COACHED FROM AFAR, HOEY POISED TO FINALLY MAKE FIRST NATIONAL TEAM
By David Monti, @d9monti.bsky.social
(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (21-Feb) — At this morning’s press conference in advance of this weekend’s USATF Indoor Championships presented by Prevagen at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Staten Island, rising middle distance athlete Josh Hoey sat on the dais next to Grant Holloway, the reigning Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion in the 110m hurdles. Holloway, who hasn’t lost an indoor hurdles race since 2014, breezily conversed with the assembled media, clearly confident that he would win his event this weekend and likely go on to win his third straight World Athletics Indoor Championships title next month.
“Yes, it sucks that it’s in China,” Holloway joked about those championships, which will be held in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing from March 21 to 23. “Nobody wants to take that 18 hour flight.”
Nobody, perhaps, but Hoey. The 25 year-old, who set national records this indoor season in the 800m (1:43.90) and 1000m (2:14.48), came achingly close to making two national teams last year for both the World Athletics Indoor Championships and the Paris Olympic Games. This year is something of a do-over for the Pennsylvania native where he can qualify for world championships both indoors and outdoors.
“I missed both teams last year by just one place,” lamented Hoey, who finished third in the 800m at the USATF Indoor Championships and fourth at the USA Olympic Team Trials in the same discipline. “This is kind of, hopefully, a little bit of what feels like redemption.” The adidas-sponsored athlete added: “I’m not taking anything for granted.”
Remarkably, Hoey goes into these championships as the favorite. Reigning champion Bryce Hoppel has scratched from the meet, and only Jonah Koech (1:44.82) and Brandon Miller (1:45.60) have run sub-1:46 so far this season. Of course, athletes like Isaiah Harris (personal best of 1:44.42), Brannon Kidder (1:44.99), or Abe Alvarado (1:44.44) could rally and challenge Hoey, who is the fastest man in the world so far this year.
Hoey’s recent success has stemmed from an unusual approach to training. His workout partners are his two brothers, Jonah (23) and Jaxson (27). The trio have developed their own workout protocols born of years of running together.
“A lot of the workouts we have, like, a huddle,” Hoey explained. “We figure out who takes reps and kind of how the workout can feel well for everyone. So, it’s something that has taken some trial and error, but I think it’s something that we’ve nearly perfected.” He added: “We kind of have to band together and make some audibles at times, and rely on each other. It’s been a good formula.”
But complicating matters is the fact that their coach, Justin Rinaldi, lives in Melbourne, Australia, far from their Pennsylvania home. The Hoeys are effectively the USA branch of the Melbourne-based Fast 8 Track Club which also includes Australian 800m stars Peter Bol and Joseph Deng, and Irish 800m record holder Mark English.
“We started working together at the end of 2023,” Hoey said of Rinaldi. “We kind of met in-person for the first time in the spring. I was picking him up from the airport when I realized that I’ve actually never seen what he looks like.”
He continued: “It’s been interesting. We talk on the phone a lot, but when it comes to training I’d say my experience with the many different coaches I’ve had over the last couple of years with many different systems have kind of enabled me to know what works for me. So, we were able to collaborate in that respect, using what he knows and then what I know.”
With Rinaldi, Hoey has more agency than most athletes, making key decisions (with his brothers) about his own training.
“I think it’s really important especially for remote coaching,” Hoey said. “When the coach is there in person they can kind of make, like, different cues or changes on the spot. But, as an athlete in remote coaching the onus is on you to do that for yourself.”
Hoey said today that he plans to “stick with the 800” for now, despite the fact that he’s also an excellent miler. He finished second at the prestigious New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile last September, beaten only by two-time Olympic medalist Josh Kerr. This indoor season he’s run 3:52.61 for the mile and 3:33.66 for 1500m. The latter mark made him the fifth-fastest American ever indoors.
“This is a journey,” Hoey said. “So each step is exciting and precious.”
– – – – – –
Hoey will run his prelim on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. EST, and should he advance to the final that race will be held at 2:07 p.m. EDT on Sunday. Sunday’s race will be broadcast by NBC and their streaming platform, Peacock. The event hashtag for social media is #USATFIndoors.
