Roisin Willis

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Roisin Willis
Willis at the 2024 United States Olympic trials
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (2004-08-06) August 6, 2004
Stevens Point, Wisconsin, U.S.
Sport
SportTrack and field
EventMiddle-distance running
College teamStanford Cardinal
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  United States
World U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place2022 Cali800 m
Gold medal – first place2022 Cali4x400 m relay

Roisin Willis (born August 6, 2004)[1] is an American middle-distance runner. She won the 800 meters at the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, having previously won gold medals at the 2022 World Under-20 Championships in the women's 800 metres and the 4x400 m relay.

Willis is a two-time NCAA champion in the 800 metres.

Early and personal life

Her mother is Irish track athlete Breeda Dennehy-Willis, who competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Willis attended Stevens Point Area Senior High School in Wisconsin.[2] She attended Stanford University, where she participated in cross country and track and field.[3]

Career

Early career: World U20 Champion

Willis was successful as a high-school athlete. She is the U.S. high-school indoor 800 meters record holder. Her outdoor mark of 2:00.78 recorded in 2021 is a U.S. under-18 record.[4] She holds Wisconsin state records in 400 m, 800 m and 1600 m. Willis qualified to run in the 2020 US Olympic trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, after running 2:00.78 for the 800 m at the Trials of Miles New York City. At the Olympic trials she reached the semi-finals, finishing 13th.[5]

She took silver in the 800 m at the 2022 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships,[6] Two months later, she won the event at the World U20 Championships held in Cali, Colombia, breaking the championship record with a personal best of 1:59.13,[7] her first time under two minutes.[8] She added gold for the women's 4 x 400 m relay with an official split time of 51.34.[9]

Collegiate career: Double NCAA champion

As a freshman at Stanford, Willis won the 800m in a time of 1:59.93 at the 2023 NCAA Indoor T&F Championships in Albuquerque, NM, setting a personal best, and meet and facility records in the process. She was also a member of the Stanford team that won the distance medley relay.[1][10] That same year at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships she finished 4th in the 800m. Following her freshman year, she signed an NIL deal with New Balance prior to competing at the US Track and Field Championships.[11]

She won the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, running 1:58.13, a new meeting record, which moved her to third on the all-time NCAA list, behind only Athing Mu and Michaela Rose.[12]

2025: USA Champion, turning professional

She won the women's 800 metres title at the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, winning her semi-final in 1:58.40 and then triumphing in the final in 1:59.26.[13][14][15] She competed in the women's 800 metres at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, without advancing to the semi-finals.[16]

In December 2025, Willis announced she would forego her final year of NCAA eligibility to run professionally.[17]

2026

On 24 January 2026, Willis won her debut race as a professional with an indoor personal best in the 800m winning in 1:59.59 at the Indoor Grand Prix, in Boston.[18][19] The following week, Willis lowered the American indoor record for the 800 metres with 1:57.97 at the BU Terrier Classic in Boston. It was the first time Willis had run sub-1:58, indoors or out.[20] On 1 February, Willis won over 600 metres at the Millrose Games in a personal best 1:24.87.[21] Willis ran 1:58.08 to win over 800 metres at the LA Track Fest on 23 May 2026.[22] On 7 June, Willis ran a personal best 1:57.56 as she finished third at the 2026 Bauhausgalan in Stockholm, part of the 2026 Diamond League.[23]

Achievements

Senior

NCAA titles

Junior

References

  1. "Roisin WILLIS – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  2. "Meet the Six High Schoolers Who Have Qualified to Run at the Olympic Trials". Runners World. June 10, 2021.
  3. "Roisin Willis' commitment to Stanford caps a year of accomplishments". WSAW.com. November 2021.
  4. "Halfmiler Roisin Willis Riding A Hot Streak". Trackandfieldnews.com.
  5. "On the rise:Roisin Willis (US High school 800m record holder)". citiusmag.com.
  6. "2022 Cross Country Roster". Gostandord.com.
  7. "Roisin Willis wins 800-meter gold medal at World Junior Championships". WSAW-TV.
  8. "Super Roisin Willis wins World U20 Championships 800m gold medal with 1:59.13CR". World-track.org. August 3, 2022.
  9. "Interview:Roisin Willis after winning gold at the world athletics u20 championships 800m". Citiusmag.com.
  10. "Phenoms Katelyn Tuohy and Roisin Willis Shine at NCAA Indoors". LetsRun.com. March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  11. Chavez, Chris (July 3, 2023). "NCAA Champion Roisin Willis Signs New Balance NIL Deal". Citius Mag. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  12. Gault, Jonathan; Johnson, Robert (June 15, 2025). "Doris Lemngole (8:58) & Savannah Sutherland's (52.46) NCAA Records Highlights Women's Final Day". Lets Run. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  13. "Women's 800m Results - USATF Outdoor Championships 2025". Watch Athletics. July 31, 2025. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  14. Monti, David (August 2, 2025). "Quick 800m Semi-Finals At Toyota USATF Championships - RRW". Runnerspace. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  15. Johnson, Weldon (August 4, 2025). "Roisin Willis arrives, Houlihan returns, a brutal weekend for front-runners – Sunday at USATF Championships". Lets Run. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  16. "World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025". World Athletics. September 21, 2025. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  17. Gill, Katlynn (December 12, 2025). "SPASH graduate Roisin Willis announces the start of her professional running career". wsaw.com. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  18. "Hoey breaks world 800m short track record with 1:42.50 in Boston". World Athletics. January 24, 2026. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  19. Gault, Jonathan (January 24, 2026). "8 thoughts on 2026 NBIGP: Elle St. Pierre is BACK, Cam Myers rising, Noah Lyles' WWE intro, & more". Lets Run. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  20. Gault, Jonathan (January 30, 2026). "Roisin Willis smashes American indoor 800m record with 1:57.97 in Boston". Lets Run. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  21. "Myers, Hocker and Hiltz win track clashes in New York". World Athletics. February 1, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  22. Gault, Jonathan; Johnson, Robert (May 24, 2026). "Parker Valby is back & better than ever: 14:49 pb & dominant win at LA Track Fest". Lets Run. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  23. "Werro goes No.3 all time with 1:53.98 800m in Stockholm". World Athletics. June 7, 2026. Retrieved June 7, 2026.