It’s been nearly six years since Donavan Brazier, then 22, made history as the first-ever American to win Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.
Health - Injuries Races - Places that took him away from elite racing from 2022 until earlier this year—in fact, he’s been competing again for less than two months.
Today in Eugene, he achieved what many thought was impossible—returning to top form and winning the men’s 800 meters at the USATF Outdoor Championships. And he did it in a personal best 1:42.16. That’s nearly 20 milliseconds faster than the 1:42.34 that won him gold in Doha, Qatar, in 2019, and broke a 34-year-old American record in the process.
Brazier will now return to global competition at the World Championships in Tokyo in September. High school phenom Cooper Lutkenhaus the World Athletics Championship in the 800 meters Bryce Hoppel Health - Injuries.
During his lengthy rehab for injuries that included Haglund’s deformity, a bump on the back of the heel that required multiple surgery, Brazier cross-trained with aqua jogging, stationary cycling, and the elliptical. He didn’t even return to training until February of 2025, and is now coached by Nike Swoosh TC coach Mike Smith in Flagstaff, Arizona.
He made a low-key return to racing on June 7 at the Toad Fest in Nashville, where he ran 1:44.70. After that, Brazier competed in only two more meets—the Portland Track Festival a week later, where he ran 1:43.81 for first, and the London Wanda Diamond League on July 19, where he placed sixth in 1:43.08—before toeing the line in Eugene this weekend.
On Sunday, Brazier raced as if he’d never been away. Current indoor record holder Josh Hoey led for the first 700 meters, taking the men through the first 400 meters in a speedy 49.29. Brazier anticipated that strategy, he told reporters after the race, and largely stuck to the rail, alternating between third and fourth place.
Coming off the final turn, Brazier picked up steam and slid between Hoey on the inside and Hoppel on the outside, charging forward all the way to the line. He covered the final 200 meters in 26.58 seconds and the last 100 in 13.12 seconds on “pure grit,” he said.
After the race, Brazier described his emotions as “pure excitement. The past few years have been rough for me.” Yet he credited the resilience he’s built from his time away with helping carry him to victory, and said that thanks to the support of family and others who stuck by him, he did his best not to lose hope.
“It’s been amazing—it’s been a great journey,” he told NBC’s Lewis Johnson. “I always pictured this happening, but I didn’t know if it would come true.” Now, we know—and he does, too—that Brazier gets his fairytale ending after all.
Find the Perfect Training Plan for You
How Alec Basten Overcame Ulcerative Colitis
Recommended Experience: RW+ Membership Benefits.
How Alec Basten Overcame Ulcerative Colitis
Recommended Experience: Results: 2025 USATF Championships.
How Alec Basten Overcame Ulcerative Colitis
Recommended Experience: For a new runner who has been exercising regularly for at least a year, or someone who has completed a few 5Ks or 10Ks and can complete 6 miles in one workout. This plan peaks at 28 miles in a week with a 12-mile long run.
How Alec Basten Overcame Ulcerative Colitis
Recommended Experience: For runners comfortable exercising for at least an hour at a moderate effort. This plan peaks at 32 miles in a week with a 14-mile long run.
How Alec Basten Overcame Ulcerative Colitis
Recommended Experience: For a consistent runner used to regularly working out four to five times a week. The plan starts with a 10-mile long run and peaks at 44 to 47 miles a week with a 22-mile long run, helping you average under a 9:10 per mile come race day.
Cindy is a freelance health and fitness writer, author, and podcaster who’s contributed regularly to Runner’s World since 2013. She’s the coauthor of both Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Train Smart and Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries, a book about the psychology of sports injury from Bloomsbury Sport. Cindy specializes in covering injury prevention and recovery, everyday athletes accomplishing extraordinary things, and the active community in her beloved Chicago, where winter forges deep bonds between those brave enough to train through it.
