If this is your first time seeing Jane E. Hedengren’s (’29) name, it likely won’t be the last. The freshman distance runner from Provo has been called a prodigy, a phenomenon, a generational talent (Coach Diljeet Taylor renders it “Jane-erational”). In high school she was a record-breaking national champion; after joining BYU in 2025 she finished second in the NCAA cross country championship and obliterated the NCAA record for the 5000 meters in her first collegiate track meet.
“I’m just really grateful,” Hedengren told reporters after that blazingly fast indoor race. “Grateful to show up healthy. It’s really a big blessing to have a body and to work hard and see how far I can push it. . . . There’s a lot to build on, so I’m looking forward to it.” Under Coach Taylor’s guidance, she has been focusing on running less and intentional recovery. “My training has changed quite a bit, and I’ve rested more and started eating more . . . and the work has just been far more productive.”
The attention she’s drawing with her early success can be “a pressure cooker,” says her dad, engineering professor and former BYU runner John D. Hedengren (BS ’01, MS ’03). Avoiding social media and training with her team and coach help keep Jane focused on splits to hit and races to come. “Jane has a personality where she doesn’t want to necessarily be in the spotlight,” says John. “She just wants to run fast.”
14:44.79: Jane Hedengren’s time in the 5000 meters, the NCAA record and the second fastest indoor 5K by an American woman (11th in the world).
9: Number of high school national records Hedengren broke as a senior in 2025.
44.7: The number of seconds Hedengren finished ahead of her closest competitor in the Big 12 cross country championship race.
