Craig Engels – Motivated Mullet Man

Carrie chats with Craig Engels, one of the brightest stars in the 800m and 1500m! They chat about his competitive yet cheerful disposition, how training at the Nike Oregon Project made him a better runner, and his post-running entrepreneurial plans involving an RV business.

Recorded August 20, 2019

Photo by Kirby Lee

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Craig Engels

Craig Engels, a charismatic, rising star, won the 2019 USA Indoor Mile title, breaking the beam in 3:59.69; his first national crown as a pro, and in late June, he finished 5th at the Pre Classic’s Bowerman Mile, clocking a personal record 3:51.60. In July at the USA Outdoor Championships, Craig captured his first 1500m crown, beating defending and Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz, 3:44.93 to 3:44.97.
In August 2018, Engels defended his Aetna Falmouth Mile title, winning in 3:58.88.
In 2017, at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, the North Carolina native finished fourth in the 1500 meters just missing a Team USA berth for the London World Championships, and in August, he won the Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile in 4:00.19 and the inaugural Ed Murphey Mile, clocking 3:58.35, the first sub-4 ever in Memphis, Tennessee.
At the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Craig finished an impressive 4th in the 800 meters (a PR 1:46.03) and fifth in the 1500 meters (a then PR 3:37.66); again just missing Team USA spots.
The 6-time North Carolina high school state champion was a member of the North Carolina State track and cross country teams from 2012-14 before transferring to the University of Mississippi where he earned NCAA All-American honors 6 times.
Engels also won the 1500m gold medal (3:53.12) at the 2013 Pan American Junior Championships in Colombia.

Bio courtesy of Bring Back The Mile

Show Notes:

Craig Engels on Twitter
Craig Engels on Instagram

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