Donavan Brazier

Brazier in 2025
Personal information
Born	(1997-04-15)April 15, 1997 (age 28) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	165 lb (75 kg)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Track
Event	800 meters
College team	Texas A&M Aggies
Club	Nike
Coached by	Mike Smith (–2025)
Achievements and titles
World finals	2017 London 800 m, 13th (sf) 2019 Doha 800 m, Gold 2022 Eugene 800 m, 29th (h)
Personalbests	Outdoor[1] 800 m: 1:42.16 (Eugene 2025) 1500 m: 3:35.85 (Portland 2020) Indoor[1] 400 m: 46.14i (Spokane 2022) 600 m: 1:13.77iWB (New York 2019) 800 m: 1:44.21i (New York City 2021) Mile: 3:59.30i (College Station 2017)
Medal record World Championships 2019 Doha 800 m World Relays 2019 Yokohama Mixed 2 × 2 × 400 m relay Diamond League 2019 800 m

Donavan Brazier (born April 15, 1997) is an Americanmiddle-distance runner. He holds theAmerican junior record in the men's800 meters and won thegold medal at the2019 World Championships. With a time of 1:42.34, he was the American national and NACAC area record holder in the event from 2019 until 2024, whenMarco Arop andBryce Hoppel ran 1:41.20 and 1:41.67 to break the NACAC record and American record respectively.

This sectionneeds expansion with: A lot of major championship and Diamond League results for Brazier are missing or not mentioned. See the achievements section for examples.. You can help byadding to it.(August 2025)

In 2014, hisjunior year atKenowa Hills High School, Brazier won the 800 meters at theNew Balance national scholastic championships in 1:48.61; his time was a new Michigan state record.^[2][3] His times continued the drop in his senior year; he ran a 45.92 split on a 4 × 400 meters relay and improved his 800-meter best to 1:47.55, placing him fourth on the all-time national high school list.^[2][4] Brazier ran 1:47.55 in June 2015 in the 800 meters at theBrooks PR Invitational. Brazier competed in the 800 meters at2015 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships but was disqualified.^[5] In summer 2015, Brazier attempted to earn an opportunity to represent United States on his first national team as a junior (U20) at2015 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships to compete in the 800 m.^[6]

After graduating from high school after the 2015 season Brazier went toTexas A&M University, where he was coached by former top runnerAlleyne Francique and head coachPat Henry.^[3] He ran 1:45.92 in his collegiate debut race on January 16, 2016, breakingJohn Marshall's Americanjunior indoor record by almost two seconds; the time was also aNACAC junior indoor record, and missed the Americancollegiate record by only 0.05 seconds.^{[4][note 1]} He won the 2016SEC indoor championship in 1:46.08, but failed to finish his heat at theNCAA indoor championships due to a back injury.^[8][9]

Brazier returned to action outdoors, but needed several meets to return to top shape.^[9] He placed third at theSEC outdoor championships in 1:46.19, half a second behind Mississippi State'sBrandon McBride.^[8] At theNCAA outdoor championships inEugene, Brazier won his semi-final in a personal best of 1:45.07.^[9] The final was a rematch between Brazier and McBride; McBride led for most of the way, but Brazier passed him with 150 meters to go and won in 1:43.55.^[10] The time was a newcollegiate record,^[11]American junior andNACAC junior record and world junior (U20) leader;^[12] the previous American junior outdoor record wasJim Ryun's 1:44.3/1:44.9y, set exactly fifty years earlier on June 10, 1966.^[13] Brazier's American and NACAC junior record stood until 2025, whenCooper Lutkenhaus ran 1:42.27.^[14]

Brazier turned professional after his NCAA victory, signing an endorsement deal withNike and forgoing his three remaining years of collegiate eligibility.^[15][16] Brazier finished 19th in the 800 meters at the2016 USATF Olympic Trials in 1:48.13.^[17] Donavan Brazier reconnected with his coach fromTexas A&M University (Grenada’s top 400 m runnerAlleyne Francique).^[18] At the2017 National Championships, he followedEric Sowinski's early kick into a breakaway position and held his pace as Sowinski faded to win his first national championship, thus qualifying for the World Championships.^{[citation needed]}

On August 29, 2019, Brazier set a new 800 meter personal best of 1:42.70 en route to winning the Diamond League meet in Zurich, Switzerland. In this race, Brazier demonstrated phenomenal finishing speed by overtaking Botswanan runnerNijel Amos in the last 30 meters, who had attempted the race at world record pace.^[19]

On October 1, 2019, Brazier won the 800 meter at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar. His time of 1:42.34 was a championships record and a new American record, surpassingJohnny Gray's 1:42.60 from 1985.^[20][21] At the end of the season, Brazier was selected for theJesse Owens Award.^[22]

On February 8, 2020, Brazier set theAmerican indoor 800 meter record in a time of 1:44.22. He opened his 2020 season in the1500 meters, running a world lead of 3:35.85.^[23] In August he ran another world lead in the800 meters, with 1:43.15.^[24]

On February 13, 2021, Brazier ran 1:44.21 in the 800 meters at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in New York City to lower his then-American indoor record (since broken byJosh Hoey in 2025) in the event by .01 seconds.^[25] The same year, Brazier had surgery to repair a fracturedtibia.^[26]

At the2022 World Athletics Championships, Brazier was eliminated in the first round of the 800 meters. He later underwentachilles surgery to repair aHaglund's deformity, which required two follow-up surgeries. At the end of 2023, he left the Nike Union Athletics Club and coachPete Julian. In 2025, Brazier began to receive workouts fromMike Smith.^[26]

On June 7, 2025 at the TOAD Fest inNashville, Tennessee, Brazier won the 800 meters in 1:44.70. It was his first race since 2022, due to recurring injuries and a coaching change.^[27] On June 16, 2025, he won the 800 meters at the Portland Track Festival in a time of 1:43.81.^[28] On July 19, 2025, he finished sixth in the 800 meters at theLondon Athletics Meet, in a season's best time of 1:43.08.^[29][30] On August 3, 2025, Brazier won the 800 meter final at the2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in a new personal best of 1:42.16, thus qualifying for the2025 World Championships inTokyo, Japan.^[31] At the 2025 World Championships, Brazier was eliminated in the semifinal round.^[32]

Brazier has been in a relationship withAlly Watt and got engaged on February 24, 2025.^[33][34]

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Ref
Representing theUnited States
2017	World Championships	Olympic Stadium, London, England	13th(sf)	800 m	1:46.27	[35]
2018	World Indoor Championships	National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England	DQ	800 m	DQ
2019	World Relays	Yokohama, Japan	1st	2 x 2 x 400 m	3:36.92
	World Championships	Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar	1st	800 m	1:42.34	[20]
2022	World Championships	Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon	29th(h)	800 m	1:46.72	[35]
2025	World Championships	Tokyo, Japan	3rd(s.f)	800 m	1:43.82	[36]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toDonavan Brazier.

• Donavan Brazier atWorld Athletics
• Donavan Brazier atwww.USATF.org
• Donavan Brazier – Texas A&M atTFRRS
• Donavan Brazier – Kenowa Hills High School at DyeStat.com
• Donavan Brazier onTwitter

• USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners
• 1997 births
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• Sportspeople from Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Texas A&M Aggies men's track and field athletes
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• United States collegiate record holders in athletics (track and field)
• World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States
• World Athletics Championships medalists
• World Athletics Championships winners
• Diamond League winners
• USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
• NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
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