Samuel Prakel (born 29 October 1994) is an American middle- 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 in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance running comes two d ...

, who competes for Adidas. His personal best time in the indoor

mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 Engli ...

is 3:50.94, tied for 13th all-time. He competed collegiately for the

Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conference ...

, where he was a five-time All American and won the 1500m at the 2018 Pac-12 Championships.

High school career

Prakel attended Versailles High School in Ohio. During his time there he was a two-time Ohio Division III state champion in cross country winning the race in 2011 and 2012. His senior year he was a Footlocker Nationals qualifier and won Ohio Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year. On the track, Prakel was a four-time state champion winning the 3200m in 2012, the 800m in 2013, and the 1600m in both 2012 and 2013. Immediately after his senior season he finished third in the 1,500 meters at the 2013 U.S. Junior Championships running a 3:46.93.

Collegiate career

Prakel attended the University of Oregon training alongside teammates such as Edward Cheserek, Eric Jenkins, Mac Fleet, and Cooper Teare among others. He finished his time there as a five-time All-American and the 2018

Pac-12 The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...

1,500m Champion.

Professional career

On July 31, 2018, he announced via an Instagram post he had signed a professional contract with Adidas. In March 2022 Prakel represented the United States at 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, despite winning only nine in total. United States, second on gold medals won with 3, won ...

Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...

where he ran a 3:38.40 1500m, finishing 9th overall. At the

2023 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships The 2023 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships were held at Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Organized by USA Track and Field (USATF), the three-day competition took place from February 16 to February 18 and served as ...

, Prakel won both the 1500m and 3000m. However, Prakel initially finished second in the 1500m to Josh Thompson, who was later disqualified for inhibiting

Henry Wynne Sir Henry Arthur Wynne, PC (14 June 1867 – 21 August 1943) was an Irish solicitor. He was Chief Crown Solicitor for Ireland from 1916 to 1922. He was knighted in 1919 and sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland His or Her Majesty's Privy Counc ...

in the final 100 meters, with Prakel therefore given the title. On April 25, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa he set the world record for the road mile with a time of 4:01.21. On October 1, 2023 Prakel represented the United States at the World Road Running Championships. He won bronze in the road mile in a time of 3:56.43. During the pre-race press conference Prakel stated that he had postponed his wedding by a week in order to compete at the event.

Personal bests

References

External links

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SAM PRAKEL University of Washington Volunteer Assistant Coach, Distances
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prakel, Sam 1994 births Living people American male middle-distance runners American male long-distance runners Oregon Ducks men's track and field athletes Oregon Ducks men's cross country runners Track and field athletes from Ohio