Ep. 118 - Insights From 1:47 800m Runner & Sophomore Superstar Cooper Lutkenhaus: What It Takes To Be The Best, How He Handles Pressure, Solo-ing a 1:52 In December, And More!

Yes, he is only a Sophomore in high school.

No, this isn't fake.

Today on the show is Cooper Lutkenhaus. Cooper is a Sophomore out of Northwest High School, and is one of the best 800m runners in the nation. Last June, as a freshman, Cooper stunned the field at the 2024 Brooks PR 800, running 1:47 and beating a star-studded field with his crazy kick in the last 200, setting the Freshman National Record.

He also won the Brooks PR JR 800m as an eighth grader, and is a State Champ in the 800m, NON Champ in the 800m, and to be honest, the list goes on and on. I could go on and on about how talented this guy is and everything he has achieved only as a Sophomore, which is the same grade as me right now (lol).

In my chat with Cooper today, we discuss how he solo time trialled an 800m in the middle of December and ran 1:52, what it meant for him to break the Sophomore Indoor 800m Record, running a converted 1:49.8 at the Texas Tech Invitational. Cooper also talks about pressure, his relationship with cross country as an 800m runner, and his thoughts on having his own Wikipedia page.

Please, wherever you are, in your car, at work, on a run, give this podcast a follow and a five-star review on whatever platform you are listening on. That goes a long way in supporting the growth of The Sunday Shakeout so that I can keeping bringing to you some of the greatest stories in the sport of running and in that process, share love and passion for track and field and distance running.

So, without further delay, please enjoy my conversation with Cooper Lutkenhaus