Chris Lukezic
Encyclopedia
Christopher Lukezic is an American
middle distance runner.
in Auburn, Washington
and competed in cross country
and track & field. In track, Lukezic became known as one of the top distance runners in the nation. While in high school Lukezic won the prestigious Millrose Games
High School Mile. Lukezic would also win the 1600 meters at the Washington State 4A Track & Field Championships, and the Golden West Invitational
. At the Adidas
Outdoor Championships, Lukezic and fellow team mates Tyler Campbell, Mike Dixon, and Adam Vogt set the National Record for the high school 4x800m relay with a time of 7:32.89, and then ran the second fastest high school Distance Medley Relay
of all time, anchored by Lukezic's 4:03.6 1600m leg. Lukezic then won the USATF Junior National title in the 1500m
with a time of 3:47.32. He finished 11th at the World Junior Championships with a time of 3:46.01. He was also selected as the Nike
Athlete of the Year.
for three years before turning pro and signing an endorsement contract with Reebok. In his time at Georgetown, he earned All-America
n honors five times. Once for cross country
(2003) and four in track: Outdoor 1500m (2003, 2005); Indoor Distance Medley Relay(2004); and Indoor 3000m
(2004). He also won a second Junior National title during his freshman year at Georgetown.
Since his time at Georgetown, Lukezic has a number of career highlights. In 2004, Lukezic finished 4th at the United States Olympic Trials in the 1500m. In 2005, he finished 2nd at the United States Track & Field Outdoor Championships in the 1500m. That summer he went on to compete at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland where he missed the final by one spot. During the same year, Lukezic began his charitable crusade as a US ambassador to The Brooke, UK's leading overseas equine welfare charity. His work with UK ambassador Emma Milne he helped raise nearly 3.3 million pounds, and he lent his voice to one of The Brooke's most successful TV campaigns, seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDukYxWE6aU&feature=related. In 2006 he was the United States Indoor Track & Field Champion in the 1500m, and finished 4th at the U.S. Outdoor Championships, and was ranked #2 in the 1500m in the United States, by Track and Field News. 2006 also saw Lukezic a member of the United States Distance Medley Relay
team that set a National Record, with a time of 9:15.63, a time that was also the second best in the world.
2006 was arguably Lukezic's most impressive year as he finished 7th at the World Indoor Championships
in Moscow
and later went on to run 3:33.28 for the 1500m, one of the top-10 fastest times ever posted by an American. During the fall/winter of 2006 Lukezic also appeared in an international advertising campaign for Reebok, supporting a new shoe release.
An inopportune injury in 2008 kept Lukezic off the Olympic team when he struggled to finish 10th at the Olympic Trials.
On November 11th, 2009, Lukezic announced via Twitter and in Runners World Magazine that he had decided to retire from the sport.
In September of 2009 Lukezic began working at San Francisco based start-up Airbnb
http://www.airbnb.com
On September 2, 2010, the US Anti-doping Agency suspended the retired Lukezic for two years for refusing to give a urine sample during an out-of-competition test on April 20, 2010, nearly 6 months after he had retired, and 1 year since his last competition. On September 3, 2010 Lukezic responded with an official statement on his personal website.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
middle distance runner.
High School Years
Lukezic attended Auburn High SchoolAuburn Senior High School
Auburn Senior High School is a public high School in Auburn, Washington founded in 1903. The school is situated on of land in downtown Auburn, its campus includes the Auburn Performing Arts Center , The Auburn Swimming Pool, Auburn Memorial Stadium and the Administration Annex.-Academics:Auburn...
in Auburn, Washington
Auburn, Washington
-Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
and competed in cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
and track & field. In track, Lukezic became known as one of the top distance runners in the nation. While in high school Lukezic won the prestigious Millrose Games
Millrose Games
The Millrose Games is an annual indoor athletics meet held on the first Friday in February in New York City. They will be held at the Armory in Washington Heights in 2012, after having taken place in Madison Square Garden from 1914 to 2011...
High School Mile. Lukezic would also win the 1600 meters at the Washington State 4A Track & Field Championships, and the Golden West Invitational
Golden West Invitational
The Golden West Invitational high school track & field all-star meet brings together top high school athletes from throughout the country and provides them with the very highest levels of competition...
. At the Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
Outdoor Championships, Lukezic and fellow team mates Tyler Campbell, Mike Dixon, and Adam Vogt set the National Record for the high school 4x800m relay with a time of 7:32.89, and then ran the second fastest high school Distance Medley Relay
Distance Medley Relay
The distance medley relay is an athletic event in which four athletes compete as part of a relay. Unlike most track relays, each member of the team runs a different distance. A distance medley relay is made up of a 1200 meter leg, or three laps on a standard 400 meter track; a 400 meter leg, or one...
of all time, anchored by Lukezic's 4:03.6 1600m leg. Lukezic then won the USATF Junior National title in the 1500m
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
with a time of 3:47.32. He finished 11th at the World Junior Championships with a time of 3:46.01. He was also selected as the Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
Athlete of the Year.
College and Career
Lukezic attended Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
for three years before turning pro and signing an endorsement contract with Reebok. In his time at Georgetown, he earned All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honors five times. Once for cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
(2003) and four in track: Outdoor 1500m (2003, 2005); Indoor Distance Medley Relay(2004); and Indoor 3000m
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
(2004). He also won a second Junior National title during his freshman year at Georgetown.
Since his time at Georgetown, Lukezic has a number of career highlights. In 2004, Lukezic finished 4th at the United States Olympic Trials in the 1500m. In 2005, he finished 2nd at the United States Track & Field Outdoor Championships in the 1500m. That summer he went on to compete at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland where he missed the final by one spot. During the same year, Lukezic began his charitable crusade as a US ambassador to The Brooke, UK's leading overseas equine welfare charity. His work with UK ambassador Emma Milne he helped raise nearly 3.3 million pounds, and he lent his voice to one of The Brooke's most successful TV campaigns, seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDukYxWE6aU&feature=related. In 2006 he was the United States Indoor Track & Field Champion in the 1500m, and finished 4th at the U.S. Outdoor Championships, and was ranked #2 in the 1500m in the United States, by Track and Field News. 2006 also saw Lukezic a member of the United States Distance Medley Relay
Distance Medley Relay
The distance medley relay is an athletic event in which four athletes compete as part of a relay. Unlike most track relays, each member of the team runs a different distance. A distance medley relay is made up of a 1200 meter leg, or three laps on a standard 400 meter track; a 400 meter leg, or one...
team that set a National Record, with a time of 9:15.63, a time that was also the second best in the world.
2006 was arguably Lukezic's most impressive year as he finished 7th at the World Indoor Championships
IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics
The International Association of Athletics Federations World Indoor Championships were inaugurated as the World Indoor Games in 1985 in Paris, France and were subsequently renamed in 1987 as they are known today.-History:...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and later went on to run 3:33.28 for the 1500m, one of the top-10 fastest times ever posted by an American. During the fall/winter of 2006 Lukezic also appeared in an international advertising campaign for Reebok, supporting a new shoe release.
An inopportune injury in 2008 kept Lukezic off the Olympic team when he struggled to finish 10th at the Olympic Trials.
On November 11th, 2009, Lukezic announced via Twitter and in Runners World Magazine that he had decided to retire from the sport.
In September of 2009 Lukezic began working at San Francisco based start-up Airbnb
Airbnb
Airbnb is an online service that matches people seeking vacation rentals and other short-term accommodations with those with rooms to rent, generally private parties that are not professional hoteliers. The site was founded in August 2008 by Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia. In July 2011, the company...
http://www.airbnb.com
On September 2, 2010, the US Anti-doping Agency suspended the retired Lukezic for two years for refusing to give a urine sample during an out-of-competition test on April 20, 2010, nearly 6 months after he had retired, and 1 year since his last competition. On September 3, 2010 Lukezic responded with an official statement on his personal website.
Personal Bests
- 800m800 metresThe 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
- 1:47.74 - 1000m - 2:18.54
- 1500m1500 metresThe 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
- 3:33.28 - Mile - 3:54.46
- 3000m - 7:49.05
External links
- Lukezic Twitter Feed
- IAAF Biography
- United States Track & Field Records
- Chris Lukezic - University of Georgetown
- Nike A.O.Y.