Erik Sowinski (born December 21, 1989) is an American

middle-distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1 ...

. He competed in the 800 metres event at the

2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics was the fifteenth edition of the international indoor track and field competition, organised by the IAAF. The event was held between 7–9 March 2014 at the Ergo Arena in Sopot, Poland. Prepa ...

and 2015 World Championships. He holds the former American indoor record in the 600 meters.

Early life

Sowinski was born on December 21, 1989 in Waukesha, WI to Bryan and Jane Sowinski. He has two younger siblings, Andy and Emily. Running for

Waukesha West High School Waukesha West High School is one of three public high schools located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The high school was established in 1993. History Email threat and subsequent evacuation On December 3, 2021, almost two weeks after the Waukesha Chr ...

, Erik won the 800m at the 2008 WIAA Wisconsin State Meet.

Running career

Collegiate

Sowinski attended and ran for

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...

up until his graduation in 2012. He set his school's 800-meter record at 1:45.90 when he placed second overall at the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Additionally, Sowinski accumulated five

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n titles while at University of Iowa.

Post-collegiate

Following college, he joined the Iowa City running store sponsored Running Wild, where he is coached by World Championship medalist Joey Woody. During the indoor season of 2013, he entered the

Millrose Games The Millrose Games is an annual indoor athletics meet (track and field) held each February in New York City. They started taking place at the Armory in Washington Heights in 2012, after having taken place in Madison Square Garden from 1914 to 2011 ...

600 metres The 600 metres is a rarely run middle-distance running event in track and field competitions. It is most often run at high school indoor track and field competitions. All-time top 25 *i = indoor performance *A = affected by altitude *h = h ...

, where he was expected to be an also-ran behind the more notable Olympians Duane Solomon and

Nick Symmonds Nicholas Boone Symmonds (born December 30, 1983) is an American YouTube personality and retired middle-distance track athlete, from Boise, Idaho, who specialized in the 800 meters and 1500 meters distances. Symmonds signed with Brooks Running in ...

, who were expecting to chase the American record. Strategically following Duane and the unrelated

Jarrin Solomon Jarrin Solomon (born 11 January 1986) is a Trinidadian track and field sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. He was part of the Trinidad and Tobago team that won the bronze medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 2012 IAAF World ...

into the final turn, Sowinski then launched one powerful sprint to the finish, not only winning the prestigious race, but taking the American record in 1:15.61. Three weeks later, he won the

800 metres The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since t ...

at the

USA Indoor Track and Field Championships The USA Indoor Track and Field Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport. In years which feature a World Indoor Championships in ...

, winning in 1:47.09 ahead of a late charge by

Robby Andrews Robert Adrian Andrews (born March 29, 1991) is an American middle distance runner who specializes in the 800 and 1500 meters. While competing with University of Virginia he won the men's 800 meters at the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Fi ...

. He signed 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 ...

in May. He still works for the running store. In 2014 he repeated as national indoor champion, which qualified him to represent the United States internationally at the

Sopot Sopot is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, and has the status of the county, being the smallest ci ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

where he placed 13th. At 2016 Shanghai Diamond League, Erik Sowinski placed 8th in tactical race. In 2017, he won the gold medal in the men's 4 × 800 metres relay at the 2017 IAAF World Relays held in Nassau, Bahamas. In 2019, Sowinski was also a part of the pacing effort, along with Christian Harrison and Harun Abda, which led to

Yomif Kejelcha Yomif Kejelcha Atomsa (born 1 August 1997) is an Ethiopian distance runner. He won a silver medal in the men’s 10,000 metres at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. On 3 March 2019, Kejelcha broke the indoor mile world record ...

breaking the Indoor Mile World Record. In 2020, Sowinski switched sponsors from Nike to Brooks where he competed as a member of the Brooks Beasts but while maintaining his residence in Iowa City, IA. He placed 4th at the

USATF USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 a ...

Indoor Championships before the outdoor season was cancelled due to COVID-19. In 2022, Sowinski continued his sponsorship with Bell Lap Elite. On February 17, 2022, Erik paced Olympic Champion

Jakob Ingebrigtsen Jakob Ingebrigtsen (born 19 September 2000) is a Norwegian Middle-distance running, middle- and Long-distance running, long-distance runner. He won the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics, 2020 Tokyo Olympic ...

to a new Indoor World Record of 3:30.60.

Achievements

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sowinski, Erik 1989 births Living people American male middle-distance runners World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States World Athletics Championships medalists Sportspeople from Iowa Sportspeople from Iowa City, Iowa Sportspeople from Waukesha, Wisconsin World Athletics indoor record holders (relay) USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners