Nico Young made American track history on Thursday night in Oslo, securing victory in the men’s 5000m at the Diamond League meet and breaking the U.S. outdoor national record in the process.
The 22-year-old Californian clocked a sensational 12 minutes, 45.27 seconds at Bislett Stadium, eclipsing the previous American record of 12:46.96 set by Grant Fisher in 2022. It marked a landmark moment in Young’s rapidly rising career, as well as his debut appearance in a Diamond League event.
A Tactical Masterclass in Oslo
The race had been billed as a potential world record attempt, with favorable weather conditions and a high-caliber field. While Joshua Cheptegei’s world record of 12:35.36 remains intact, Young delivered a stunning late surge down the final stretch to claim victory over Ethiopia’s Biniam Mehary and Kuma Girma, who finished second and third respectively.
Young’s time was not only a personal best by more than 26 seconds from his previous outdoor mark of 13:11.30 (set in 2022) but also confirmed his place among the elite on the global stage.
In a candid post-race interview, Young reflected on the unpredictable nature of the contest:
“It was a crazy race. This surprised me a little bit but I am really proud that I managed to stay on this pace all this time. Coming into the race, I was not 100 per cent sure what I was going to do. There were so many scenarios of what could have happened,” he admitted.
But the biggest takeaway came when Young hinted at a possible change in racing focus:
“5K and 10K is my target this season but maybe I am going to try 1500, we will see.”
Form and Momentum Building Towards Tokyo
The performance adds to a growing list of impressive results for Young in 2025. In March, he ran 12:51.56 indoors to become the second-fastest American ever over 5000m indoors, behind only Fisher’s 12:44.09. He also claimed victory in the 3000m at the Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia earlier this year.
With the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo just three months away, Young’s record-breaking run in Oslo is a timely confidence boost.
Nico Young has changed his plans after organizers canceled the final 2025 Grand Slam Track meet in Los Angeles over financial issues. He will appear next at the Paris Diamond League.