EUGENE, Oregon — Teenage middle-distance runner Hobbs Kessler recently elected to turn professional and sign a deal with Adidas.
Kessler ran his first race in his new shoes during the first round of the 1,500 meters at Hayward Field at the U.S. Olympic Team track and field trials. He finished in 3 minutes, 45.63 seconds to win his heat.
“It hasn’t sunk in, and I don’t know how long it will take,” Kessler said of being a professional. “It’s pretty amazing, and I’m very grateful.”
The 18-year-old Kessler from Michigan recently broke Jim Ryun’s American under-20 record with a time of 3:34.36 at the Portland Track Festival. Ryun’s mark had been on the books since 1966.
Kessler said the decision to turn pro was stressful.
“Weighed on me for a long time,” Kessler said.
Kessler just graduated from Skyline High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Kessler is also arguably the best prep middle-distance runner in the nation, specializing in the 800 and 1500 meter races.
Kessler’s mother, Serena, was enshrined in the Clarence High School Wall of Fame because of her running abilities that landed her in the marathon qualifier for the 2012 Olympics games, but did not earn a spot on the U.S. team.
In other races, sprinter Allyson Felix finished in the top three of her heat of the 200 meters to advance to the semifinals.
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