Erik Sowinski (born December 21, 1989) is an American

middle-distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, ranging from 500 metres up to . The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distanc ...

, who specializes in the

800 metres The 800 metres, or 800 meters (American and British English spelling differences#-re.2C -er, US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of a ...

. He won a bronze medal in the event at the 2016 World Indoor Championships, and he is a three-time national champion. He also formerly held the American indoor record in the 600 meters. Sowinski has garnered recognition for pacing other athletes to fast times, often in high-profile competitions.

Early life and career

Sowinski was born on December 21, 1989, in

Waukesha, Wisconsin Waukesha ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 71,158 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along the Fox River (Illinois River tributary), Fox River adjacent to th ...

, to Bryan and Jane Sowinski. He has two younger siblings, Andy and Emily. Running for Waukesha West High School, Erik won the 800m at the 2008 WIAA Wisconsin State Meet. In college, Sowinski competed for the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

from 2009 until 2012. He set his school's 800-meter record at 1:45.90 when he placed second at the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Sowinski accumulated five

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n titles while at University of Iowa.

Post-collegiate

Following college, Sowinski joined the Iowa City running store sponsored Running Wild, where he was coached by World Championship medalist Joey Woody. During the indoor season of 2013, he entered the

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 ...

600 metres The 600 metres is a rarely run middle-distance running event in track and field competitions. It is most often run at high school indoor track and field competitions. It is also run at the Penn Relays. All-time top 25 * i = indoor performa ...

, where he was expected to be an also-ran behind the more notable Olympians Duane Solomon and

Nick Symmonds Nicholas Boone Symmonds (born December 30, 1983) is an American YouTube personality and retired Middle distance track event, middle-distance runner from Boise, Idaho, who specialized in the 800 meters and 1500 meters. At Willamette University, he ...

, who were expecting to chase the American record. Strategically following Duane and the unrelated

Jarrin Solomon Jarrin Solomon (born 11 January 1986) is a Trinidadian track and field sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. He was part of the Trinidad and Tobago team that won the bronze medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 2012 IAAF World ...

into the final turn, Sowinski then launched one powerful sprint to the finish, not only winning the prestigious race, but taking the American record in 1:15.61. Three weeks later, he won the

at the

USA Indoor Track and Field Championships The USA Indoor Track and Field Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport. In years which feature a World Indoor Championships i ...

, winning in 1:47.09 ahead of a late charge by Robby Andrews. He signed 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 May, while continuing to work for the running store. In 2014 he repeated as national indoor champion, which qualified him to represent the United States internationally at the

2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics was the fifteenth edition of the international indoor track and field competition, organised by the IAAF. The event was held between 7–9 March 2014 at the Ergo Arena in Sopot, Poland. Prepar ...

Sopot Sopot (; or ) is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomerania Province and has the City with powiat ri ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, where he placed 13th. At the 2016 Shanghai Diamond League, Erik Sowinski placed 8th in tactical race. At the 2016 World Indoor Championships, he won a bronze medal. In 2017, he won the gold medal in the men's 4 × 800 metres relay at the

2017 IAAF World Relays The 2017 IAAF World Relays was the third edition of the biennial, global track and field relay competition between nations. It was held April 22–23, 2017, in Nassau, Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is a ...

held in Nassau, Bahamas. In 2019, Sowinski was also a part of the pacing effort, along with

Christian Harrison Christian Harrison (born May 29, 1994) is an American professional tennis player who specializes in doubles. He has a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 19 achieved on 19 May 2025 and a singles ranking of No. 198 achieved on 2 July 2018. H ...

and Harun Abda, which led to Yomif Kejelcha breaking the Indoor Mile World Record. In 2020, Sowinski switched sponsors from Nike to Brooks where he competed as a member of the Brooks Beasts while maintaining his residence in Iowa City, IA. He placed fourth at the

USATF 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 ...

Indoor Championships before the outdoor season was cancelled due to COVID-19. In 2022, Sowinski continued his sponsorship with Bell Lap Elite. On February 17, 2022, Erik paced Olympic Champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen to a new Indoor World Record of 3:30.60. The pacing of other athletes has earned Sowinski praise, with several events requesting his pacing services.

Achievements

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sowinski, Erik 1989 births Living people American male middle-distance runners World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States World Athletics Championships medalists Sportspeople from Iowa Sportspeople from Iowa City, Iowa Sportspeople from Waukesha, Wisconsin World Athletics indoor record holders (relay) USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners Pacemakers Iowa Hawkeyes men's track and field athletes