On 19 July 2025, Sinclair Johnson ran 4:16.32 in the London Grand Prix Mile, setting an Area record and a national record for the mile. The previous week in Monaco, Sinclair had run 2:31.30 for the 1000m, making him a big miler. On July 5, Sinclair ran a fine 1500m in 3:56.93 to finish sixth at the NIKE Pre Classic (50th Anniversary).
This interview was done right after the Mile American taping. Paul Moser, NIKE Sports Marketing Manager, was able to forward my questions to Sinclair, who emailed them back to him.
At the US Champs, Sinclair Johnson finished second in the 1,500m, a fairly tactical affair, and qualified for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Sinclair Johnson finished 13th in the women’s 1500m final in Tokyo. Not the result she wanted, but the spirited women, who were sixth at the Eugene WC 2022 and Nanjing Indoor 2025 WC, will be back to challenge the world’s best in 2026.
RunBlogRun, #1: Tell us about the London race, were you expecting AR?
Sinclair Johnson. London DL in particular has been on my bucket list for a while. The British really show for athletics and I was very excited to compete in front of a crowd of 60,000. My main goal was to focus on the competition, pushing myself out of my comfort zone, quickly getting attached to the speed and always going fast in the last 150 meters. AR was definitely on my mind, I thought getting into it was within reach. The race went as expected. I wanted to get behind Jessica Hull because I knew she would stick to that pace. The hot pace got to me a little sooner than I expected, but when Sarah Healy and another woman from Italy came around me, I was able to regroup and stay with them until the 4th time home.
RunBlogRun, #2: How does it feel to run a 4:16 mile?
Sinclair Johnson. Definitely difficult! But nothing good in running comes easy, so I was prepared to get hurt during the race. It sure feels surreal when an American woman runs the fastest time ever.
RunBlogRun, #3 How has your training been and how are you preparing for the USATf Champs?
Sinclair Johnson. Training is going really well. Things are starting to really click and I think the weeks of consistency with the training are starting to get tough. As I have just had a big block of racing with 3 races in 3 weeks, most of my preparation now remains to be sharp, get in some aerobic work and most importantly recover from the last few weeks of traveling and racing.
RunBlogRun, #4: You’ve had some amazing races in 2025 so far, what’s your favorite?
Sinclair Johnson. miles in London! I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the competition and running an American record definitely adds a cherry on top.
RunBlogRun, #5: What exercise do you do that you know is good for you that you might not love?
Sinclair Johnson. An easy run to be honest. It sounds silly, but I really enjoy every workout I do, whether it’s monotonous aerobic work or VO2 work that’s a grind. I like to push myself and work hard in practice. Sometimes it’s the easy slow miles that are important for recovery and general economy that are the hardest for me to get out the door.
RunBlogRun, #6: What was the first race you remember running?
Sinclair Johnson. A cross country race in elementary school that was 1.5 miles on grass. I remember it being really hard and never wanting to do another race again when I finished. lol
RunBlogRun, #7: Did you love cross country in high school at first?
Sinclair Johnson. I didn’t like cross country when I first started in high school. I think the reason I was doing it was to stay in shape for the spring lacrosse season. Over the years I grew to like cross country. it had more of a team aspect to it and it really tested your mental ability to deal with being uncomfortable.
USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at University of Oregon Hayward Field, June 23-26, 2022 Photo by Kevin Morris
RunBlogRun, #8: What shoes do you train in, what do you run in?
Sinclair Johnson. I train in different shoes. My favorite shoe for easy running training is the Nike Structure 26 and for running training the Nike Streakfly 2. When it comes to racing, I prefer to race in the Nike Dragonfly Elite.
RunBlogRun #9: What did your coach say to you just before the race in London?
Sinclair Johnson. My coach is also my fiance (Craig Novak), which has been a special partnership this year. He told me to trust my fitness, be aggressive off the field and go get them.
