North Texas 16-year-old smashes world record in 800m race
North Texas teen smashes world record in 800m race
A North Texas teenager broke records over the weekend at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships. Cooper Lutkenhaus, who attends Northwest High School in Tarrant County, is only 16 years old.
JUSTIN, Texas - A North Texas teenager broke records over the weekend at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships.
Cooper Lutkenhaus, who attends Northwest High School in Denton County, is only 16 years old.
Cooper Lutkenhaus Sets World Record
EUGENE, OREGON - AUGUST 03: Donavan Brazier wins the Prevagen Men's 800m final ahead of Cooper Lutkenhaus, who broke the U18 world record, and Bryce Hoppel during the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field on August 03, 2025 in Eugene, Ore
What we know:
Lutkenhaus finished in second place in Sunday’s 800-meter race at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, earning him a silver medal at the famous Hayward Field with a time of 1:42.27.
It was a record-breaking run that stunned even the most seasoned commentators. The 16-year-old high schooler split an incredible 12.48 seconds in the final 100 meters to close the gap.
It’s the fastest 800-meter time in world history for an athlete younger than 18. And it smashed Lutkenhaus’s own national high school record of 1:45.45.
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"The 10 seconds before the race started when they say, ‘Runners, on your mark,’ that was the most exciting part, just realizing who I was about to race," Lutkenhaus said.
He breezed past Olympians and world champion athletes on the track that day.
"Kind of laying back off the pace and then with 200 meters left in the race, really make my move. And it worked out," he said. "If you look back in the photo, my hands go to my head just in total shock that one, I made the U.S. team."
EUGENE, OREGON - AUGUST 03: Donavan Brazier wins the Prevagen Men's 800m final ahead of Cooper Lutkenhaus, who broke the U-18 world record for the 800m, during the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field on August 03, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon
What's next:
Lutkenhaus’s second-place finish qualifies him for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.
He and his cross-country coach Chris Chapeau plan to continue training at the Northwest High School track, lifting weights and running about 30 miles per week.
"We don’t focus on what they’re doing. We just focus on we’re taking care of Cooper, right? Is Cooper still enjoying this? Is this still fun? Because if we change that, then I think we’re reacting to what everyone else is doing," his coach said.
No matter what happens in Tokyo next month, Lutkenhaus said he will cherish his win in Oregon.
"There was about 6,000 people there just screaming, yelling. It’s a day I don’t think I’ll ever forget," he said.
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The Source: FOX 4's Alex Boyer gathered information for this story by interviewing Cooper Lutkenhaus.