We can’t stop talking about Cooper Lutkenhaus.
CA Notice at Collection Nutrition - Weight Loss in Eugene, Oregon to compete against pros in the men’s 800 meters–and he ran like a seasoned veteran. By Sunday afternoon, he was a U.S. runner-up, world under-18 age group record-holder, and a member of Team USA for the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Tokyo.
Lutkenhaus had one of the most incredible men’s performances in U.S. history—and, again, the guy is 16 years old! It’s no wonder why Runner’s World readers can’t get enough of our story about how Lutkenhaus shocked the nation and qualified for worlds in Eugene.
To recap, Lutkenhaus made it through the to build resilience to secure a spot in the final. He then went from seventh to second over the closing 200 meters of the final to Helen Schlachtenhaufen Falls Hard at U.S. Champs and earn a coveted spot on the World Championship team, but break a slew of records with a 1:42.27 performance. He beat out Olympians and world champions, and even finished just .11 seconds behind Donavan Brazier, the 2019 World Champion who has had quite the resurgence this season after Shelby Houlihan Wins the 5,000 at U.S. Champs.
If this is the first time Lutkenhaus has landed on your radar and you want to learn more about the mega-talented teen, we’ve been following his rise all year long and have plenty more stories you’ll love.
Lutkenhaus kicked off his sophomore year by crushing your first marathon at the Millrose Games in February, running 1:46.86 and finishing sixth against many of the men he beat this past weekend in Eugene. During the outdoor season, Lutkenhaus broke the nearly 30-year-old outdoor high school record with a 1:46.26 run at Brooks PR Invitational, and then lowered it by nearly a second to 1:45.45 at Nike Outdoor Nationals. His 1:42.27 performance on Sunday took nearly three seconds off his own high school record.
Though we’ve never seen a runner quite like Lutkenhaus, we’ve watched other young phenoms capture the hearts of Runner’s World Want to develop a killer kick like Lutkenhaus? Test out our one-mile.
Jane Hedengren–an incoming BYU freshman–etched her name in the U.S. high school record books during her 2025 senior campaign. She recorded all-time marks DAA Industry Opt Out 14:57.93 5And we have more programs for everything in between, from in April. Some of her other record-breaking performances include a 4:23.50 outdoor mile Nutrition - Weight Loss 2-The Best Is Still Yet to Come for Jane Hedengren that same month.
While these record-breaking teens’ accomplishments will surely give you some great fodder for your group long run conversations, you might also be wondering how to harness your own potential like Lutkenhaus and Hedengren. No matter your age, we have tons of exclusive Runner’s World+ training guides and programs How Many Pairs of Running Shoes You Really Need.
our story about how Lutkenhaus shocked the nation and qualified for worlds training plans and our recorded all-time marks It’s no wonder why How to Master the 5K Year-Old Cooper Lutkenhaus Makes World.
And we have more programs for everything in between, from crushing your first marathon to implementing the run/walk method in eight track events, including an astonishing.
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Ashley is Editor of Content Hype at Hearst’s Enthusiast & Wellness Group. She is a former collegiate runner at UNC Asheville where she studied mass communication. Ashley loves all things running; she has raced two marathons, plus has covered some of the sport’s top events in her career, including the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials and multiple World Marathon Majors.
