Cole Hocker (born June 6, 2001) is an American

middle Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ...

- and

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

who specializes in the

1500 meters The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilometers ...

. He won the gold medal in the event at the

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, setting an

Olympic record Olympic records are the best performances in a specific event in that event's history in either the Summer Olympic Games or the Winter Olympic Games. Summer Olympics * Archery at the Summer Olympics, Archery (List of Olympic records in archery, li ...

and an area record of 3:27.65. In 2025, he ran the second-fastest indoor 3000 metres time in history with 7:23.14. Hocker holds multiple national titles in annual competitions organized by

USA Track & Field USA Track & Field (USATF) is a United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running, and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and 1 ...

, including four titles in the 1500 m and one title in the

3000 meters The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000 m shou ...

. In March 2024, he won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the

2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships The 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships was the 19th edition of the international indoor track and field competition, organised by the World Athletics. The event was held between 1–3 March at the Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velod ...

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. Hocker also placed sixth in the 1500 m at the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

and seventh at the 2023 World Championships in

Budapest, Hungary Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

. In high school, Hocker won several high-level competitions including the

Foot Locker Cross Country Championships The Eastbay-Foot Locker Cross Country Championships are a series of annual cross country running races held in various regions of the United States to determine the premier cross country runner in various age groups, but mainly serves to find the ...

in 2018. Beginning in 2019, he competed for the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

, where he won four

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

titles. Hocker announced in 2021 that he would forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility to run professionally, signing with

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

. In September 2024, it was announced that Hocker signed with Michael Johnson's

Grand Slam Track Grand Slam Track is a professional track and field league, first announced in 2024 by American former Olympic champion sprinter Michael Johnson. The first season ran from April to June 2025. After being initially announced in February 2024, the n ...

league for the 2025 season, in the short distance (800 m/1500 m) category.

Background and youth sports

Hocker was born on June 6, 2001, in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

to Janet (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Davis), a lawyer, and Kyle Hocker, a teacher. He began running competitively at a young age, recording a time of 4:36 for the

mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a imperial unit, British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on the older English unit of Unit of length, le ...

as an eighth grader. He attended Cathedral High School, where he won multiple state- and national-level races. He was second in the 2017 IHSAA Cross Country State Finals and won in '18. He finished second at the 2018

Nike Cross Nationals Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) (formerly known as Nike Team Nationals) is an invitational cross country meet that serves as the unofficial team national championship of United States high school cross country. Sponsored by Nike, It was designed to he ...

, and he won the 2018

. For college, he chose the University of Oregon over offers from many other schools including

Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1899, it was the third and final university established in the Arizona Territory. It is one of the three universities gove ...

and

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

Collegiate competition

Arkansas_Invite_Stanford_Track_and_field

Hocker ran for the

Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCA ...

from 2019 to 2021. At the

2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships The 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships were the 56th NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships and the 39th NCAA Division I Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships, held at the Randal Tyson Track Center ...

, he won the

in 3:53.71 and the

in 7:46.15. Earlier that year, he ran a personal best of 3:50.55 in the mile on February 12, 2021, finishing in a close second to teammate

Cooper Teare Cooper Teare (born August 18, 1999) is an American middle- and long-distance runner. He is a two-time national champion, securing victories in the 1500 metres at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and in the 2024 USA Cross Countr ...

at a meet at the

Randal Tyson Track Center The Randal Tyson Track Center is a 5,500-seat indoor track in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Built in 2000, it is home to the University of Arkansas Razorbacks track and field teams. It was also home for one year to the semi-pro Arkansas Stars. The fa ...

. The two set the seventh and eighth all-time fastest performances for the indoor mile. At the

2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships was the 99th NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the 39th NCAA Division I Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at the reconstructed Hayward Fi ...

, Hocker won the

in a time of 3:35.35, outkicking NCAA record holder

Yared Nuguse Yared Nuguse ( ; born June 1, 1999) is an American middle-distance runner who specializes in the 1500 meters and mile. He was the 2019 NCAA Division I champion and bronze medalist from the 2024 Summer Olympics in the former. Nuguse is the Nort ...

. He also finished 4th in the

5000 meters The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a sta ...

in a time of 13:18.95. At the 2020 United States Olympic Trials, Hocker won the 1500 m final ahead of Matthew Centrowitz and

. Hocker did not have the Olympic qualifying time; however, he qualified for the Games based on his world ranking position. At the

2020 Olympic Games The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

, Hocker placed 6th in the

1500 m The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilometer ...

with a time of 3:31.40, setting a new personal best. His time was under the

Olympic Record Olympic records are the best performances in a specific event in that event's history in either the Summer Olympic Games or the Winter Olympic Games. Summer Olympics * Archery at the Summer Olympics, Archery (List of Olympic records in archery, li ...

set 2 days prior in the semifinals by Abel Kipsang of

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

. Hocker qualified for the semifinals by running 3:36.16 for 4th in his heat. He then ran 3:33.87, then a personal best placing 2nd in his semifinal to qualify for the final.

Senior competition

2021

On September 13, 2021, Hocker announced his decision to turn professional, forgoing his further participation on the University of Oregon team. Hocker became a Nike-sponsored athlete, and continues to be based in Oregon training under coach Ben Thomas. Hocker made his professional debut at the 2022

Millrose Games The Millrose Games are an annual indoor athletics (track & field) meet held each February in New York City. Among the world's most prestigious indoor track meets, the games started taking place at the Armory in Washington Heights in 2012, after ...

, where he competed in the 3,000 meter race. He ran a personal record of 7:39.83, placing third behind Geordie Beamish and teammate

. Two weeks later at Gately Park in Chicago, in a bid for the American indoor mile record of 3:49.98, Teare and Hocker ran personal bests of 3:50.17 and 3:50.35 to place first and second.

2022

At the

2022 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships The 2022 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships were held at The Podium in Spokane, Washington. Organized by USA Track and Field (USATF), the two-day competition took place from February 26 to February 27 and served as the national championship ...

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

, Hocker doubled in the 1,500 meter and 3,000 meter events. He earned his second and third national titles, running a meet record time of 3:39.09 in the 1500m. However, he opted not to compete in the

2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships The 18th World Athletics Indoor Championships were held from 18 to 20 March 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia. Ethiopia headed the medal table, with 4 gold medals. United States won the most medals, with 19, as well as getting the second highest number o ...

Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

, turning his focus instead to the outdoor championships in July. An injury at the US National Track and Field championships in June 2022, prevented him from qualifying in the 1500 m for the World Outdoor Championships.

2023

Hocker finished third at the

2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon from July 6–9, 2023. They served as USA Track & Field's (USATF) national championships in track and field for the United States. The results of the ...

, qualifying him for the

2023 World Athletics Championships The 2023 World Athletics Championships (), the nineteenth edition of the World Athletics Championships, were held from 19 to 27 August 2023 at the National Athletics Centre (Budapest), National Athletics Centre, in Budapest, Hungary. The tourna ...

in Budapest. He placed 7th at the world championship final, en route to a new personal best of 3:30.7. In September 2023, Hocker competed in the mile of the Diamond League final at the

Prefontaine Classic The Prefontaine Classic is a track and field meet held at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Organized by the Oregon Track Club, it was previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, and ...

. He did not have enough Diamond League points to qualify, but the meet organizers entered him as a national wildcard, based on a rule which allows the host nation to enter an athlete who is of adequate standing in each event. In the race, Hocker finished sixth in a personal best of 3:48.08, the fourth fastest time ever run by an American in the mile.

2024: Olympic 1500 Meter Champion

In February, Hocker ran 8:05.70 in the indoor 2-mile at the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He finished third behind compatriot

Grant Fisher Grant Jackson Fisher (born April 22, 1997) is an American middle- and long-distance runner who is the world record holder in the short track 3000 m and 5000 m. Fisher also holds American records in the 3000 m, two mile, and 10,000 m events. ...

, who broke the American record in the event, and Scotsman Josh Kerr, who broke the world record. Hocker's time was also under the previous American record of 8:07.41 held by

Galen Rupp Galen Rupp (born May 8, 1986) is an American long-distance runner. He competed in the Summer Olympics in 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and 2021 in Tokyo. He won the silver medal in the men's 10,000 meters in London and ...

. In the same month, Hocker won a national title in the 1500 m at the

2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships The 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships were held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds from January 27-28, and the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico from February 16–17. Organized by USA Track and Field (USATF), it s ...

, setting a meeting record in 3:37.51. In March, he won a silver medal for the United States in the 1500 m at the

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, his first finish on the podium at a global competition. In May, Hocker achieved the Olympic qualifying standard in the 5000 m by running a personal best of 12:58.82 at the Los Angeles Grand Prix. In the final of the 1500 m at the 2024 Olympic Trials, Hocker took the lead from

in the final 250 meters to win in a meet record and personal best of 3:30.59. In doing so, the 23-year-old qualified for his second Olympic Games. At the

, on August 6, Hocker won the 1500 meter gold medal with a new

and North American area record of 3:27.65, almost 3 seconds better than his previous personal best, overcoming the favorites Josh Kerr,

Jakob Ingebrigtsen Jakob Asserson Ingebrigtsen (born 19 September 2000) is a Norwegian Middle-distance running, middle- and Long-distance running, long-distance runner who is the world record holder in the short track 1500 metres, short track Mile run, mile, 2000 ...

, and

. Hocker's time places him as the seventh fastest 1500 meter runner in history. The race was highly anticipated given Ingebrigtsen's rivalry with Kerr, with

World Athletics World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...

President and former middle distance runner

Sebastian Coe Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, (born 29 September 1956), often referred to as Seb Coe, is a British sports administrator, former politician and retired track and field athlete. As a middle-distance runner, Coe won four Olympic medals, incl ...

labeling it a "race for the ages". Ingebrigtsen led at a fast pace for most of the race but was passed by Kerr in the final straightaway. Ingebrigtsen ended up moving outwards, giving Hocker, who is famous for his finishing

kick A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of ...

, an opening on the inside to pass Ingebrigtsen and Kerr to win gold. Hocker's victory gave the United States their first gold medal in the event since 2016, when Matthew Centrowitz Jr. won at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas. Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, the city wa ...

. It was the first time since 1912 that two Americans finished on the podium, with Nuguse securing the bronze medal. At the 2024 Lausanne Diamond League on August 22, Hocker finished second in the 1500 metres to Jakob Ingebrigtsen, in a time of 3:29.85 while Ingebrigtsen finished in a new meeting record of 3:27.83. At the 2024 Weltklasse Zurich meeting on September 5, Hocker finished third in the 1500 metres, in a time of 3:30.46.

2025

On February 8 at the

, Hocker competed against

in the

. Hocker made a move on Fisher with three laps to go, but was out-kicked by Fisher in the final straightaway. Fisher set a new world indoor record of 7:22.91, while Hocker secured the second fastest time at the distance with a personal best of 7:23.14. On February 21, at the BU Terrier Meet in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, Hocker met the world standard in the 5000 meters, running 12:57.82, out-kicking

in the final straightaway, who ran 12:57.97.

Achievements

All statistics from athlete's profile on World Athletics.

Personal bests

International championships

Notes:

Circuit performances

National championships

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hocker, Cole 2001 births Living people American male long-distance runners Oregon Ducks men's track and field athletes Place of birth missing (living people) Track and field athletes from Indianapolis American male middle-distance runners USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics Track and field athletes from Indiana Cathedral High School (Indianapolis) alumni NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners 21st-century American sportsmen Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field