Patrick Tiernan (born 11 September 1994) is an Australian

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 exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

. While competing for Vilanova University, he won the

2016 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships The 2016 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were the 78th NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship and the 36th NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship to determine the national champions of men's and women's NCAA Div ...

. He has represented

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in several global competitions, including the

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

and

2020 Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 1 ...

. He held the Australian record in the 10000 m from 2020 to 2022. Tiernan competes professionally for PUMA.

Running career

Youth

Tiernan was born in

Longreach Longreach is a town and a locality in the Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia. It is the administrative centre of the Longreach Regional Council, which was established in 2008 as a merger of the former Longreach, Ilfracombe, and Isisford s ...

, a town in

Queensland, Australia ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. He spent his formative years in

Toowoomba Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 C ...

, also in Queensland, where he took up distance running while attending St. Joseph's College, Toowoomba. In July 2012, he won the 10 kilometres race that was part of the

Gold Coast Marathon The Gold Coast Marathon is an annual road marathon on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, first held in 1979. Marketed as "Australia's premier road race", the marathon is the only race in Australia to hold World Athletics Label status. ...

College

Cross country

Tiernan competed for the

Wildcats The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinians in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Sa ...

, where he earned All-American honors at each NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in which he competed. As a freshman in 2013, Tiernan placed ninth, beating 244 other runners. He finished in eighteenth place the following year. In his junior year in 2015, Tiernan claimed the runner-up spot, closely contesting the title with University of Oregon’s

Edward Cheserek Edward Cheserek (born 2 February 1994) is a Kenyan distance runner. He is a 17-time NCAA champion collegiate distance runner for the University of Oregon. Cheserek was the most highly recruited high school distance runner in the nation out of Sain ...

. Tiernan led much of the race, before Cheserek pulled away in the final mile. Cheserek entered the 2016 NCAA Division Cross Country Championships as the clear favorite, having won the competition an unprecedented three years in a row. The race took place

LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course The LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, in Terre Haute, Indiana was dedicated October 17, 1997. This course has the distinction of being one of the few purpose-built cross-country courses in the world. The facility is part of that c ...

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...

, and it quickly unfolded into a three-man race between Tiernan, Cheserek, and Syracuse junior

Justyn Knight Justyn Knight (born 19 July 1996) is a Canadian long-distance track runner. A successful collegiate runner during his time at Syracuse University, he was the school's most-decorated distance runner in cross country and track. On the professiona ...

. Tiernan broke away from the other competitors in the final stages of the race, becoming the first Villanova man to win the NCAA Championships since Victor Zwolak in 1963. Knight finished in second place, leaving Cheserek in an unexpected third. Following his victory, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Tiernan its National Athlete of the Year. In reflecting on the race, LetsRun.com wrote that Tiernan "defeated arguably the most dominant runner in collegiate history in a performance that will be talked about for decades to come."

Track

On the track, Tiernan recorded his highest finish at the 2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, held in June, finishing third in 13:27.07. Following the NCAA Championships, Tiernan continued to compete in Europe and achieved a time of 13:20.88 in the 5000 m at the

Paavo Nurmi Games The Paavo Nurmi Games is an annual track and field meet that takes place at Paavo Nurmi Stadium in Turku, Finland. It was first held in 1957. The competition has been part of the IAAF World Challenge since 2017. Meeting records Men Women Re ...

Turku, Finland Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...

, on June 29. This time was below the Olympic standard of 13:25.00. The following month, Australia confirmed his selection to the Olympic team for the 5000 m. At the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

on August 17, Tiernan participated in the 5000 m race but finished thirteenth in his heat, which did not qualify him for the final.

Professional

2017-19

Tiernan revealed his decision to sign a professional sponsorship deal with

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

on 26 March 2017. The announcement came after he finished thirteenth at the 42nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships in

Kampala, Uganda Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

. The following May, he won the 10000 m of the Palo Alto Payton Jordan Invitational in a world-leading time and personal best of 27:29.81. In August, Tiernan competed in the

2017 World Championships in Athletics Seventeen or 17 may refer to: * 17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18 * one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017 Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine * ''Seventeen'' (Japane ...

. He placed last among twenty two competitors in the 10000 m. During the 5000 m, he took the lead at the 3000 m mark. However, he relinquished his lead shortly thereafter, eventually fading to eleventh place by the finish. Tiernan returned to compete at the

2019 World Championships in Athletics The 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships () was the seventeenth edition of the biennial, global athletics competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), since renamed World Athletics. It was held betw ...

. In the 5000 m, he finished in tenth place during the heats, which was not enough to secure a position in the final. Following his participation in the world championships, Tiernan joined the Nike-sponsored

Oregon Track Club The Oregon Track Club (OTC) is an American running organization based in Eugene, Oregon. History Emerald Empire Athletic Association Formed by Bill Bowerman, the Emerald Empire Athletic Association (EEAA) was the predecessor to the Oregon Track C ...

2020-21

On 5 December 2020, Tiernan set a personal best of 27:22.55 in the 10,000m of The Track Meet in

San Juan Capistrano, California San Juan Capistrano (Spanish for "St. John of Capistrano") is a city in Orange County, California, located along the Orange Coast. The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census. San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when St. ...

. His time was an Australian record, surpassing the previous mark set by Stewart McSweyn. Tiernan's national record stood for 458 days before being surpassed by his countryman

Jack Rayner Rupert John Raynor (11 April 1921 – 17 May 2008) was an Australian state and national representative rugby league player and NSWRFL coach. His club playing career was with the South Sydney Rabbitohs from 1946 to 1957 and he also represented ...

on 8 March 2022. After a hiatus due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, Tiernan returned to competition in January 2021 at the Las Vegas Gold Half Marathon. He won the race in 1:02:38, covering the last five kilometers in 13:58. Three weeks later, he dropped down in distance to contest the mile at the Washington Invitational in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, winning in 3:56.82. The Australian competed in the 10,000m event at the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

on 30 July 2021. During the race, he suffered from

heat exhaustion Heat exhaustion is a severe form of heat illness. It is a medical emergency. Heat exhaustion is caused by the loss of water and electrolytes through sweating. The United States Department of Labor makes the following recommendation, "Heat illness ...

, collapsing twice. Nonetheless, Tiernan persevered in finishing the race, albeit in last place, and subsequently required a wheelchair and medical care. Due to this episode of heat exhaustion, he withdrew from the subsequent 5000 m event at the Games, despite being entered to compete.

2022- present

In January 2022, Tiernan left the

to compete for PUMA. Tiernan placed sixth at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, on 16 January, clocking a time of 1:00:55. This was the second-fastest time ever recorded by an Australian in the event, with only Brett Robinson having run faster. In October 2022, he made his

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

debut at the

Chicago Marathon The Chicago Marathon is a marathon (long-distance foot race) held every October in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the six World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also a World Athletics Label Road Race. The Chicago Marathon is the fourth-largest r ...

, finishing in sixteenth place with a time of 2:11:02. Tiernan placed fourth at the 2024 Chevron Houston Marathon in 2:07:45 on January 14

Achievements

NCAA competition

All results from athlete's profile on the Track & Field Results Reporting Service (TFRRS).

International competition

All results from athlete's profile on World Athletics. :2011: 1st,

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

Junior (U18) cross country champion :2012: 1st, Gold Coast 10km run,

Gold Coast, Queensland The Gold Coast is a coastal city in the state of Queensland, Australia, approximately south-southeast of the centre of the state capital Brisbane. With a population over 600,000, the Gold Coast is the sixth-largest city in Australia, the nati ...

:2012: 1st, 1500 meters (3:50.67) U20

Australian Championships The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Th ...

:2012: 1st, 5000 meters (14:40.59) U20

:2012: 1st, U20

cross country :2016: 4th, 5000 m 13:41.37,

Australian Athletics Championships The Australian Athletics Championships or Australian Open Track and Field Championships are held annually to determine Australia's champion athletes in a range of athletics events. The championships are the primary qualification trial for athlet ...

Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

:2016: 20th, 5000 m 13:28,

Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 5000 metres The men's 5000 metres event at the 2016 Summer Olympics took place between 16 and 20 August at the Olympic Stadium. Summary Mo Farah entered as the favourite for the race, having won the 2012 Olympic title as well as the last two World Champio ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

:2017: 13th, 10000 m 29:19, 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships – Senior men's race

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

:2018: 4th, 5000 m 13:26.38

References

External links

* * * * * *
All Athletics Profile

Patrick Tiernan Interview 25 November 2016

* ttps://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/artsci/about/who/2016/0705.html Patrick Tiernan Villanova University Interview 5 July 2016 {{DEFAULTSORT:Tiernan, Patrick 1994 births Living people Australian male middle-distance runners Australian male long-distance runners Villanova Wildcats men's track and field athletes Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes for Australia World Athletics Championships athletes for Australia Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Villanova Wildcats men's cross country runners Commonwealth Games competitors for Australia Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Toowoomba Sportsmen from Queensland People from Longreach, Queensland Australian Athletics Championships winners