Kenneth Rooks

Rooks in 2025
Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1999-10-21)October 21, 1999 (age 26)
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event	3000 m steeplechase
College team	BYU Cougars
Club	Nike,[1] Run Elite[2]
Turned pro	January 2024
Achievements and titles
Personalbest(s)	3000 m steeplechase: 8:06.41 (Paris Olympics, 2024)
Medal record Men'sathletics Representingthe United States Olympic Games 2024 Paris 3000 m steeplechase NACAC Championships 2025 Freeport 3000 m steeplechase

Kenneth Rooks (/rʊks/RUUKS; born October 21, 1999)^[3] is an Americantrack and field athlete who specializes in the3000 m steeplechase. Originally fromCollege Place, Washington,^[4] Rooks competed in college for theBYU Cougars, where he was the national champion in the steeplechase at the2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Rooks signed a professional contract with Nike in 2024. He won a silver medal at the2024 Summer Olympics in the3000 m steeplechase.

Rooks attended College Place High School inCollege Place, Washington.^[5] He won multiple state titles in cross country and track, and he recorded personal bests of 1:53.56 for 800 m, 4:11.40 for one mile, and 9:20.86 for 3200 m.^[6] During his first two years of college atBrigham Young University, Rooks did not participate in athletics due to his time spent inKampala,Uganda as a missionary forThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[7]

On May 6, 2023, Rooks recorded a new personal best in the 3000 m steeplechase, running 8:17.62 inWalnut, California; at the time, it was the fastest-ever time by an American collegiate athlete.^[8] It also broke a 46-year-old school record set byHenry Marsh.^[9] In June 2023, Rooks won the2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships title in the 3000 m steeplechase, at the event held inAustin, Texas.^[10] His winning time of 8:26.17 was a new stadium record.^[11]

Competing at the2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, inEugene, Oregon, Rooks finished first in the final of the 3000 m steeplechase.^[12] The victory came despite Rooks falling during the race and having to work himself back to the front.^[13] Rooks said he mentally prepared for how he would react if he fell during a race and took inspiration from former national champion Henry Marsh, who would often race from the back of the field.^[14] Rooks was selected for the2023 World Athletics Championships inBudapest in August 2023, in which he finished tenth in the final.^[15][16]

Rooks announced his decision to compete professionally forNike in January 2024.^[17] At the2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in June, Rooks made it through the heats and won the 3000 m steeplechase final in a time of 8:21.92, securing his spot on Team USA for the2024 Paris Olympics.^[18]

At the Olympic Games, Rooks' first, he made it into the final of the3000 m steeplechase and won the silver medal in a new personal best time of 8:06.41. Rooks stayed back for much of the race, but after gradually moving up on the pack, he surged to the lead in the bell lap. During the final jump on the back straightaway, world record holderLamecha Girma fell, causing several other athletes to stumble. In the final curve, after the last water jump, Rooks was passed by defending Olympic championSoufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, while KenyanAbraham Kibiwot caught up to Rooks at the final jump. However, Rooks kicked, and he edged Kibiwot at the finish line to earn the silver medal while improving his personal best by nine seconds.^[19][20]

He won his third consecutive national title at the2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene with a time of 8:26.58.^[21] In September 2025, he competed in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the2025 World Championships inTokyo, Japan.^[22][23]

As of 2024, he lives in theProvo, Utah area with his wife, Taylor.^[24]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toKenneth Rooks.

• Kenneth Rooks atWorld Athletics
• Kenneth Rooks atBYU Cougars
• Kenneth Rooks atwww.USATF.org
• Kenneth Rooks atTeam USA
• Kenneth Rooks atOlympics.com
• Kenneth Rooks onInstagram

• 1999 births
• Living people
• American men long-distance runners
• American men steeplechase runners
• Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics
• Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics
• Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field
• NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
• BYU Cougars men's track and field athletes
• Track and field athletes from Washington (state)
• Latter Day Saints from Washington (state)
• People from Walla Walla County, Washington
• 21st-century Mormon missionaries
• American expatriates in Uganda
• 21st-century American sportsmen
• BYU Cougars men's cross country runners
• World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from July 2024
• Commons category link from Wikidata
• Team USA template using new ID