Talitha Diggs continues to thrive at Hayward Field, winning U.S. 400-meter title

Talitha Diggs won her second race this month at Hayward Field, following her 400-meter NCAA title with a U.S. title. Photo by Chloe Montague

Talitha Diggs blew a kiss to the Hayward Field crowd Saturday after crossing the finish line at the USATF outdoor national championships in the women’s 400-meter final. Diggs won the race in 50.22 seconds, and it was the move she made in the final 20 meters that made the difference.

Lynna Irby pushed the pace out of the blocks, but Diggs sustained her top speed to outlast Irby and complete the comeback. She also had to hold off Kendall Ellis, who made a push in the final stretch. 

“That’s where I’m comfortable,” Diggs said. “I executed my race perfectly. I have one of the best kicks in the world. So I just wanted to play to my strengths and it worked out well.”

Ellis finished second in 50.35 seconds, and Irby fell back to third after her hot start to finish in 50.67, but they ran season bests and secured spots with Diggs on the U.S. team for the World Athletics Championships next month at Hayward Field. 

Irby entered the event with the fifth-fastest time from her semifinal. She planned to push the pace early, hoping that gave her a chance to hang on to a top-three spot.

Her plan worked out in her favor.

“I wasn’t really sure what USAs would look like because I hadn’t broken 51 (seconds) yet,” Irby said. “To come out here with a season’s best lets me know that I’m on the right track and that I’m peaking at the right moment.”

Allyson Felix finished sixth, which will earn her a spot on the 4×400 relay pool. 

“Wherever they need me I’ll step in,” Felix said. “We have a lot of depth. We have Sys (McLaughlin). We have Athing (Mu). So we’ll just see. Wherever they need me, I’ll be.”

After the race, Felix announced this was the final time she’d race in the individual 400 meters.

She leaves behind a 400-meter field that’s one of the strongest in the sport. A field where each of the eight runners who made the final had the world standard time of 51.35 seconds before the event.

Diggs hit that mark when she ran 51.24 at the SEC outdoor track and field championships in May. She ran even faster, 49.99, on June 11 to win the NCAA title. Winning twice at Hayward Field in the past month has helped Diggs build a connection with the fans. 

“I love the energy of the fans,” Diggs said. “Being in the stadium, it’s electric, it’s magnetic. I love it.”

Diggs intends to head back to Florida to rest, recover and spend time with her family and friends before returning to Hayward Field in July to compete at the worlds.