2025 Katie Ledecky Invitational
- December 11-14, 2025
- Eppley Recreation Center – College Park, MD
- 25 yards (SCY), Prelims/Finals
- Psych Sheet
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2025 Katie Ledecky Invitational”
- Live web results
Katie Ledecky continues to make history.
On the final day of the inaugural Katie Ledecky Invitational, the 28-year-old took to the water in the 1650 freestyle, her only event of the meet. She made it count, as she threw down the fastest time in history, 14:59.62, becoming the first woman to break 15 minutes.
Her prior U.S. Open and American Records stood at the 15:01.41, which she produced in March 2023 at the Florida Senior Spring Championships.
Ledecky took a targeted, strategic approach during this new record swim, never flipping under record pace until the 1300-yard turn.
She hit the 100 in 52.84, then 1:47.89 at the 200, both well off her 52.07 and 1:46.46 pacing from 2023. Even at the 500 and 1000 the record seemed out of reach, as she flipped at 4:31.96 and 9:04.01 compared to the record splits of 4:29.69 and 9:02.82.
Notably, her 9:04.01 split at the 1000 marks the third-fastest time in that event’s history, behind only her barrier-shattering 8:59.65 from the 2015 NCAP Invitational and her 9:02.82 from the previous mile record.
Ledecky’s ability to hold 27-low to 27-mid rather than 27-mid to 27-high over the back half of the race was the biggest difference maker.
Splits Comparison:
| New Record | Old Record | |
| 50y | 25.40 | 25.25 |
| 100y | 27.44 (52.84) | 26.82 (52.07) |
| 150y | 27.56 (1:20.40) | 27.19 (1:19.26) |
| 200y | 27.49 (1:47.89) | 27.20 (1:46.46) |
| 250y | 27.48 (2:15.37) | 27.01 (2:13.47) |
| 300y | 27.29 (2:42.66) | 27.13 (2:40.60) |
| 350y | 27.24 (3:09.90) | 27.31 (3:07.91) |
| 400y | 27.39 (3:37.29) | 27.32 (3:35.23) |
| 450y | 27.39 (4:04.68) | 27.22 (4:02.45) |
| 500y | 27.28 (4:31.96) | 27.24 (4:29.69) |
| 550y | 27.16 (4:59.12) | 27.27 (4:56.96) |
| 600y | 27.12 (5:26.24) | 27.06 (5:24.02) |
| 650y | 27.11 (5:53.35) | 27.13 (5:51.15) |
| 700y | 27.09 (6:20.44) | 27.21 (6:18.36) |
| 750y | 27.16 (6:47.60) | 27.34 (6:45.70) |
| 800y | 27.24 (7:14.84) | 27.29 (7:12.99) |
| 850y | 27.08 (7:41.92) | 27.54 (7:40.53) |
| 900y | 27.32 (8:09.24) | 27.41 (8:07.94) |
| 950y | 27.28 (8:36.52) | 27.33 (8:35.27) |
| 1000y | 27.49 (9:04.01) | 27.55 (9:02.82) |
| 1050y | 27.38 (9:31.39) | 27.50 (9:30.32) |
| 1100y | 27.38 (9:58.77) | 27.61 (9:57.93) |
| 1150y | 27.51 (10:26.28) | 27.79 (10:25.72) |
| 1200y | 27.55 (10:53.83) | 27.54 (10:53.36) |
| 1250y | 27.34 (11:21.17) | 27.77 (11:21.03) |
| 1300y | 27.37 (11:48.54) | 27.74 (11:48.77) |
| 1350y | 27.52 (12:16.06) | 27.66 (12:16.43) |
| 1400y | 27.58 (12:43.64) | 27.82 (12:44.25) |
| 1450y | 27.50 (13:11.14) | 28.04 (13:12.29) |
| 1500y | 27.66 (13:38.80) | 27.82 (13:40.11) |
| 1550y | 27.42 (14:06.22) | 27.72 (14:07.83) |
| 1600y | 27.28 (14:33.50) | 27.36 (14:35.19) |
| 1650y | 26.12 | 26.22 |
| T0tal | 14:59.62 | 15:01.41 |
Ledecky now owns the eight fastest swims in 1650 freestyle history:
- Katie Ledecky, Gator Swim Club — 14:59.62 (2025)*
- Katie Ledecky, Gator Swim Club — 15:01.41 (2023)
- Katie Ledecky, Stanford — 15:03.31 (2017)
- Katie Ledecky, Stanford — 15:03.92 (2016)
- Katie Ledecky, Stanford — 15:07.57 (2018)
- Katie Ledecky, Stanford — 15:07.70 (2017)
- Katie Ledecky, Nation’s Capital Swim Club — 15:13.30 (2014)
- Katie Ledecky, Nation’s Capital Swim Club — 15:15.17 (2013)
- Erica Sullivan, Sandpipers of Nevada — 15:23.81 (2019)
Ledecky, a nine-time Olympic champion and 14-time Olympic medalist, had a huge career resurgence over the past eight months.
In April, she threw down a new World Record in the 800m free (8:04.12), breaking her previous record set at the 2016 Olympic Games, as well as clock the #2 time in 1500m free (15:24.51) history.
At the World Championships, she won gold in both with times of 8:05.62 and 15:26.44, which makes for 23 career World Championships in long course. She also picked up a silver in the 800 free relay and a bronze in the individual 400 free. She was also the only woman to beat Summer McIntosh in an individual race, serving as a reminder that the throne of Greatest Female Swimmer Ever has not yet been usurped.
The 800 free was one of the greatest races you will ever see, Ledecky held off not only McIntosh, who scared Ledecky’s record with an 8:05.07 at the Canadian Trials, but also Australian Lani Palister, who was a surprise disruptor and pushed Ledecky down to the absolute last stroke.
It represented her 7th straight World Championship title in the event, excluding the odd 2024 edition. She has yet to lose a significant international race in the 800 or 1500 since bursting onto the scene at 15 at the 2012 Olympic Games.
The thing about the Greats of All-Time is that even when they get to the tail end of their careers, you can never count them out. Ledecky surely provided that in 2025, and she doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Another video of full race from a different angle than the NCAP live stream video (and higher quality). Love the crowd and all the swimmers on deck and the crowd pop at the finish.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wPQjdD3b1HE
Now that the Sandpipers stars are broken up, I think the next best team in America would need 4-6 swimmers swimming a relay to break 15:00 in a 1650
I recall reading not long ago that, although there are always those who love to find fault in those achieving at the highest level, with Ledecky’s “there’s just no material” for that. I’d go further and say that there’s plenty of material for celebrating everything about her as a swimmer and, as far as anyone can tell, as a person. How she keeps doing this — and in those events! — some 13 years after winning her first Olympic gold I will never know. But we’re all lucky to witness it.
She’ll be zeroing in on that SCM 800 WR next year.
What was spectator attendance and participation like? I’m curious what they grossed on spectator tickets that last night.
Michael Phelps would compete in the NBAC Christmas meet and that drew an audience but he never set american records at it.
UMD stands and deck were full, doubt that grossed a lot of $$. Best $5 I’ve ever spent.
I knew Katie could swim that fast but most competitions are meters. Makes me wonder what her training partner Bobby can do.
Yeah I guess what we don’t know is…is this a Ledecky level up, or is this a Latent Ledecky swim that she could have done 4 years ago, but hasn’t really swum yards. Like is this just the swim on par with her latest LCM WR, or is it something new.
Last time I had the chance to watch her race was when she was 13(?) at a summer league meet at my pool. Wasn’t going to miss the chance to see her race again. Amazing race, thanks to the 🐐 tor doing it local.
She really does just keep getting better. That was a well controlled swim, and such a barrier breaker!