Best in Boston

Not technically the weekend, but April 20th marked Marathon Monday for the 130th Boston Marathon. 

Zouhair Talbi finished as the first American man, with a fifth-place overall finish behind Kenya's John Korir (2:01.52). Zouhair dropped exactly two minutes off of her personal best to finish in 2:03.45. 

In 2024, Talbi represented Morocco at the Paris Olympics, placing 35th. After joining the US Army Reserve, he became eligible to represent the US in National Representative Competitions. He will not be able to represent the US on the world stage until August 10, 2027. 

The 2026 Boston Marathon marks his second performance under the American Flag. His first representation was at the Houston Marathon earlier this year, where he won, setting a new PR in 2:05.45.

Making a name for himself in the marathon scene, this marks his highest finish in an Abbott Major.

1. Simeon Birnbaum 

It took a five-second PR to break the collegiate record for the University of Oregon's SImeon Birnbaum.

At the Oregon Team Invitational, Birnbaum soared to a new 1500m collegiate record. He broke the record by two seconds, breaking Liam Murphy's previous record of 3:33.02. 

The new record stands at 3:31.69, five seconds faster than Birnbaum's personal best of 3:37.02.

All top ten all-time finishes come from the past four years, with nine out of ten of them coming from the past two years. Adding himself to the top of the list pushes off 1500m legend Parker Wolfe. 

Michigan's Trent McFarland ran 3:33.17 the day prior(current No. 3 all-time), Birnbaum leads the NCAA by two seconds. 

Birnbaum will use his collegiate record speed in the Championship of America 4x800 at Penn Relays later this week.

Honorable Mentions

• Madison Whyte NCAA No. 9 All-Time 400m (49.64)
• Adaejah Hodge NCAA No. 2 All-Time 200m (10.77)
• John Korir sets Boston Marathon course record (2:01.52)
• Charles Hicks runs all-course No. 2 US time at Boston Marathon (2:05.35)