A pending world record for the 4x800m indoor relay was set on Sunday (February 25) at the Boston University Last Chance meet on America’s East Coast.

The Hoka NJNYTC (New Jersey New York Track Club) quartet ran a combined 7:11:30 at the Boston University meet to break the four-year-old record of 7:13.11.

Jesse Garn, Chris Giesting, Joe McAsey and Kyle Merber made up the four-man record-breaking team and were followed by Atlanta TC and District TC in second and third respectively who also bettered the previous record.

The Atlanta teal posted 7:11.84 while reigning Olympic 1500m champion Matthew Centrowitz ran the anchor leg for the District team to clock 7:12.25.

The record is pending IAAF ratification.

Splits

Unofficial splits of 1:48:78 (McAsey), 1:47:84 (Merber), 1:47:35 (Giesting) and 1:47:14 (Garn) reported on Twitter saw the athletes speed up on each leg.

It is another victory for ever-growing Hoka One One brand at the sharper end of running. The brand, known initially for their ultra distance shoes, have been making huge inroads into track and distance running.

There wasn’t a Hoka track shoe a few years ago, and now there are is a full range, with the athletes above even wearing three different types.

At the same meet, American Emily Sisson ran a world-leading 15:13.76 in the 5000m.

Britain’s Olympic steeplechaser Lennie Waite clocked 4:44.64 to finish seventh over the mile, and repeated the position in the 3000m with a time of 9:37.38.

Fellow British athletes Liam Dee and Harvey Dixon posted 4:00.69 and 4:03.34 in the men’s mile races, while Irishman Kevin Cooper posted 4:05.66.

Irish international Hugh Armstrong posted 14:18.18 in the 5000m to finish third.