Chelsea Bixler ran a mile while dribbling two basketballs at the Oklahoma State University track in Stillwater and crossed the line in 8 minutes and 16 seconds, beating the existing world record by 12 seconds. The 40-year-old Edmond nurse trained for three months on tracks across Oklahoma after her son suggested she chase the mark, and she needed to finish in under 8 minutes and 28 seconds to claim it.
A Son's Suggestion Sparks a Three-Month Chase
According to News On 6, Bixler began training after her son Braden suggested she pursue the fastest-mile-dribbling-two-basketballs record, and she spent the following three months putting in work on tracks around the state. Her daughter Lexi wrote her a supportive note ahead of the attempt, and both kids were among the family members cheering her on at the Stillwater track. Bixler told the station she was proud to challenge assumptions about her basketball dribbling ability, and recalled her mindset at the starting line simply as, “I was like, let’s go.”
Bixler is no stranger to grinding out long distances. She finished fourth in the women's 35-39 age group at the Prairie Fire Marathon in Wichita, Kansas, in October 2024, crossing the 26.2-mile course in 4 hours, 2 minutes, and 1 second at an average pace of 9 minutes and 13 seconds per mile, according to the Wichita Sports Commission. That endurance base, paired with her day job as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, sets her apart from many who've chased niche speed records. Bixler also serves as Secretary and Treasurer on the Board of Directors for Ministries of Jesus, an Edmond nonprofit that provides medical, dental, and counseling assistance in central Oklahoma, per the organization's own staff leadership page.
OSU Coach and Cowgirl Star Turn Out for the Attempt
Oklahoma State Cowgirls head coach Jacie Hoyt, whom Bixler had met around her 40th birthday, showed up to the track and delivered a pep talk at the starting line, telling Bixler she had full faith and confidence in her, per the same News On 6 account. Bixler also had Cowgirls guard Stailee Heard on hand for support. Heard, who was born without vision in her right eye, led Oklahoma State in scoring during the 2024-25 season and has become a public advocate for overcoming physical challenges, according to FOX Sports, which reported she was recruited to OSU before coaches even realized she had the impairment.
Hoyt's presence carries its own local weight this week. Oklahoma State announced Monday that it had extended Hoyt's contract through the 2030-31 season following a 25-win campaign and an NCAA Tournament berth, according to Pistols Firing, which noted Hoyt has led the Cowgirls to three tournament appearances during her tenure.
The Record She Chased, and the One Before It
The mark Bixler beat had been set less than a year earlier by emergency medicine physician Michael Dodd, who ran a mile dribbling two basketballs in 8 minutes and 28.31 seconds on November 24, 2025, in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Guinness World Records has reported that Dodd, a 41-year-old former college basketball player, trained in his driveway before his attempt and said he was motivated after watching a YouTube video with his kids in which the sports group Dude Perfect attempted world records, wanting to become a hero in his children's eyes by outperforming the YouTube personalities. Bixler's own quest, driven by her son's suggestion, echoes that same family motivation.
Two-basketball miles are a distinctly slower pursuit than their single-ball counterpart. High school runner Sydney Masciarelli set the women's world record for a mile dribbling a single basketball in July 2020 at 5 minutes and 8.57 seconds, according to Canadian Running Magazine. Spanish endurance athlete Christian López holds the overall single-ball record at 4 minutes and 23 seconds, per Today in Sports. Adding a second ball to juggle appears to cost runners more than three minutes over a mile.
Now Comes the Wait for Official Word
During the run, Bixler had to return to the spot where she lost control of a basketball before continuing, per News On 6's account. She plans to submit video evidence and paperwork to Guinness World Records and expects a response within about eight weeks, the station reported. Guinness's own guidelines for physical endurance achievements call for unedited video footage, timekeeper logs, and signed statements from independent witnesses, with standard verification typically taking up to 12 weeks, though applicants can pay for an expedited review. Until Guinness rules on her submission, the fastest mile dribbling two basketballs officially remains Dodd's.
Bixler's hometown of Edmond has grown into the fifth-largest city in Oklahoma, reaching an estimated population of 100,479 as of July 2025, up more than 6% since the 2020 Census, according to Every City in the USA. For now, her family and the Oklahoma State community that rallied around her at the Stillwater track are simply waiting alongside her for Guinness to make it official.
