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Simeon Birnbaum

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Simeon Birnbaum
Personal information
Born (2005-06-23) 23 June 2005 (age 21)
Sport
SportAthletics
Events
Long-distance running, Middle-distance running
Achievements and titles
Personal bests800m: 1:44.67 (2026)
1500m: 3:31.69 (2026)
Mile: 3:52.81 (2025)
3000m: 7:39.65 (2025)
5000m: 13:19.73 (2026)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  United States
Pan American U20 Championships
Silver medal – second place2023 Mayagüez800 m

Simeon Birnbaum (born 23 June 2005) is an American middle- and long-distance runner who competes for the Oregon Ducks and won the 1500 metres race at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships.[1]

Biography

[edit]

Birnbaum was born in Oregon but later lived in Alberta, Canada, prior to moving to Rapid City, South Dakota, where he attended Stevens High School. The son of a pastor, both his parents competed as runners in college, but he played ice hockey before focusing on track and field. In June 2022, he ran 3:59.51 in the mile run at the Brooks PR Invitational, becoming the first 16-year-old American to break four minutes at the distance. He was named the Gatorade state Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023 and set South Dakota state records in the 800 metres, 1,600 m, mile run, 3,200 m and in the sprint medley relay. He ran the second fastest 2-mile and 1500 metres time in U.S. high school history before winning the mile run at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals, ahead of Rocky Hansen and Leo Young.[2][3][4][5]

Birnbaum won the silver medal over 800 metres at the 2023 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships.[6] That year, he started competing for the University of Oregon.[7] Having missed a lot of 2024 with injury, he won the 2025 Big Ten 5000 metres race, setting a meet record and personal best time of 13:31.87.[8] In December 2025, he broke the University of Oregon indoor 3,000 metres record at the Boston University Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener, running 7:39.65 seconds, breaking the previous Oregon school record of 7:40.51 set by Edward Cheserek in 2016.[9]

Birnbaum won the 3000 metres and 5000 metres titles at the 2026 Big Ten Indoor Championships.[10] Birnbaum also had the fastest anchor leg of the night, running 3:52.07 for 1600 metres, in the distance medley relay on 13 March at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships.[11][12] He also placed second in the 3000 metres final the following day in 7:41.85, with his 27.01 last lap the fastest in a controversial race that saw the first man over the line, Habtom Samuel, disqualified post-race.[13][14] That year, he signed a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) contract with italian sportsbrand Diadora.[15]

In April 2026, competing at the Oregon Team Invitational in Eugene, Birnbaum broke the NCAA 1500 m record by more than a second, running 3:31.69 to surpass the previous best set by Liam Murphy a year previously.[16] The following month, he lowered his 800 m personal best to 1:44.67 at the Oregon Twilight.[17] At the Big Ten Championships, he ran the last lap of the 1500 metres in 50.85 to win ahead of Trent McFarland in 4:00.98.[18] On 12 June, Birnbaum won over 1500 metres at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, with a time of 3:36.05 ahead of Trent McFarland and Gary Martin. He won by 1.13 seconds, the largest margin of victory in the race since Clayton Murphy in 2016.[19]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Simeon Birnbaum". World Athletics. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  2. ↑ Mull, Cory (Jun 18, 2023). "Forged On The Ice, Birnbaum Could Be Next Great U.S. Runner". Mile Split. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  3. ↑ "2023 HS Boys Athlete Of The Year — Simeon Birnbaum". trackandfieldnews.com. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "SIMEON BIRNBAUM'S PATH INTO RUNNING BEGAN WITH ICE HOCKEY". Runners Space. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  5. ↑ Tysiac, Ashley (Nov 6, 2022). "BREAKING: Sub-4 Miler Simeon Birnbaum Commits To Oregon". Mile Split. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  6. ↑ "Pan American U20 Championships". World Athletics. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Hansen, Chris (17 June 2023). "Incoming Duck distance runners Birnbaum and Burns will bring talent and swagger to Oregon". Register-Guard. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Ovenden, Mark (21 May 2025). "Rapid City's Simeon Birnbaum sets Big Ten Record Sunday". Dakota News Now. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "Rapid City Track Star Birnbaum Sets University of Oregon 3000m Record". rapidcitypost.com. 9 Dec 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Men's Preview: 10 Things To Watch At The NCAA D1 Indoor Championships". Dye Stat. 11 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  11. ↑ Gault, Jonathan (March 14, 2026). "NCAA Indoor Championships Day 1: Colin Sahlman anchors NAU to DMR title, Habtom Samuel wins 5000 over Marco Langon". Lets Run. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  12. ↑ Hansen, Chris (14 March 2026). "Oregon track & field wins 2 titles on opening day of NCAA Indoor meet". Register Guard. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  13. ↑ Gault, Jonathan (March 15, 2026). "NCAA Indoor men: Colin Sahlman wins controversial 3000 via DQ, as sprint records fall". Lets Run. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  14. ↑ "ARKANSAS MEN SCORE IN 11 EVENTS IN NCAA MEET, WIN TEAM TITLE". Runnerspace. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  15. ↑ "2x NCAA All-American Simeon Birnbaum Signs NIL With Diadora". flotrack.org. 20 Jan 2026. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "SIMEON BIRNBAUM TAKES OPPORTUNITY TO GO FOR IT, BREAKS COLLEGIATE 1,500 RECORD". Dye Stat. 18 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "SIMEON BIRNBAUM LEADS TRIO OF DUCKS UNDER 1:46 AT OREGON TWILIGHT". Runnerspace. 9 May 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  18. ↑ Johnson, Robert; Gault, Jonathan (May 18, 2026). "WTW: NCAA conference fireworks, Diamond League drama, and the cruelest relay DQ in high school history". Lets Run. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  19. ↑ Gault, Jonathan (13 June 2026). "Simeon Birnbaum stamps himself as Oregon's next distance star with dominant NCAA 1500m title". Lets Run. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
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