Hobbs Kessler

Hobbs Kessler (born 15 March 2003) is an American middle and long-distance runner.[1] He competes professionally for Adidas, having turned professional directly after high school. He holds the North American U20 record in the 1500 meters, having run 3:34.36 at the Portland Track Festival in May 2021.[2] He also holds the American high school record for the indoor mile, with a time of 3:57.66 set in February 2021.[3] He was named the 2021 Gatorade National Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Prior his breakout running year, Hobbs was a world-class rock climber. He's stated that one of his goals is to be the first person to run a sub-four-minute mile, climb a 5.15 and a V15.[4]

Hobbs Kessler
Personal information
Born (2003-03-15) 15 March 2003
Home townAnn Arbor, Michigan
EducationSkyline High School
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)1500 metres, Mile
ClubAdidas
Very Nice Track Club
Turned pro2021
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking61 (1500m)

Rock Climbing

Kessler was an outstanding rock climber growing up. He represented the United States many time including at the 2019 IFSC Climbing Youth World Championships in Arco, Italy where he placed 34th in the Lead Youth A Male category.[5] In March 2019, he climbed Southern Smoke (5.14c) at Red River Gorge in Kentucky — his hardest route so far.[4]

High School career

Kessler competed for Skyline High school in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His senior year his father was the high school track coach but wanted to keep a parent relationship with his son so he had legendary University of Michigan coach Ron Warhurst coach most of Hobbs training. This allowed Hobbs to train with professional runners Nick Willis and Mason Ferlic, while still running the easier days with his high school teammates.

In September of 2021 Hobbs committed to compete collegially at Northern Arizona University.[6]

On February 7, 2021 Kessler broke the U.S. high school indoor mile record by running 3:57.66 at the Randal Tyson Track Center where he placed third in the race. this broke his previous mile PR more more than ten seconds.[7] He was the 12th American High schoolers to break 4 minutes in the mile.[8]That outdoor season he won his first state title by winning the 1600m.[9] On March 27 he ran 8:39.04 for 2-miles at the NSAF USA Meet of Champions in Myrtle Beach, becoming the No. 4 American high schooler at that distance.[10]

Professional career

On May 29, 2021 Hobbs ran 3:34.36 1500m at the Portland track festival. While still not enrolled in college yet, his time was faster than the NCAA Record. This made him re-think his future and in June 2021, only a day before he competed at the U.S. Olympic trials, Hobbs announced that he signed a professional contact with Adidas and would not compete for Northern Arizona.[11]

Kessler currently trains under Ron Warhurst in Ann Arbor as part of the Very Nice Track Club. His training partners include olympians Nick Willis and Mason Ferlic, as well as other professional runners Ben Flanagan, Morgan Beadlescomb, Nathan Mylenek, Natalie Cizmas, Alsu Lenneman, and Charlie Da’Vall Grice.[12]

Personal bests
Surface Event Time Date Venue Notes
Indoor track 1500m 3:41.17 February 6th, 2021 Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex AU20R
Mile 3:57.75 February 6th, 2021 Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex
3000m 7:39.00 January 27th, 2023 Boston University
Outdoor track 800m 1:46.87 August 24th, 2022 Tooting Bec Athletics Track
1000m 2:16.46 August 10th, 2022 Louis II Stadium AU20R
1500m 3:34.36 May 29th, 2021 Griswold Stadium AU20R
Mile 3:58.73 August 24th, 2022 Tooting Bec Athletics Track
Road Mile 3:54.0* July 23rd, 2022 Charlevoix, Michigan, US Not Legal
Two Miles 8:39.04 March 25th, 2021 Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium

Personal life

Hobbs comes from a family of runners. His father, Michael, ran collegially at Eastern Michigan university. His mother, Serena, also is a runner and made the 2012 US Olympic Trials in the marathon.[8]

References
  1. Hobbs Kessler at World Athletics
  2. Cory Mull (30 May 2021). "Hobbs Kessler Qualifies For US Trials, Sets National Record". milesplit.com. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  3. Jeff Hollobaugh. "ATL III — An Out-Of-The-Blue HS Mile Record For Hobbs Kessler". trackandfieldnews.com. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  4. Hildenbrand, Bruce (March 15, 2021). "Hobbs Kessler Climbs 5.14+ and Runs a Sub 4-Minute Mile. And He's Just 17". Climbing Magazine. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  5. "Results". International Federation of Sport Climbing. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  6. Wickliffe, Greg (September 21, 2020). "Skyline standout runner Hobbs Kessler commits to Northern Arizona". MLive. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  7. Snider-McGrath, Ben (February 8, 2021). "17-year-old runs 3:57 mile, breaks U.S. high school record". Canadian Running. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  8. Gault, Jonathan (February 8, 2021). "An Unknown High Schooler Just Ran a 3:57 Mile — Everything You Need To About Hobbs Kessler's Record-Breaking Run". LetsRun. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  9. Purcell, Jared (June 8, 2021). "Michigan teenage track star Hobbs Kessler wanted a state title before chasing his Olympic dream". M Live. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  10. Hollobaugh, Jeff. "Hobbs Kessler — The Making Of A Miler". Track & field News. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  11. Hollobaugh, Jeff (June 23, 2021). "Hobbs Kessler Turns Pro, Signs With adidas & Global Athletics". Track and Field News. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  12. Kochanny, Drew (July 25, 2022). "First-timers take home wins in record-setting Ryan Shay Mile". The Petoskey News-Review. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
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