LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – If a high school P.E. teacher hadn’t noticed Yared Nuguse running away from his classmates on sprints to the corner McDonald’s, the duPont Manual and Notre Dame graduate might not be enjoying his Olympic moment in Paris right now.
It’s hard to imagine Nuguse, a state champion at Manual, an NCAA Champion at Notre Dame, a North American mile and 1500-meter record holder, fourth fastest miler in history, doing anything but running faster than almost anyone in the world.
But when Nuguse got to Manual, all he was really interested in was focusing on his goal of becoming an orthodontist. His extra-curricular activities were aimed at rounding out his academic resume, some science workshops the like. The only thing remotely athletic was bowling.
But his P.E. teacher, Mick Motley, noticed something in the self-described “big nerd.”
“He just had us running miles for a grade,” Nuguse said. “Fitness and whatnot. And he saw that I would run pretty fast. Usually just, like, get to the McDonald’s first for a post-run treat. And, you know, he told the cross-country and track coach about me.”
Yared Nuguse will represent the United States in the 1500 meters at the Paris Olympics.
Nuguse told me this story from San Moritz, a resort town in the Swiss Alps, where he was completing his training for the Paris Olympics. His smile beamed as he retold his unexpected, joyful journey to the top of a sport he never imagined being a part of.
He was sitting in class when Manual track coach Tim Holman summoned him to ask him to join the track program.
“And I was like, ‘No, I don't think I really will. It's not really my kind of thing,’” Nuguse remembered. But Holman persisted.
“Come on, just give it a chance,” Nuguse remembers hearing. “You never know. At the time, I just thought, I don’t know. I didn’t think anything would come of it, even though I thought it might be fun. You never know.”
No, you don’t.
Born to Ethiopian parents, Nuguse’s father, Alem, fled the country as a political refugee in the 1980s and was granted asylum in the U.S., where he was a math and English teacher. He met his mother, Mana, in Arlington, Va., and the family eventually moved to Louisville, where Yared grew up, the fourth of six children.
He estimates he has 16 or 17 friends and family members in Paris. On Friday, he found himself boxed in during his heat of the 1500, but still fought his way forward to qualify for Sunday’s semifinals with a fifth-place finish, 3:36.56.
“It was kind of surreal on the line a little bit, just seeing all the Olympic insignia and stuff,” Nuguse said after the heat. “Just like, ‘Man, finally here, three years later.’ It’s really, really awesome, and I didn’t want to squander that chance. Luckily, I did not."
It wasn’t the first time Nuguse had faced Olympic adversity. He qualified for the Tokyo Games, but could not compete because of an injury. That disappointment, along with the experience of turning pro after his graduation from Notre Dame, where he earned a degree in biochemistry, has given him a much different perspective entering this year’s Olympics.
“It was really tough, because I feel like, even back then I wasn't even sure I was going to make the Olympics,” he said. “I was barely, just the last one in at third place at the trials. And even then, I was like, I'm not even sure I can do super well at the Olympics. But you know, to still get injured and not to get the chance really hurt. I thought, ‘Now I'm never going to know like, where I was, at that point in my career. But I think now I’ve gained a lot more confidence, not only make the Olympics but also to make the final and be a serious contender to get a medal. I sort of see it as a little bit of redemption for that year in Tokyo, I really wanted to do at least something in Tokyo, to make all the people who were watching me proud. But now I really get to do that in Paris.”
Yared Nuguse, shown in this USA Track & Field promotional graphic, will represent the United States in the 1500 meters at the Paris Olympics.
Even as his success mounted, Nuguse saw running as little more than a pastime. He won three state titles as a senior at Manual, but said he saw running as, “something fun I would do in high school.” He earned a track scholarship to Notre Dame, where he won NCAA championships and broke collegiate records in the 1500 and 3000 meters, but said he saw running as “just something fun I would do in college.”
He never envisioned running professionally, yet he has been for most of the past two years. Treating it as a profession has been a revelation. He watches more track. He said he runs about 14 miles per day, over two sessions. A good cruising speed in that training is about a 6:50 mile.
“Now it's just running,” he said. “And I can just focus on putting all my energy to running, like getting all the sleep I need, getting extra treatment or stretches done or whatever it takes to be the best that I can be is really just what's important now. And I think that it's been a lot easier because before, I had other priorities, but now as this is my only priority. So, I've been very, very grateful for what pro running has done. I have a lot of friends who have real jobs, and they're always just complaining about having a real job. I think everyone's been there. So, I feel very fortunate to just be like, ‘Oh, I wake up in the morning, I go on my little run or workout, and then I'm like, done by noon, and that's it.’ So, it's been really nice. And I'm going to appreciate every year I have it, while I have it, for sure.”
He doesn’t expect it to last forever. Maybe to age 30, who knows? He still plans to be an orthodontist. He’s also earning a Masters Degree in management at Notre Dame. He said his parents weren’t sure what to make of his running pursuits, at first, but that they’re completely on board now.
Yared Nuguse, a duPont Manual graduate competing for Team USA in the men's 1500 meters in the Paris Olympics, sits down with WDRB's Eric Crawford for a wide-ranging discussion.
He said he views the Olympics as a way to try to give back to his parents, and many others who have helped him get to this point.
“It means a lot to me just to be able to make all of those people that I've interacted with, and who have supported me through my life at this point, just being able to make them proud means a lot to me,” he said. “I wouldn't be here without all those people. I think every person I've met along the way, who continues to support me to this day, has been an important factor, just making sure that I still believe in myself no matter what. So, it means a lot to me to have all their support and pay it off in one giant, huge race and celebration of the best athletes in the world. So, I'm really happy to be representing my hometown Louisville, Boulder (Colo.) where I live now, and Notre Dame, my family and everything else that has really allowed me to kind of get to this gets to the level I'm at now.”
From an accidental runner to an unsure runner to a confident champion, Nuguse said he felt ready to handle whatever challenge the Olympics present. He proved that in his first heat, overcoming some traffic to stay in contention.
”Confidence is definitely the most important part, I think, for any for any runner who wants to be at the very top,” he said. “Especially in distance races, a lot of it is so mentally focused, because you're running for a lot longer than a sprinter would. You have to be mentally reassuring yourself, pretty much the entire race. Yes, this hurts, but I know I’m good enough, I know I can keep going. I think I've really grown a lot over the years. In high school, I was just a nervous wreck. And even in college, it took me a while to overcome that versus coming to my pro career. I had an amazing first year that made me realize, ‘No, I as good as I think I am.’ And I really just need to keep that in mind no matter what happens, because you're going to have bad days. You’re going to have bad races. But as long as you stay confident, you can bounce back from that really quickly.”
Tyro the tortise, the pet of Yared Nuguse, who will represent the United States in the 1500 meters at the Paris Olympics.
Nuguse certainly carries the intensity of top-flight runners. But he also possesses a whimsical, amused quality, which belies his accidental discovery of the sport. Back in Boulder, his roommate keeps watch over his pet – Tyro the tortoise named Tyro (named after his favorite amino acid, Tyrosine). The irony of a pet known for being slow belonging to one of the fastest men in the world isn’t lost on him.
“He’s an absolute menace,” Nuguse said, laughing. “I love him. He’s just chilling back at home. But he’ll be cheering me on, I’m sure of it. The irony to that was kind of a big part of it.”
If Nuguse needs a reminder to slow down sometimes, all he has to do is think about Tyro. But it doesn’t look like he’ll be slowing down much anytime soon. He didn’t attend the Opening Ceremonies, because he remained in training. He does, however, expect to take in the sights, sounds and flavors of the Games after his final, and will attend the Closing Ceremonies.
“I'll be enjoying a lot of it, post my final,” he said. “I'll just be taking it all for what it is and definitely enjoying it. But the race is the most important thing before getting to really enjoy the actual Olympics.”
The favorites in the event are defending Olympic gold medalist Jakob Ingebrigtsen and reigning World Champion Josh Kerr. But Nuguse is hoping to medal, or more.
And as he learned back when he accepted an invitation to begin this whole journey way back at duPont Manual, you never know.
Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
