Kyle Merber
Kyle Merber (born November 19, 1990)[2] is an American mid-distance runner specializing in the mile and the 1500 metres. He is currently sponsored by Hoka One One and competes for the New Jersey*New York Track Club.
Personal information | |
---|---|
Nationality | American |
Born | Bronxville, New York | 19 November 1990
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Weight | 138 lb (63 kg) |
Website | http://kylemerber.com/ |
Sport | |
Event(s) | Mile, 1500 metres |
College team | Columbia Texas |
Club | New Jersey*New York Track Club |
Achievements and titles | |
Personal best(s) | 800 meters: 1:47.23[1] 1500 meters: 3:34.54[1] |
Running career
High school
In 6th grade, Merber began sprint training with Charlie Bell, a local high school coach from New Jersey.[3] He would practice sprinting with a bungee cord tied to him for strength development.[3] Merber attended Half Hollow Hills West High School, where he competed in cross country and track.[3] During high school he was successful in a wide range of events, posting personal bests of 1:53 in the 800 meters and 9:06 in the 3200 meters.[3]
Collegiate
Merber first attended Columbia University, where he specialized in the mile and 1500. At Columbia, Merber set the Ivy League indoor mile record when he finished in 3:58.52 at the 2010 Columbia Last Chance meet at the Armory.[4] That summer, however, Merber stepped on a piece of glass during a training run near his home on Long Island, which put him out of competition for a year.[5] However, Merber had a resurgent senior year, and in May 2012, at the Swarthmore Last Chance Meet, he outkicked Nate Brannen to set an American collegiate 1500 meter record in 3:35.59.[5]He graduated from Columbia in 2012.[6]
The following school year, Merber enrolled in a masters program at the University of Texas at Austin, where he used his remaining year of NCAA eligibility resulting from his missed junior season at Columbia.[7]
Professional
After graduating from UT in 2013, Merber joined the New Jersey*New York Track Club under coach Frank Gagliano. He is also sponsored by HOKA ONE ONE.[8] He was a member of the United States' distance medley relay team which set the world record of 9:15.50 at the 2015 IAAF World Relays in Nassau.[9]
Merber has been a resident of Clinton, New Jersey.[10]
Personal bests
Surface | Event | Time | Date | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
Outdoor | ||||
1500 m | 3:34.54 | May 30, 2015 | Greenville, SC | |
Mile | 3:54.57 | August 5, 2016 | Raleigh, NC | |
Indoor | ||||
Mile | 3:52.22 | February 26, 2016 | Boston, MA | |
3000 m | 7:49.39 | January 28, 2017 | New York (Armory), NY | |
Road | Mile | 3:53.5 | September 13, 2014 | New York, NY |
References
- IAAF. "IAAF: Kyle Merber - Athlete Profile". Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- "Kyle Merber". Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- Anna Hiatt (April 11, 2012). "Runner's World: Kyle Merber is Back on Track". Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- Gregory Kremler. Columbia Spectator: Sophomore Merber breaks Ivy record with 3:58 mile. March 8, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2016
- Peter Gambaccini (May 16, 2012). "Runner's World: Brief Chat: Kyle Merber's Breakthrough". Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- "AitN: July 13, 2020". Columbia College Today. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- Rachel Wenzlaff (October 14, 2012). "The Daily Texan Sports Updates". Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- Christopher Chavez (June 4, 2013). "Flotrack: Kyle Merber joins New Jersey New York Track Club". Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- "USA "Motley Crew" Caps Distance Relay Sweep With Wild World-Record Victory In Men's DMR". Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- Staff. "For Kyle Merber, it’s all about running and promoting the sport he loves", USA Track & Field, May 16, 2016. Accessed June 30, 2019. "A 25-year-old resident of Clinton, New Jersey, Merber is recognized as a talented runner specializing in the mile and 1500 meters, whose love affair with track and field began years ago."