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Cooper Lutkenhaus reacts as he wins the 800-meter final at the U.S. track championships Sunday, July 26, 2026, at Icahn Stadium in New York City.<\/p>\n
Caleb Bowlin<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
The legend of Justin Northwest track phenom Cooper Lutkenhaus continues to grow.<\/p>\n
The 17-year-old claimed his first victory at the U.S. outdoor championships Sunday, winning the 800 meters in 1 minute, 43.48 seconds, at Icahn Stadium in New York City.<\/p>\n
COOPER LUTKENHAUS CLAIMS HIS FIRST U.S. OUTDOOR TITLE \ud83e\udd2f
The 17-year-old CRUISES to the finish line at 1:43.48 in the 800M!<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcfa USATF National Championships on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com\/M46ie2kawS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 26, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Lutkenhaus\u2019 win comes on the heels of his indoor world and U.S. titles<\/a> in March. He burst on the scene<\/a> last August when he finished a shocking second at the U.S. outdoor championships, setting an under-18 world record (1:42.27) to qualify for the world championships. (He later dropped that mark to 1:42.08.)<\/p>\n A year later, he has ascended to the top spot on the U.S. outdoor podium. Sunday\u2019s race completes his season, as there are no world championships being held in 2026.<\/p>\n Lutkenhaus pulled away on the final lap Sunday, defeating Wes Ferguson (1:44.55) and Hobbs Kessler (1:45.00).<\/p>\n \u201cI think this one might be a little more exciting just because, you know, I\u2019ve been working all year for this,\u201d he told Runner\u2019s World<\/a>. \u201cI really wanted to be the U.S. indoor and U.S. outdoor champ.”<\/p>\n Lutkenhaus turned pro at 16<\/a> and signed with Nike before his junior year of high school. He\u2019s now heading into his senior year.<\/p>\n
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