Will Leer (born 15 April 1985) is an American mid-distance runner. He graduated from

Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists ...

Claremont, California Claremont () is a suburban city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of Los Angeles. It lies in the Pomona Valley at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census it had ...

in May 2007. Leer has represented the United States in international competition.

Running career

High school

Will Leer ran track, cross country and played soccer at

Minnetonka High School Minnetonka High School is a four-year public high school in Minnetonka, Minnesota, United States, a western suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul. ''Newsweek'' ranked the school 123rd on its list of America's Top High Schools. Niche ranked it 3rd am ...

Minnetonka, Minnesota Minnetonka ( ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. A western suburb of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Twin Cities, Minnetonka is located about west of Minneapolis. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's popu ...

. He was coached by Jeff Renlund and Chris Cohen. He began running track his sophomore year as a means to stay in shape for soccer in the fall. He quickly found success as a runner. However he did not make the switch to cross country until his senior year when coach Renlund convinced him to run in a few races for the Minnetonka cross country team. In the 2002 section 6AA championships, Leer finished 11th, missing state qualification by one place. That spring Leer ran a 4:16.41 1600, setting the Minnetonka High School record previously held by his coach. Leer's 1600 time was the 4th fastest time of the year in Minnesota. He also ran a 1:54.64 800, the 5th fastest time in Minnesota. At the state meet he opted to run on the 4x800 team instead of the 1600. He also competed in the open 800, finishing fourth in 1:55.25. His team's 4x800 relay team ran 7:58.87 and finished eighth in a deep field which included nine sub-8:00 times.

Collegiate

Leer had a very successful college career running for

in Claremont, California. In his junior year he finished 90th at cross country nationals with a time of 27:10. After a disappointing performance at cross country nationals, Leer won the

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. ...

Division-III indoor national title in the mile with a time of 4:09.42. At outdoor nationals, he placed second in the 1500 behind

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 ...

with a time of 3:49.70. He also competed in the 800, finishing eighth with a time of 1:52.82. In Leer's senior year he finished 7th at cross country nationals with a time of 27:03 on a very slow and muddy course. During the indoor season, Leer repeated as national champion in the mile with a time of 4:08.19. Later in the meet he came back in the 5000, finishing third with a time of 14:34.24. During his 2007 outdoor season, Leer ran a 1:50.79 in the 800, 3:41.98 in the 1500, and a 14:23 in the 5000. All of his times put him in the top three of DIII performances. Leer's 1500 performance was perhaps the best run of his collegiate career; his 1500 time of 3:41.98 converts to a 3:59 full mile. At the 2007 NCAA Division III National Championships, Leer won the 1500 and the 5000 on the same day. He is the only male Division III runner ever to win both titles in the same meet.

Post-collegiate

Leer finished 10th in the 1500 meter event at the 2007 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet. He advanced to the June 24 final by running 3:40.06 in a preliminary heat. He qualified for the event by running 3:41.13 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 ...

in June 2007. He also ran a 1:49.37 800m at the USA Outdoor Track & Field West Region Championship meet.

2008

In January 2008, Leer ran a 3:59.83 mile at the UW Indoor Preview for The Oregon Track Club Elite. Leer is the 297th American to break 4-minutes in the mile. In the winter of 2008, Leer finished fourth in the 1500 meter event at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships. At historic

Hayward Field Hayward Field is a track and field stadium in the Northwestern United States, located on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. It has been the home of the university's track and field teams since 1921, and was the on-campu ...

, the home track of the OTC-Elite, Leer advanced to the final for the 1500 meter event at the U.S. Olympic Trials by finishing third in his semifinal heat. In the finals of the Trials Leer ran 3.41.54, placing him 4th. A few weeks later he set a 1500m personal record by running 3.37.63 in winning a "B" race at Heusden,

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

2009

In 2009, Leer set a personal best in the Mile at the Prefontaine Classic and finished fifth at the 1500m U.S.A. Outdoor Championships in June, then set a 1500m personal best of 3:37.37 at the Ghent Flanders Cup in July.

2010

Leer began his 2010 season with a personal-best 3:55.66 mile at the

Boston Indoor Games The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, formerly known as the Boston Indoor Games, is an annual indoor track and field meet which is held in late January or early February at the Track at New Balance. Prior to 2023, it was hosted at the Reggie Lewis Tr ...

. A week later, he ran the 1600m anchor leg for the Oregon Track Club team that set In May he lowered his 1500m personal best to 3:37.26, finishing third at the USATF High Performance Meet at

Occidental College Occidental College (informally Oxy) is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is ...

, California.

2012

In 2012, Leer got his second win in the Morton Games Mile finishing with a 3:56.39 in a race where the first four finishers were all within .1 seconds of each other.

2013

In March 2013 in Albuquerque, NM, Leer won two Indoor National Championships, winning both the 3000m and the mile, the latter with a last minute kick in a race where three runners all broke 4 minutes for the mile, indoors and at elevation.

2014

In June, Leer placed 4th in 1500 meters at USATF Outdoor Championships. On July 19, Leer ran 3:34.26 in 1500 meters at

Heusden-Zolder Heusden-Zolder (; ) is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian Limburg (Belgium), province of Limburg near Hasselt. On 1 January 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769. The total area is 53.23 ...

2015

In June, Leer was a semifinalist in 1500 meters at USATF Outdoor Championships.

Personal records

* 800 m – 1:47.69 * 1500 m – 3:34.26, 3:41.93i * Mile – 3:51.82, 3:52.47i, * 3000 m - 7:39.38 * 5000 m – 13:21.55 * 8 km XC – 24:14.1

References

External links

Video of Leer's 1500m at Ghent, Belgium, in July 2009Eugene Register-Guard: The World Awaits , Will Leer has become a contender in the 1,500 meters Portrait of a National Champion: Leer Reflects on Record-Breaking Mile Run
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leer, Will American male middle-distance runners 1985 births Living people USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners Pomona College alumni Athletes (track and field) at the 2011 Pan American Games Sportspeople from Minnetonka, Minnesota