Jacob Thomson
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 29, 1994 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
Events | Marathon, half marathon |
| College team | North Carolina State University, University of Kentucky |
| Team | Under Armour Dark Sky Distance |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | Marathon: 2:10:56 Half Marathon: 1:02:26 |
Jacob Thomson (born 29 November 1994) is an American professional distance runner. He was an NCAA All-American at the University of Kentucky. Thomson won the 2023 USA Half Marathon Championship. He also competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2020 and 2024.
Early life
[edit]Thomson grew up in Louisville, Kentucky and attended Holy Cross High School in Covington, Kentucky. There he won 12 state titles, was a two-time Kentucky Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year, and he finished fifth at the 2013 Footlocker National Cross Country Championships. On the track, Thomson was the runner-up at New Balance Outdoor Nationals in the 5,000 meters.[1] He committed to run at NC State over an offer from the University of Oregon.[2]
After two years at NC State, he transferred to the University of Kentucky. There he earned three NCAA All-American awards, two in the outdoor 10,000 meters and one for the indoor 5,000 meters.[3]
Career
[edit]After graduating in 2018, Thomson moved to Boston and trained with the BAA.[4] He competed at the 2019 USA Track & Field Championships, placing 11th in the 5000 meters and 14th in the 10,000 meters.[5]
In 2021, Thomson raced the 10,000 meters at the postponed 2020 United States Olympic Trials (track and field). He placed 17th in a time of 28:42. Later that year he moved to Flagstaff, Arizona and transitioned to road racing.[4]
In the fall of 2021, Thomson finished eighth at the USA 20K Championship, 12th at the Chicago Marathon, and ninth at the USA 25K Championship.[5]
The following year he placed third at the 2022 USA Half Marathon Championship and eighth at the USA 10K Championship.[5] At the end of 2022, Thomson debuted in the marathon with a time of 2:11:52 at the California International Marathon, finishing second to Futsum Zienasellassie.[5]
In February 2023, Thomson won the USA Half Marathon Championship in Fort Worth, Texas.[6][7][8] Later in the year he took fifth place in the USA 15K Championship and second in the USA 25K Championship.[5]
Thomson represented the United States at the 2023 World Half Marathon Championship in Riga, Latvia. He finished 36th of 97 competitors.[9]
At the 2024 United States Olympic Trials (marathon) in Orlando, Thomson was unable to finish.[10] He placed sixth at the 2025 USA Marathon Championship in California, which qualified him for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Trials.[5]
Thomson finished in the top 30 at the 2026 Boston Marathon in a personal-best time of 2:09:51.[11][12]
Personal
[edit]Thomson lives and trains in Flagstaff, Arizona and competes for Under Armour Dark Sky Distance. In the summers he returns to Kentucky and operates Bluegrass Running Camp, a training camp for high school distance runners.[4]
References
[edit]- ↑ Grooms, Jonathan (2012-06-14). "Jacob Thomson National Runner-Up in the 5K". Milesplit Kentucky. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ Chavez, Chris (2013-01-07). "Jacob Thomson Says No to Oregon, Joins The Pack". Flotrack. Retrieved 2026-03-23.
- ↑ "Jacob Thomson". Kentucky Athletics. Retrieved 2026-03-23.
- 1 2 3 Gregory, Lauren (2021-10-01). "The Victory Lap: Jacob Thomson". The Lap Count. Retrieved 2026-03-23.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jacob Thomson". World Athletics. Retrieved 2026-03-23.
- ↑ Dutch, Taylor (2023-02-28). "Aliphine Tuliamuk and Jacob Thomson Win U.S. Half Marathon Titles". Runner's World. Retrieved 2026-03-23.
- ↑ Bush, Scott (2023-02-28). "Thomson, Tuliamuk Run to Victory at the USATF Half Marathon Championships". USATF. Retrieved 2026-03-23.
- ↑ Johnson, Robert (2023-03-24). "Dreams Become Reality, Craziness on the Track & Roads, Jacob Thomson". Let's Run. Retrieved 2026-09-20.
- ↑ "Men's Half Marathon". World Athletics. Retrieved 2026-03-23.
- ↑ "2024 Olympic Trials Marathon Results". Flipsnack. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
- ↑ "Boston Marathon Results". BAA. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ↑ Gay, John (2026-05-11). "Pro marathoners on how to recover post-race". Canadian Running Magazine. Retrieved 2026-09-20.