Nicolas Young (born July 27, 2002) is an American long-distance runner who holds the American record in the outdoor 5000 meters, with a time of 12:45.27. He is a two-time NCAA champion having won both the 3000 m and 5000 m at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships while competing for Northern Arizona University. He also holds the collegiate records in the 5000 m (12:57.14) and 10,000 m (26:52.72), both set in 2024. He is the current American champion in the 10,000 meters, winning at the 2025 USA Championships.
Athletic career
High school career Young ran for Newbury Park High School in Newbury Park, California. He broke the 3 mile cross country American high school record at the 2019 Woodbridge Classic, running a time of 13:39.7, and lowered the American high school indoor 3000m record (previously held by Drew Hunter), running a time of 7:56.91. At the 2019 Nike Cross Nationals, Young won the race and set the course record with a time of 14:52 and led Newbury Park to the team victory. Young was named the 2019-20 XC National Gatorade Player of the Year and the 2019-20 Track and Field National Gatorade Player of the Year. His senior season in 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
High school personal bests Event Time Date Location Notes Outdoor 800 m 2:06.8 April 23, 2018 Newbury Park, California 1600 m 4:07.33 March 23, 2019 Azusa, California Mile 4:08.82 March 23, 2019 Azusa, California 3000 m 8:11.02 April 6, 2019 Arcadia, California 3200 m 8:40.00 April 6, 2019 Arcadia, California 5000 m 13:50.55 June 23, 2020 Portland, Oregon Indoor 1500 m 3:58.64 January 29, 2019 Boston, Massachusetts Mile 4:14.92 January 26, 2019 Boston, Massachusetts 3000 m 7:56.97 February 8, 2020 New York City, New York Former High school record XC 3 miles 13:39.7 September 20–21, 2019 Norco, California Former high school record 5 km 14:28.5 November 30, 2019 Fresno, California
Collegiate career
2020–2021 During the 2020 cross country season, Young placed 4th at the 2020 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships with a time of 29:58.3 at the 10 km distance, the highest a true freshman has placed since 2013. He set an American junior record in the 5000m at the 2021 Drake Relays with a time of 13:24.26. With this time he qualified for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, where he ran 13:35.94 and finished 9th.
2021–2022 Later that year, Young placed 11th at the 2021 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships with a time of 28:57.5, but he also lowered the American junior record in the indoor 5000m with a time of 13:22.59 at the BU Season Opener on December 4, 2021.
In 2022, Young placed 3rd in the 5000m and 7th in the 3000m at the 2022 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.
On May 6, Young ran 13:11.30 at the Sound Running Track Meet in San Juan Capistrano, which is the fastest 5000m ever run by an American teenager and the 3rd fastest outdoor 5000m in collegiate history. He ended up placing 3rd in the 5000m at the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. At the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Young placed 8th in the 5000m, running a time of 13:19.15.
2022–2023 During the 2022 cross country season, Young set a 10 km personal best of 28:01 at the NCAA Division I Mountain Region Cross Country Championships on November 11, 2022, before placing 2nd at the 2022 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships with a time of 28:44.5. Two weeks later, Young lowered his indoor 5000m personal best to 13:15.25 at the BU Season Opener on December 3, 2022, finishing 5th in a field of collegiate and professional runners.
2023–2024 Young placed 6th at the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships with a time of 29:04.2.
On January 26, 2024, at Boston University's John Thomas Terrier Classic, Young placed 2nd to Adrian Wildschutt's 12:56.76 in the men's 5000m White Heat, with a new personal best time of 12:57.14, defeating the 13:00.00 barrier, setting a new NCAA record, and hitting the Paris 2024 Olympics' qualifying standard of 13:05.00.
On March 8, 2024, Young won his first NCAA individual title at the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships over 5000m. His last three 200m laps were recorded at 28.47, 27.10, and 27.29 seconds, respectively. He followed up the victory the next day with an NCAA title at 3000m in 7:41.01. North Carolina's Parker Wolfe finished second in both events, but was not within a second of Young in either.
Just one week after his double-gold performance at The Track at New Balance in Boston, Young made his debut in the 10,000 m on the track, competing at The TEN in San Juan Capistrano with the goal of achieving the Olympic qualifying standard of 27:00.00. Finishing in second place behind American-record holder Grant Fisher, Young broke the collegiate recordNico Young Breaks Collegiate 10,000-Meter Record to Begin Outdoor Season Northern Arizona Lumberjacks of 27:08.49 set by Sam Chelanga, and hit the Olympic standard, running a time of 26:52.72.Grant Fisher, Nico Young lead eight under Olympic 10,000 standard Daily Breeze Later that month, on March 25, Young announced he had signed an NIL deal with Adidas, and would go pro.
Two weeks after the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where he placed second in the 5000m to Parker Wolfe, Young competed in the 10,000m at the Olympic Trials. He out-kicked Drew Hunter to place third and qualify for the Olympic Games. At the Olympics, he placed 12th in the 10,000 m in 26:58.11.
Collegiate personal bests Event Time Date Location Notes Outdoor 800 m 1:47.65 April 27, 2024 Tucson, Arizona 1500 m 3:37.75 April 15, 2022 Azusa, California 5000 m 13:11.30 May 6, 2022 San Juan Capistrano, California 10,000 metres26:52.72March 16, 2024San Juan Capistrano, CaliforniaCollegiate record Indoor 800 m 1:54.21 January 21, 2022 Flagstaff, Arizona Mile 3:56.00 January 29, 2022 Seattle, Washington 5000 m 12:57.14 January 26, 2024 Boston, MassachusettsCollegiate record XC 8 km 22:30.8 February 9, 2021 North Las Vegas, Nevada 10 km 28:01.8 November 20, 2021 Albuquerque, New Mexico
Professional career
2025 On March 2, at the Last Chance National Qualifier at Boston University, Young ran 12:51.56 in the short track 5000 meters, which stands as the second fastest time run by an American, behind Grant Fisher, who holds the world record at 12:44.09.
On June 1, Young won the 3000 meters at the Philadelphia Slam, in a time of 8:01.03. On June 12, he won the 5000 meters at the Bislett Games, in an American record time of 12:45.27.
On July 31, Young won a national title over the 10,000 meters at the 2025 United States Outdoor Track and Field Championships, outkicking Grant Fisher in a time of 29:02.12 to 29:02.37. On August 3, Young finished third to Fisher and Cole Hocker in the 5000 meters.
Personal life Young has younger twin brothers, Lex and Leo Young. All three brothers competed on the same team together at Newbury Park in 2019, when the twins were freshman and Nico was a senior. Both twins run collegiately at Stanford and have NIL deals with On.
Young is openly gay.
Achievements
International competitions YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTimeRef2024Olympic GamesStade de France, Saint-Denis, France12th10,000 m26:58.11Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Men's 10,000 metres Final Results Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics20252025 World Athletics ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan National Stadium6th5000 m13:00.072025 World Athletics Championships – Men's 5000 metres Final results World Athletics5th10,000 m28:56.622025 World Athletics Championships – Men's 10,000 metres Final results World Athletics
Circuit results
Diamond League YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTimeRef2025Bislett GamesOslo, Norway1st5000 m12:45.27
National championships YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTimeRef2021Olympic TrialsHayward Field, Eugene, Oregon9th5000 m13:35.942022USA Outdoor Track and Field ChampionshipsHayward Field, Eugene, Oregon8th5000 m13:19.152024Olympic TrialsHayward Field, Eugene, Oregon3rd10,000 m27:52.402025USA Outdoor Track and Field ChampionshipsHayward Field, Eugene, Oregon1st10,000 m29:02.123rd5000 m13:27.05
NCAA championships YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTimeRef2022Division I Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham CrossPlex, Birmingham, Alabama3rd5000 m13:21.237th3000 m8:00.83Division I Outdoor ChampionshipsHayward Field, Eugene, Oregon3rd5000 m13:28.62Division I Cross Country ChampionshipsOSU Cross Country Course, Stillwater, Oklahoma2nd10 km28:44.52023Division I Indoor ChampionshipsAlbuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico4th5000 m13:40.55Division I Outdoor ChampionshipsMike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, Texas8th5000 m14:10.17Division I Cross Country ChampionshipsPanorama Farms, Charlottesville, Virginia6th10 km29:04.22024Division I Indoor ChampionshipsThe TRACK at New Balance, Boston, Massachusetts1st5000 m13:25.293000 m7:41.01Division I Outdoor ChampionshipsHayward Field, Eugene, Oregon2nd5000 m13:54.65
References
External links
Nico Young profile at TFRRS Nico Young profile at Milesplit.com Nico Young profile at Northern Arizona Lumberjacks track and field Nico Young profile at Northern Arizona Lumberjacks