Nick Symmonds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nick Symmonds

Symmonds in 2011
Personal information
Born	(1983-12-30) 30 December 1983 (age 41) Blytheville, Arkansas, U.S.
Height	5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m)
Weight	195 pounds (88 kg)
Sport
Sport	Athletics (middle-distance running)
College team	Willamette University
Club	Brooks
Turned pro	2006
Coached by	Danny Mackey Sam Lapray
Retired	2018
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	*All information from athlete's World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted. Outdoors 100 m: 11.52 (Eugene 2019, Masters 35+) 200 m: 24.39 (Eugene 2020, Masters 35+) 400 m: 47.45 (Dublin 2012) 600 m: 1:14.47 (Eugene 2008) 800 m: 1:42.95 (London 2012) 1000 m: 2:16.35 (Eugene 2010) 1500 m: 3:34.55 (Monaco 2013) Mile: 3:59.68 (Nashville 2015) 3000 m: 8:20.42 (Seattle 2015) Indoors 600 m: 1:16.89i (New York 2013) 800 m: 1:46.48i (Valencia 2008) 1000 m: 2:18.87i (New York 2014) Mile: 3:56.72i (Seattle 2007) Road Mile: 4:00.1h (New York 2013) 5 kilometers: 15:49 (Boise 2014) Marathon: 3:00:35 (Honolulu 2017) Other Beer mile: 5:19 (2012)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing the  United States World Championships Silver 2013 Moscow 800 m

Nicholas "Nick" Symmonds (born December 30, 1983) is a famous American retired middle-distance runner and YouTube personality. He was known for his speed in the 800 meters and 1500 meters races. Nick won seven NCAA Division III titles during his college years. He also became a 6-time US national champion in the 800 meters.

Nick competed in the 800m at two Olympic Games. He reached the semi-finals in Beijing 2008. In London 2012, he finished fifth, running his fastest time of 1:42.95. The next year, he won a silver medal in the 800 meters at the 2013 World Championships.

After his running career, Nick became very popular on his YouTube channel. He focuses on running, powerlifting, and general fitness. In May 2025, Nick Symmonds achieved a huge goal. He summited Mount Everest, becoming the first person to both climb Everest and run a sub four-minute mile.

Early Life and Education

Nick Symmonds was born on December 30, 1983, in Blytheville, Arkansas. His family moved to Boise, Idaho when he was three years old. His father is a surgeon, and his mother is a teacher. Nick grew up in Boise and graduated from Bishop Kelly High School in 2002.

Nick loved being outdoors. He earned his Eagle Scout award while in high school. He was also a talented runner, winning state championships in the 800 meters, 1600 meters, 3200 meters, and the 4 × 400 m relay.

He chose to attend Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. This was an NCAA Division III school. Nick earned a degree in biochemistry in 2006.

Running Career Highlights

College Running Success

While at Willamette University, Nick Symmonds was incredibly successful. He won the 800m NCAA championship race all four years. He also won the 1500m NCAA championship race three times. His fastest 800m time in college, 1:45.83, is still the fastest in NCAA Division III history.

Professional Running Journey

Symmonds during 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

After college, Nick joined the Oregon Track Club Elite. In 2006, he was second in the 800m at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The next year, he won the 800m race at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. He set a new personal best time of 1:44.54.

In 2008, Nick won the United States Olympic Trials 800m final. This earned him a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. He won his first race but finished fifth in the semi-final, missing out on the final.

Nick kept getting better in 2009. He won the USATF Championships, which meant he would represent the U.S. at the World Championships. He ran his fastest time yet, 1:43.83, in Monaco. A few weeks later, he became the first American since 1997 to reach the men's 800m final at the World Championships, finishing sixth. In 2010, he lowered his personal best again to 1:43.76.

On June 25, 2012, Nick returned to the 2012 United States Olympic Trials in Eugene. He ran a strong race, sprinting past other runners to make his second Olympic team.

At the London Olympics, Nick finished fifth in the 800m final. He set a new personal best of 1:42.95. In 2013, he achieved his best result at a major international event. He won a silver medal at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Athletics with a time of 1:43.55. This was the highest an American had ever finished in the men's 800 meters at the World Championships at that time.

Nick retired from professional running after the 2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Run Gum Business

In 2014, Nick Symmonds and his former coach, Sam Lapray, started a company called Run Gum. This company sells chewing gum that has caffeine in it, designed for athletes. Nick often promotes Run Gum on his YouTube channel. He sometimes gives away Run Gum products as prizes in his challenges. Run Gum also has popular social media accounts, including a TikTok account with many followers.

Life After Running

YouTube Channel

Nick Symmonds started his YouTube channel in 2017. His first idea was to share videos about the last two weeks of his professional running career. His channel became very popular in late 2019. In his videos, he often calls himself "The Bison". His content focuses on fun challenges related to fitness and running.

In 2020, Nick started a second YouTube channel called 'Nick Symmonds Too'. This channel features shorter videos, including reactions, tutorials, and more challenges. His main channel continued to grow throughout the 2020s. Many people now call him "The MrBeast of Fitness" because of his exciting challenges. The channel's motto is, "It Pays to Be Fit!". For a special video celebrating one million subscribers, Nick gathered one million pennies. Subscribers could then try to carry as many as they could to a scale.

Nick took a break from YouTube in November 2023. He returned in August 2024 with a video about climbing Denali.

Mile to Mountain Challenge

On May 1, 2018, Nick Symmonds officially announced his retirement from track and field. He also shared a new goal: to climb the Seven Summits. This challenge is known as Mile to Mountain. In May 2025, Nick successfully summited Mount Everest. This made him the first person in history to both climb Everest and run a sub four-minute mile. His fastest mile time was 3:56.72, set in 2007.

As of May 2025, Nick has climbed four of the Seven Summits. These include Kilimanjaro, Puncak Jaya, Denali, and Everest. Besides his Mile to Mountain goal, Nick also worked on climbing all fifty U.S. state highpoints. He finished this goal in 2024 when he climbed Denali in Alaska.

Personal Life

Nick Symmonds has always been open about his beliefs. At the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, he spoke out against Russia's "anti-gay" laws. He dedicated his silver medal to his gay and lesbian friends.

Nick also wrote an article in Runner's World magazine in November 2013. In it, he shared his thoughts on gun control.

In 2017, Nick was hired to be a General Manager for a new professional track and field league. He was known for speaking up about rules that he felt limited athletes' ability to find sponsors. For example, in 2012, he sold space on his shoulder for a temporary tattoo to advertise a sponsor. He had to cover it with tape during official competitions, which actually drew more attention to it.

Nick Symmonds married Tiana Baur in 2020. He filed for divorce in September 2024. Nick has a pet rabbit named Mortimer. He also loves fishing and is a pilot.

Competition Wins

National and Circuit Wins

International Competitions

See also

In Spanish: Nick Symmonds para niños