 Kessler at the2024 World Indoor Championships | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (2003-03-15)March 15, 2003 (age 22) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Home town | Ann Arbor, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Community High School | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | 1500 metres,Mile | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Adidas Very Nice Track Club | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Personalbests |
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Medal record
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Hobbs Kessler (born March 15, 2003) is an Americanmiddle-distance runner.[1] He competes professionally forAdidas, having turned professional directly after high school. He holds theNorth American U20 record in the 1500 meters, having run 3:34.36 in 2021 during his senior year in high school. He briefly held the world record in the road mile set while winning the2023 World Road Running Championships until it was broken byEmmanuel Wanyonyi on April 27, 2024.
At the2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, he secured a bronze medal in the1500 m. In June 2024, he made theUnited States Olympic Team by finishing third in the1500m and second in the800m at the2024 United States Olympic Trials. He is the first American male athlete to qualify for the Olympic 1500m and 800m double since 1976. At the2024 Summer Olympics, he finished fifth in the1500 meter final.
Kessler competed forSkyline High School inAnn Arbor, Michigan, as the high school he attended for academics,Community High School, did not offer competitive sports. During Kessler's senior year, his father was the high school track coach. However, wanting to keep a non-professional relationship with his son, he had the renownedUniversity of Michigan coachRon Warhurst plan most of Hobbs' training. This allowed Hobbs to train with professional runnersNick Willis andMason Ferlic for harder workouts while still allowing him to do easier efforts with his high school teammates.
In September 2020, Hobbs committed to compete atNorthern Arizona University.[2]
On February 7, 2021, Kessler broke the U.S. high school indoor mile record by running 3:57.66 at theRandal Tyson Track Center where he placed third in the race. This broke his previous mile personal best by more than ten seconds and[3] made him the 12th American high schooler to break 4 minutes in the mile.[4] During the outdoor track season, he went on to run 8:39.04 for 2-miles at the NSAF USA Meet of Champions in Myrtle Beach, becoming the No. 4 American high schooler at that distance,[5] as well as winning his first state title in the 1600m.[6]
On May 29, 2021, Hobbs ran a 3:34.36 1500m at the Portland Track Festival. Despite still being in high school, his time was faster than the NCAA record at the time. His time also broke theNorth American U20 andU.S. high school records.[7] The performance also qualified him to compete at the2021 US Olympic Trials.
He was named the 2021Gatorade National Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Only a day before he competed at theU.S. Olympic Trials in June 2021, Kessler turned professional, signing withAdidas. By turning professional, Kessler forfeited his commitment to compete forNorthern Arizona University.[8]
Kessler currently trains under the tutelage ofRon Warhurst in Ann Arbor as part of theVery Nice Track Club. His training partners include OlympiansBryce Hoppel,Nick Willis andMason Ferlic, as well as other professional runnersBen Flanagan,Morgan Beadlescomb, Nathan Mylenek, Natalie Cizmas, Alsu Lenneman, andCharlie Da’Vall Grice.[9]
On October 1, 2023, Kessler broke the 1 mile road record by running 3:56.13 in Riga at theWorld Road Running Championships.[10]
On December 9, 2023, Kessler placed 3rd in the Kalakaua Merrie Mile, in a time of 3:57.12.[11]
At the 2023New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, Kessler took first in the 1500 m, running an indoor personal best of 3:33.66 by fending off a hard chargingJake Wightman in the final metres.[12]
On February 11, Kessler placed second toYared Nuguse in theWanamaker Mile at theMillrose Games, in a personal best time of 3:48.66.[13] His run placed him4th on the all-time indoor mile list. The following week, Kessler competed at theUS Indoor Championships in the 1500 m where he placed 2nd behindCole Hocker in a time of 3:38.76. By placing in the top two, he qualified to represent the United States at the2024 World Indoor Championships inGlasgow.
At the 2024 World Indoor Championships, in the 1500 meters, Kessler ran at the front of the field for the majority of the race before getting out kicked byCole Hocker andGeordie Beamish as he finished in 3rd for the bronze medal.[14]
On 27 April, Kessler competed in the road mile at the adizero Road to Records event inHerzogenaurach, Germany. He finished second in the race, in a time of 3:56.18. Finishing first wasEmmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya, who broke Kessler's previous world record of 3:56.13 by running 3:54.56.[15]
At his secondOlympic Trials, Kessler placed third in the 1500m behindCole Hocker andYared Nuguse qualifying for the2024 Olympics and finishing in a personal best time of 3:31.53.[16] Kessler also contested the 800m, winning his semi-final heat in a personal best time of 1:43.71. In the final, he finished second behind his training partner and 2024 Indoor World 800m ChampionBryce Hoppel, again lowering his personal best, this time to 1:43.64, and qualifying for the Olympics in a second event.[17][18]
On August 6, Kessler finished 5th in the1500 meter final at the2024 Paris Olympics, in a personal best time of 3:29.45. His compatriotsYared Nuguse andCole Hocker finished 3rd and 1st respectively, marking the first time in 112 years that two Americans were on the men's 1500 meter podium.[19][20] He also competed in the800m, but was eliminated in the semifinals, finishing sixth in his heat.[21]
On February 8, in theWanamaker Mile at theMillrose Games, Kessler finished second toYared Nuguse, in a personal best time of 3:46.90 while Nuguse set a new world indoor record of 3:46.63. Both Kessler and Nuguse were underYomif Kejelcha's previous world record of 3:47.01 set in 2019. En route to the mile, Kessler split 3:31.89 for 1500 meters, an indoor personal best.[22][23]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing the United States | |||||
| 2023 | World Road Running Championships | Riga, Latvia | 1st | Mile | 3:56.13 |
| 2024 | World Indoor Championships | Glasgow Arena | 3rd | 1500 m | 3:36.72 |
| Olympic Games | Stade de Paris | 6th (sf) | 800 m | 1:46.20 | |
| 5th | 1500 m | 3:29.45 | |||
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RepresentingAdidas (2021–present) | |||||
| 2021 | US Olympic Trials | Hayward Field | 19th (sf) | 1500 m | 3:45.50 |
| 2022 | USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships | 22nd (h) | 3:42.56 | ||
| 2023 | USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships | 6th | 3:36.08 | ||
| 2024 | USA Indoor Track and Field Championships | Albuquerque Convention Center | 2nd | 3:38.76 | |
| US Olympic Trials | Hayward Field | 3rd | 3:31.53 | ||
| 2nd | 800 m | 1:43.64 | |||
| 2025 | USA Indoor Track and Field Championships | Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex | 1st | 1500 m | 3:38.82 |
| 1st | 3000 m | 7:38.00 | |||
| USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships | Hayward Field | 4th | 1500 m | 3:31.12 | |
| Grand Slam Track results[24] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slam | Race group | Event | Pl. | Time | Prize money |
| 2025 Philadelphia Slam | Short distance | 800 m | 4th | 1:45.60 | US$20,000 |
| 1500 m | 3rd | 3:34.91 | |||
| Surface | Event | Time | Date | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor track | 1500m | 3:31.89+ | February 8, 2025 | The Armory | |
| Mile | 3:46.90 | February 8, 2025 | The Armory | 2nd all time | |
| 3000m | 7:39.00 | January 27, 2023 | Boston University | ||
| Outdoor track | 800m | 1:43.64 | June 30, 2024 | Hayward Field | |
| 1000m | 2:16.46 | August 10, 2022 | Louis II Stadium | AU20R | |
| 1500m | 3:29.45 | August 6, 2024 | Stade de France | ||
| Mile | 3:58.73 | August 24, 2022 | Tooting Bec Athletics Track | ||
| Two Miles | 8:39.04 | March 25, 2021 | Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium | ||
| Road | Road Mile | 3:54.34 | April 26, 2025 | Herzogenaurach |
Kessler was a national-caliber rock climber in his youth. He represented the United States several times, including at the 2019IFSC Climbing Youth World Championships inArco, Italy where he placed 34th in the Lead Youth A Male category.[25] In March 2019, he climbedSouthern Smoke (5.14c) atRed River Gorge in Kentucky—his hardest route so far.[26] He's stated that one of his goals is to be the first person to run a sub-four-minute mile, climb a5.15 (9b/+) and aV15 (8C).[26]
Kessler comes from a family of runners. His father, Michael, ran collegiately atEastern Michigan University. His mother, Serena, also is a runner and made the 2012 US Olympic Trials in the marathon.[4]
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