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Kyle Merber

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Kyle Merber
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1990-11-19) 19 November 1990 (age 34)
Bronxville, New York
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight138 lb (63 kg)
Websitehttp://kylemerber.com/
Sport
Event(s)Mile, 1500 metres
College teamColumbia
Texas
ClubNew Jersey*New York Track Club
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)800 meters: 1:47.23[1]
1500 meters: 3:34.54[1]

Kyle Merber (born November 19, 1990)[2] is a former American mid-distance runner who specialized in the mile and the 1500 metres. He was sponsored by Hoka One One and competed for the New Jersey New York Track Club before retiring from the sport in 2021.

Running career

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High school

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In 6th grade, Merber began sprint training with Charlie Bell, a local high school coach from New Jersey.[3] He would practice sprinting with a bungee cord tied to him for strength development.[3] Merber attended Half Hollow Hills West High School in New York, where he competed in cross country and track.[3] During high school he was successful in a wide range of events, posting personal bests of 1:53 in the 800 meters and 9:06 in the 3200 meters.[3]

Collegiate

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Merber first attended Columbia University, where he specialized in the mile and 1500. At Columbia, Merber set the Ivy League indoor mile record when he finished in 3:58.52 at the 2010 Columbia Last Chance meet at the Armory.[4] That summer, however, Merber stepped on a piece of glass during a training run near his home on Long Island, which put him out of competition for a year.[5] Merber had a resurgent senior year, and in May 2012, at the Swarthmore Last Chance Meet, he outkicked Nate Brannen to set an American collegiate 1500 meter record in 3:35.59.[5] He graduated from Columbia in 2012.[6]

The following school year, Merber enrolled in a masters program at the University of Texas at Austin, where he used his remaining year of NCAA eligibility resulting from his missed junior season at Columbia.[7]

Professional

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After graduating from UT in 2013, Merber joined the New Jersey*New York Track Club under coach Frank Gagliano. He is also sponsored by HOKA ONE ONE.[8] He was a member of the United States' distance medley relay team which set the world record of 9:15.50 at the 2015 IAAF World Relays in Nassau.[9]

Merber has been a resident of Clinton, New Jersey.[10]

Merber announced his retirement on instagram on January 4, 2021.[11]

In 2024, he was working on a new Track and Field League as Director of Athletes and Racing, ahead of a proposed 2025 season.[12]

Personal bests

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Surface Event Time Date Location
Outdoor
1500 m 3:34.54 May 30, 2015 Greenville, SC
Mile 3:54.57 August 5, 2016 Raleigh, NC
Indoor
Mile 3:52.22 February 26, 2016 Boston, MA
3000 m 7:49.39 January 28, 2017 New York (Armory), NY
Road Mile 3:53.5 September 13, 2014 New York, NY

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References

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  1. ^ a b c IAAF. "IAAF: Kyle Merber - Athlete Profile". Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  2. ^ "Kyle Merber". Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Anna Hiatt (April 11, 2012). "Runner's World: Kyle Merber is Back on Track". Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  4. ^ http://columbiaspectator.com/2010/03/08/sophomore-merber-breaks-ivy-record-358-mile Gregory Kremler. Columbia Spectator: Sophomore Merber breaks Ivy record with 3:58 mile. March 8, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2016
  5. ^ a b Peter Gambaccini (May 16, 2012). "Runner's World: Brief Chat: Kyle Merber's Breakthrough". Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  6. ^ "AitN: July 13, 2020". Columbia College Today. 13 July 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  7. ^ Rachel Wenzlaff (October 14, 2012). "The Daily Texan Sports Updates". Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  8. ^ Christopher Chavez (June 4, 2013). "Flotrack: Kyle Merber joins New Jersey New York Track Club". Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  9. ^ "USA "Motley Crew" Caps Distance Relay Sweep With Wild World-Record Victory In Men's DMR". 4 May 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  10. ^ Staff. "For Kyle Merber, it’s all about running and promoting the sport he loves", USA Track & Field, May 16, 2016. Accessed June 30, 2019. "A 25-year-old resident of Clinton, New Jersey, Merber is recognized as a talented runner specializing in the mile and 1500 meters, whose love affair with track and field began years ago."
  11. ^ "Kyle Merber on Instagram: "Well, I knew I'd have to make this post eventually: I'm not done running, I'm just done getting paid for it. Sometime in the last couple years I realized that I was no longer getting nervous before races. At first I thought it was due to health issues or a lack of fitness. But then I found those things and it was only the fire that was missing. 2020 was a blessing in the sense that it gave me time to fully explore those emotions. I don't like to say I am retiring — Real runners don't retire. I'm merely rearranging priorities. So what's next? I'm in the process of trying to figure that out myself. Thank you @njnytc @flynnsports @hokaoneone @feetures @polarglobal @xendurance for the opportunity to live out this dream."".
  12. ^ Meyers, Christaline (May 1, 2024). "Olympic Legend Michael Johnson's $30 Million-Backed 'Unnamed' Track League Secures Support From Decorated American Athlete". Essentially Sports. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
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