Luke Puskedra

Last updated
Luke Puskedra
Personal information
Nationality United States
Born (1990-02-08) February 8, 1990 (age 34)
Ogden, Utah
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight167 lb (76 kg)
Sport
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Event(s) marathon, half marathon, 10,000 meters, 5000 meters
College team Oregon Ducks
Club Oregon Track Club
Achievements and titles
Personal bests

Luke Puskedra (born February 8, 1990) is an American long-distance runner who competes over distances ranging from 10,000 meters to the marathon.

Contents

He grew up in Ogden, Utah and attended Judge Memorial Catholic High School before studying business administration at the University of Oregon. He competed for the Oregon Ducks track and field and cross country teams, earned 12 NCAA Division I All-American awards and was a 10,000 meter finalist at the NCAA level four years running from 2009 to 2012. [1]

In 2015 Puskedra won the Vancouver Sun Run. [2]

Running career

High school

Puskedra graduated from Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2008. He was an eight-time state champion in high school winning Utah state track championships in the 1600 meters and 3200 meters as a sophomore, junior and senior and winning the state cross country championships as a junior and senior. [3] He set all-classifications records his senior year in track at 3200 meters (8:54.40) and 1,600 meters (4:09.40) and cross country (14:54.60). [4] [5] He was also the first Utah high school runner to break 9:00 in the 3200 meters. He was the 2007 Nike Cross Southwest Regional champion winning the race in 14:48 breaking the meet record. He went on to place fifth at the 2007 Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships. [6] He ran the fastest high school indoor mile time in the country (4:08.77) in 2008 at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games. On March 16, 2008, at the Nike Indoor Nationals Puskedra ran the sixth fastest high school indoor two mile time in U.S. history winning the race in a time of 8:49.58. [7] [8] [9] [10] In 2008 as a senior he placed second in both the mile (4:06.60) and two mile (8:47.06) at the Nike Outdoor National meet. [11] He placed tenth in the two mile at the 2008 Prefontaine Classic in a time of 8:46.41. [12] As a junior he finished fourth in the Penn Relays high school boys mile in 4:25.11. Puskedra was a three-time Utah Boys Gatorade Athlete of the Year recipient (2006–07 and 2007–08 in track and 2007 in cross country). [13] [14] He was the 2007-08 Salt Lake Tribune Athlete of Year (all sports) and a USA Today All-American at one and two miles.

High school bests: [15]

Collegiate

Puskedra was recruited to University of Oregon where coach Andy Powell [16] had him specialize in various long distances spanning from the 3 km to 10 km. He placed fourth overall in the men's 10,000 meter final at the 2012 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships.

Post-collegiate

After graduating from Oregon, Puskedra signed a professional contract with Nike and joined the Nike Oregon Project. There he was coached by Alberto Salazar, and the training regimen was very similar to the college program as Salazar was largely influential in Powell's training philosophy at the University of Oregon. [16]

However, at the end of 2014, his contract with Nike expired, and Puskedra did not anticipate continuing a professional career in running. He moved with his wife to South Africa and gained 23 pounds from his race weight in the course of a month. [17] In spite of the time elapsed from his graduation, college coach Andy Powell remained in contact with Puskedra and gradually convinced him to return to running. [17]

Puskedra and his wife returned to the United States, where he trained briefly for a marathon debut at the 2014 New York City Marathon. In his marathon debut, he ran 2:28:54, but given his half marathon personal record it was widely seen as a disappointing result. [17] Although discouraged by his experience in New York City, he proceeded to train for the 2015 Grandma's Marathon, where he ran a significantly faster result of 2:15:27. [17]

After 2016 US Olympic Marathon Trials, Puskedra switched from Nike to ASICS following Team Hall's apparels unification. But he later reverted to Nike, due to connect with Evan Jager and Sam Crouser.

In January 2018, Luke Puskedra joined the Oregon Track Club.

Shortly after the 2019 Aramco Houston Half marathon, Luke Puskedra's Oregon Track Club contract becomes expired. Soon, Luke Puskedra retired from competitive running and turn into real estate. For 2019 season, Luke Puskedra won't run at the 2019 Faxon Law New Haven Road Race 20k. Instead, Jim Walmsley will run the 2019 Faxon Law New Haven Road Race 20k.

Competition record

Marathon

YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2014 New York Marathon New York, New York 36th2:28:54 [18]
2015 Grandma's Marathon Duluth, Minnesota 6th2:15:27 [19]
Chicago Marathon Chicago, Illinois 5th2:10:24 [20]
2016 US Olympic Trials Marathon Los Angeles, California 4th2:14:12
Chicago Marathon Chicago, Illinois 19th2:20:18
2017 Boston Marathon Boston, Massachusetts 9th2:14:45
Chicago Marathon Chicago, Illinois 20th2:17:53

Half marathon

YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2012 Houston Half Marathon Houston, Texas 4th1:01:36 [21]
World Half Marathon Championships Kavarna, Bulgaria 17th1:02:46 [22]
2015 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Portland, Oregon 1st1:05:10 [23]
2016 Houston Half Marathon Houston, Texas 4th1:01:29 [24]
2018 Houston Half Marathon Houston, Texas 34th1:03:40

USA National Championships

Road

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2012USA 20 km Championships New Haven, Connecticut 2nd20 km58:48 [25]
2014 USA Half Marathon Championships Houston, Texas 6th half marathon 1:01:48 [26]
USA 20 km Championships New Haven, Connecticut 3rd20 km1:01:32 [27]
2015USA 15 km Championships Jacksonville, Florida 18th15 km46:25 [28]
USA 20 km Championships New Haven, Connecticut 4th20 km59:30 [29]
2016US Olympic Trials Los Angeles, California 4th marathon 2:14:12 [30]
2018USA 20 km Championships New Haven, Connecticut 14th20 km1:03:31

Track and field

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 8th 10,000 m 27:56.62 [31]
2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Des Moines, Iowa 9th 10,000 m 29:27.28 [32]

NCAA championships

Outdoor track and field

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing Oregon
2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Fayetteville, Arkansas 11th 10,000 m 29:20.18 [33]
2010 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Eugene, Oregon 14th 10,000 m 29:27.13 [34]
2011 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Des Moines, Iowa 6th 10,000 m 28:33.47 [35]
2012 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Des Moines, Iowa 4th 10,000 m 28:24.24 [36]

Indoor track and field

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing Oregon
2009 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships College Station, Texas 6th 5000 m 13:50.82
2010 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Fayetteville, Arkansas 9th 5000 m 13.57.98
14th 3000 m 8:22.47
2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships College Station, Texas 14th 5000 m 14:02.26

Cross country

YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
Representing Oregon
2008 NCAA Cross Country Championships Terre Haute, Indiana 5th29.27.8 [37]
2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships Terre Haute, Indiana 21st30:01.9 [38]
2010 NCAA Cross Country Championships Terre Haute, Indiana 3rd29.38.0 [39]
2011 NCAA Cross Country Championships Terre Haute, Indiana 6th29:09.3 [40]

Personal bests

SurfaceEventTimeDateLocation
Outdoor track1500 m3:53.79March 21, 2009Eugene, Oregon
Mile4:06.60June 18, 2008Greensboro, North Carolina
3000 m7:59.33May 3, 2013Eugene, Oregon
2 miles8:46.41June 8, 2008Eugene, Oregon
5000 m13:31.88May 17, 2013Los Angeles, California
10,000 m27:56:62June 22, 2012Eugene, Oregon
Indoor trackMile4:08.77January 26, 2008Boston, Massachusetts
3000 m8:00.69January 30, 2010College Station, Texas
2 mile8:07.41January 25, 2014Landover, Maryland
5000 m13:50.82March 13, 2009College Station, Texas
Road10 km28:53April 19, 2015Vancouver, British Columbia
12 km35:47May 3, 2015Spokane, Washington
15 km46:25March 15, 2015Jacksonville, Florida
20 km58:48September 3, 2012New Haven, Connecticut
Half marathon1:01:29January 17, 2016Houston, Texas
Marathon2:10:24October 11, 2015Chicago, Illinois

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References

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  2. Gary Kingston. Vancouver Sun: "They're Tough": Vancouver Winner Worried About Kenyan Runners. April 20, 2015.
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