.jpg) Murphy in 2018 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1995-02-26)February 26, 1995 (age 30) Greenville, Ohio, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1] |
| Weight | 150 lb (68 kg)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track |
Event(s) | 800 meters,1500 meters |
| College team | Akron Zips |
| Turned pro | Jun. 2016[2] |
| Retired | May 2025 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Olympic finals |
|
| World finals |
|
| Personalbests | |
Medal record | |
Clayton Murphy (born February 26, 1995) is an Americanmiddle-distance runner. He won the bronze medal in the800-meter run at the2016 Olympic Games. He was the gold medalist in the800-meter run at the2015 Pan American Games. He ran collegiately for theUniversity of Akron, before signing withNike in June 2016 and joining theNike Oregon Project.[2] He retired from competition in May 2025.[3]
Clayton Murphy is the son of Mark and Melinda Murphy. He was raised inNew Madison, Ohio. He attendedTri-Village High School[4] and began to take part intrack and field andcross country running while there. Murphy broke the Division III state record in the 1600 Meter Run at the 2013 state track meet in Columbus[5] in 4:11.72.[6]
Murphy enrolled at theUniversity of Akron in fall 2013. He began to train with theAkron Zips college track team.[7] There he was coached by the head distance coach, Lee LaBadie, who is a sub 4-minute miler and a former runner for the University of Illinois. At the 2014Mid-American Conference (MAC) indoor meet, Murphy won themile run and was runner-up over3000 meters. He went on to win the outdoor conference title in the1500 meters. He ran 3:44.53 for the distance that year to win theMt. SAC Relays.[8]
He opened the following academic year (2014–15) with a fourth-place finish at theMAC Cross Country Championships, then followed this with an 800 m/mile double at the MAC Indoor meet. In February he ran a personal best and school record of 4:00.39 minutes for the indoormile run.[7] On his national debut at the2015 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships he claimed third place in the 800 m with a new best time of 1:47.06 minutes.[9] Similar results came outdoors, as he won a middle-distance double at the MAC Outdoor Championships and again placed third at the2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He also won the 800 m at theDrake Relays and set a school record of 3:40.69 for the 1500 m.[7]
He placed well the following academic year (2015–16) with a 4th place at Mid American Conference Championships in Cross Country and twentieth place at 2015 NCAA Division I Great Lakes Region Cross Country Championships. Murphy won 2016Mid-American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships titles inDistance medley relay,4 × 400 m relay,Mile, and800 metres. Murphy won2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in800 metres. Murphy won 2016Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships titles in1500 metres and800 metres. Murphy won 1500 m at2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 3:36.38.[10]
Murphy won 12Mid-American Conference titles,NCAA Division I2016 Indoor 800 m title,NCAA Division I2016 Outdoor 1500 m title and earned 4NCAA Division IAll-American awards.[11]
At the end of the college season, he entered the2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He ran personal records in each round and ended the competition in fourth place with a time of 1:45.59 for the 800 m.[12] This earned him selection for theAmerican squad for thePan American Games. In his international debut – also his first time abroad – he surprised by winning the gold medal some four hundredths ahead of Colombia'sRafith Rodríguez, taking the lead in the final stretch. Murphy's roommateRyan Martin was also a medalist in the event.[13] Murphy was the first American in more than 15 years to win the title, following on fromJohnny Gray's 1999 victory. He earned asilver medal in the 800 meters at the 2015North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships. This edition,2015 NACAC Championships were a regional track and field competition held at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica inSan Jose, Costa Rica from August 7–9, 2015. Murphy finished 12th in2015 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres held August 21–25, 2015 inBeijing, China.
He chose to run the 800 meters at the2016 United States Olympic Trials, which paid off. His fast finish out-sprintedBoris Berian for the win and Olympic team berth in a personal record 1:44.76. He won Bronze in the 800 m at the 2016 Rio Olympics in a new personal record of 1:42.93, the fifth-fastest time ever by an American.[14]
At the 2017 USATF 1 Mile Road Championships, Murphy finished first with a time of 4:00.0.[15] He chose to compete in the 800 meters at the2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships then compete in the 1500 meters at the same championships and ran 1:45.70 to make the final, but did not start in the 800 meters final after an injury in the 1500 meters final[16] where he finished in 3:50.55 to place 13th in the 1500 meters.[17][18] He joined Nike Oregon Project in August 2017 and moved toPortland in the Fall 2017 to train at the Nike headquarters withMatthew Centrowitz, the Rio Olympic gold medalist over 1500 m.[19][20][21] Murphy won the 2020 Olympic Trials 800 m in 1:43.17 to make his second Olympic team. In May 2025, he announced his retirement.[3]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Pan American Games | Toronto, Canada | 1st | 800 m | 1:47.19 |
| NACAC Championships | San José,Costa Rica | 2nd | 800 m | 1:46.38 | |
| World Championships | Beijing,China | 14th (sf) | 800 m | 1:46.28 | |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro,Brazil | 3rd | 800 m | 1:42.93 |
| 2017 | IAAF World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 1st | 4 × 800 m relay | 7:13.16 |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 8th | 800 m | 1:47.84 |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 9th | 800 m | 1:46.53 |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 33rd (h) | 800 m | 1:47.06 |
Murphy met fellow OlympianAriana Washington over a game of Uno at the USA Track and Field Athletes Lounge in the Olympic Village at the2016 Summer Games in Rio. They got engaged in 2018,[22] and were married in the Napa Valley on December 7, 2019.[23]
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