Texas Distance Festival Preview: Boys & Girls 1600m Entries

Each year, Texas Distance Festival stands alone as the most highly anticipated meet outside of the UIL State Championships. Whether it be the rate at which we see incredibly fast times or the sheer volume of talent present throughout the field, TDF is truly a one-of-a-kind meet for the distance events.

This year's Texas Distance Festival will be no different as the top stars from Texas and the surrounding states will converge on Southlake Carroll's track for what's going to be one of the best meets in the country this year. While some runners see TDF as a unique opportunity to run a fast 5000m, others see it as an opportunity to excel at their best event. This is especially true with this year's field over the 1600m distance.

So, let's dive into the entries for the TDF 1600m and see who the contenders are to top the time sheets at one of the best showcases of distance talent the nation will see.

River Hardman, Russelville (AR) competes at the 2023 RunningLane Track Championships

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Boys Race

The TDF 1600m has seen some of the state's best runners compete over the years, with the field always being fast and usually leading to some of the best times in the state. Throughout its ten-year history, the TDF 1600m has seen 22 runners go under 4:15, with an additional 83 dipping under the 4:20 mark.

The University of Arkansas's Ben Shearer currently holds the meet record in the form of a 4:08.58 in 2021 while running for The Woodlands Christian. This year's race will see a fast field as always, however, breaking Shearer's record will be a tough task for this field.

River Hardman

Currently, the top seed with the fastest official time at the moment is University of Missouri commit and Russellville, Arkansas senior River Hardman. Hardman has not only been one of the best runners in Arkansas over his career but has emerged as one of the top middle-distance talents in the country. Hardman possesses the rare combination of speed and endurance which has allowed him to excel greatly for the 800m up to the 3200m and even cross country. Hardman has found the most success over 800m throughout his career, however, he'll step up and race the mile at TDF where he's had similar success.

Hardman had always been a great runner over the first two years of his career. But it was his 2023 outdoor season that elevated him into the conversation as arguably one of the best middle-distance runners in the country. In the 800m, Hardman went 1:55 or under seven times, with three of these being at 1:52 or below. Additionally, in the 1600m, Hardman showcased his range by dropping a 4:14.38 which gave him the silver medal at the Arkansas state meet. Hardman ultimately came away from his junior season with personal bests of 1:51.52 and 4:14.38 which earned him a state title in the 800m.

He's undoubtedly a big candidate to win this race and we could easily see him lower his personal best by several seconds if he performs anything like he did last season. Look for him to continue improving and showcasing his range as the season goes on.

Tate Bothun

Coming in as the second seed in terms of official time is another non-Texas runner in the form of Colorado's Tate Bothun. Consistent improvement has been the name of the game for Bothun throughout his career as we've seen him ascend from a good runner to a great one over the last year. Bothun has excelled over a variety of distances from the 800m to cross country however the mile is where he's been the most comfortable as shown through the drastic improvements he's made over the distance, specifically in the last year.

Bothun came into the 2023 outdoor season with a 1600m personal best of 4:31.24, a solid time but by no means something that would put you as one of the best runners at TDF. However, he quickly showcased his big improvement by opening up his 2023 season by running 4:24.28 in a very competitive field. This gave him a great baseline for the season and a look at his season shows that he maximized it. Throughout the season, Bothun continued to run faster as the weeks went on, dropping two seconds the next week and an additional three several weeks later. However, the best race of his season would come at the HOKA Festival of Miles where Bothon dropped a massive personal best, running 4:14.93 and finishing off one of the more impressive in-season improvements you will see.

Coming into the 2024 outdoor season and TDF, look for Bothun to try and continue the improvement that he showcased last season. If he's able to do so, look for him to be in contention at TDF and possibly run 4:12 or faster if the conditions are good.

Matthew Shelly

Coming into TDF with the third fastest official seed time so far is Matthew Shelly of the perenially impressive Bentonville High School in Arkansas. Much like his fellow statesman River Hardman, Shelly has been a force on the Arkansas cross-country scene for several years now. When discussing Shelly, the thing that jumps off the page when you look at his races is the incredible range that he's consistently showcased across every distance-oriented event. Whether it be the 800m or cross country, he's shown that not only can he run fast, but he can also win the big meets and do it convincingly.

Shelly is one of those rare runners who started their career off fast and with high expectations and has been able to continually improve without encountering any bumps in the road. A look at his career statistics shows you that he's been fast since he was a freshman and has only gotten better. However, 2023 was easily the best year of his career where he showcased how good he could be both on the track and the grass. He finished the 2023 outdoor season with personal bests of 9:25.05 in the 3200m, 4:20.02 in the 1600m, and 15:19.43 in cross country which won him the state championship. But, he's also carried that momentum into the start of the 2024 indoor season, where he won two state championships over the 1600m and 3200m, running 4:15.51 and 9:26.47 respectively.

Shelly has started 2024 off hot and if his indoor performances are any indication, he'll be in prime shape for TDF. Look for him to definitely challenge for the win and potentially end up around the 4:10 mark if the race is as fast as it should be.

Jackson Lovvorn

Coming into TDF with the fourth-fastest official seed time is the first Texan so far on this list in the form of University of Houston commit Jackson Lovvorn. Throughout his career, Lovvorn has largely been a more distance-based runner with his best performances being more in events geared towards distance rather than raw speed. This has allowed him to excel in the 1600m through cross country where we've seen him routinely place well at regional meets and qualify for the state championships multiple times.

Lovvorn has been a consistently good cross-country runner over the last two years, regularly dipping under the 15:40 mark and qualifying for the state meet both times. His ability over longer distances has mirrored itself in the success that he's had running the 3200m and the 1600m on the track. In the 2023 outdoor season, Lovvorn showcased this by dropping a massive personal best in the 3200m in the form of a 9:27.52. However, his most impressive performance of the year came at the TTFCA Meet of Champions where he lowered his 1600m personal best by over three seconds down to a 4:16.81. Given his success over the last year, it's no surprise that Lovvorn comes into TDF with one of the fastest seed times on the board at this point.

If everything goes right at TDF look for him to potentially pick up another big personal best and move into the low 4:10s, and set himself up for a great rest of the year.

Harris Ledbetter

Snagging the last spot in the top five official TDF seed times at this point is another Texan in Conroe Oak Ridge's Harris Ledbetter. Ledbetter has found good results on the track so far throughout his two-year career, and he's been one of the more impressive Houston-based runners to come out of the 2025 class. Ledbetter's strength lies over the 1600m and the 3200m where he's been able to find a great mix of speed and strength that's pulled him to some impressive times throughout his young career.

Ledbetter has had back-to-back good outdoor seasons as he started his freshman year in 2022 as one of the best young runners in the state. In 2022, he was able to run consistently under the 10:00 and 4:30 marks and ended his first track season with personal bests of 9:28.45 and 4:22.67. The 2023 outdoor season wasn't the biggest improvement for Ledbetter as he didn't lower his 3200m personal best but was able to run one of the more impressive 1600m times you'll see from a sophomore. His best performance of the season came at the UIL District 13-6A meet where he ran 4:18.09 to secure an over-four-second personal best in a highly competitive race. Coming into TDF, look for Ledbetter to continue his steady improvement over the 1600m distance. If everything goes right it's not hard to see him ending up in the 4:15 range and building off that for the rest of the season.

Runners to Watch

This year's 1600m field is undoubtedly deep, with a host of sub-4:25 talent looking to improve. There are several guys who could've easily been on this list and are still great runners to watch heading into this year's meet. Some of these names include Vincent Luffey whose run 4:18.35, Caden Thurman whose run 4:19.87, and Toby Eaton whose run 4:20.77. Look for these guys to also be at the front of the race and be sure to keep an eye on the entries as we continue to move closer to TDF.

Jaycee Williams, Berthoud (CO) wins the 2023 Colorado 3A girls 800m

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Girls Race

The TDF Girls 1600m has historically been one of the fastest and most impressive 1600m fields that you'll see across the nation. Over time, many of the nation's best girls have traveled to Southlake Carroll in hopes of running the fastest time possible. It'd be safe to say that over its ten-year history, TDF has been successful at providing that opportunity with thirteen girls running under 4:55, and an additional thirty-one running under the 5:00 barrier.

The meet record is currently held by current University of Texas runner Kat Kwiatkowski who ran 4:47.82 back in 2022. This year's field features a host of sub-5:00 talent who could look to challenge the meet record and cement themselves as some of the fastest girls in the country. It'll be a tall task, but this year's field looks to be up to the challenge.

Jaycee Williams

Coming into TDF with the fastest official seed time by nearly three seconds in Jaycee Williams of Berthoud High School in Colorado. Throughout her career, Williams has cemented herself as a perennial state title contender along with being one of the fastest girls in the state. Much of her strength lies in the middle-distance department where she's routinely been in contention as well as winning state titles. She's shown a lot of speed over her career in the 800m, however, her most impressive performances have come over the 1600m distance.

As mentioned, Williams has been a focal point of Colorado middle-distance running for her entire career. She had one of the most ideal freshman seasons anyone could hope to have, running sub-5:00 over a full mile and taking home 4th and 2nd place at the state meet in the 1600m and 800m respectively. She then turned this strong start into an even better sophomore season where she knocked her 800m personal best down to 2:12.99 and her mile personal best down to 4:56. Coming into the 2023 outdoor season, Williams was already regarded as one of the best middle-distance talents in the state, however, she had yet to win a state title. But that would all change as she won the 800m state title in a time of 2:13.20 and further lowered her 1600m personal best down to 4:51.62.

Coming into TDF, it's no secret that Williams looks like the fastest runner in the field and she'll be looking to prove it with a great performance at TDF. She's proven that she can run well at big meets so if everything goes well, look for her to potentially break the 4:50 barrier and come away with a hard-fought race win.

Hannah Stuart

Sliding in with the second fastest official seed time is Hannah Stuart, a senior from Canyon High School committed to the University of Missouri. Stuart has had a career that's been defined by consistent improvement and a high level of activity which has served her well. One look at her statistics will tell you that she races often and she races well. She's concentrated mostly on the more distance-oriented events on the track and she's been able to improve at a consistent rate thanks to it.

As mentioned, Stuart has concentrated her efforts on the track almost entirely towards the 1600m and the 3200m. She started her career in 2021 where she ran 11:23 and 5:10, numbers that gave her a great baseline for improvement. She showcased further improvement throughout the 2022 season where she was able to run 10:51.71 and 4:59.47, both of which earned her second place at that year's state meet as a sophomore. By her junior year, Stuart had quickly become one of the better names in the state, but she was about to see her most drastic improvement yet. In 2023, Stuart smashed the competition at the state meet, running 10:30.12 and 4:54.28, winning both races by a country mile. This dominant performance has catapulted her to being one of the best runners in the state and a definite name to watch at TDF.

Coming into TDF and the 2024 season as a whole, the key for Stuart will be to continue doing what's made her successful for her entire career. She's been able to improve each year and if she sticks to what's been working she'll do the same this year. Look for her to contend for the win at TDF and get into the low 4:50s if the race goes well.

Felicity Hamilton

Coming in at the number three spot in the current entries is Klein Cain senior and Samford University commit Felicity Hamilton. Hamilton has been a key contributor on some solid Klein Cain teams since her freshman year and she's continued to improve to the point where she's now one of the elite runners in the 6A division. Hamilton started her career as more of a cross country oriented runner, however, she's evolved over her career into a true all around talent that now possesses great range from the 1600m through cross country.

Hamilton started her career off strong in cross country, having an impressive freshman year which saw her run 18:16.10, placing fifth at regionals and qualifying for the state meet where she placed 23rd. She then came back the next year and ran 18:02.10 and improved to finish just outside the top ten in eleventh at the state meet. In her most recent outdoor season in 2023, Hamilton showcased massive improvements and drastically lowered both her 800m and 1600m personal bests. She ran 2:16.02 in the 800m and 4:54.33 in the 1600m which was good enough for 6th at the state meet.

Over time, Hamilton has evolved into a true all around distance runner. Whether it be the 800m or the 5000m, she's proven she can do it all and do it well. Look for her to take advantage of the fast field at TDF move closer to the 4:50 mark and likely end up on the podium as well.

Sophia Hamdani

Coming in at the number four spot in the current entries is Bellaire sophomore Sophia Hamdani who had a great start to her young career. Hamdani has quickly cemented herself as a great all around distance runner, with good performances ranging from the 1600m to cross country. She's been most proficient over the 1600m distance in her career which is what we'll see her contest at TDF. She's showcased a good mix of speed and endurance and she'll look to continue to grow this skillset over the coming years.

Hamdani quickly made herself a name to watch in 2022 as she entered high school with a 4:58.49 1600m personal best. She then had a great freshman cross-country season. She came away from her first season with a personal best of 17:58.45 and even placed third at the regional meet, qualifying her for the state meet. Her success in the fall quickly translated into the spring as she had a nice freshman track season, running 11:22 in the 3200m and 5:06 in the 1600m.

Hamdani was one of the more successful runners you'll see as she already came into high school with impressive personal bests. She'll definitely be a name to watch at TDF this year as it'll be interesting to see what she can do against a field as good as this one. Look for her to go under the 5:00 mark and potentially move into the mid-4:50s.

Lilly Beshears

Taking the final spot in the top five of our current official entries is our second non-Texan on this list in the form of Rogers, Arkansas sophomore Lilly Beshears. Beshears has been particularly successful over distance-oriented races throughout her young career with two stellar cross-country seasons to her name. However, she's also been great over the mile so far where she's already picked up a podium at the state meet as only a freshman.

Beshears started her high school career off in 2022 with a stellar cross country season which saw her run 18:01.53 and finish second at the state meet as a freshman. She then parlayed this into a great freshman track season which saw her run 10:59.34 in the 3200m and 5:00.61 in the 1600m, with her securing second place at the state meet in the ladder. Most recently, Beshears had another good cross country season which saw her lower her personal best even further down to 17:51.60, this time finishing fourth at the state meet. She also recently ran 5:02.25 indoors in the 1600m, showcasing that she's in great shape to start the year.

While Beshears is one of the younger runners in the field, she's still one of the best and has a lot of potential to run fast at TDF. She's showcased a great skillset across longer distances and she looks to be in prime shape heading into the outdoor season. Look for her to dip under the 5:00 mark for the first time and come away from TDF with a big personal best.

Runners to Watch

This year's 1600m field is undoubtedly deep, with a host of sub-5:10 talent looking to improve. There are several girls who could've easily been on this list and are still great runners to watch heading into this year's meet. Some of these names include Hazel Vowell whose run 5:10.33, Evanna Jacobsen whose run 5:11.64, and Hayden Parry whose run 5:13.63. Look for these girls to also be at the front of the race and be sure to keep an eye on the entries as we continue to move closer to TDF.