Marco Arop, Canada’s top 800m runner and reigning world champion, is focused on breaking the 800m world record this year. His personal best is 1:41.20, just behind Rudisha’s 2012 record of 1:40.91.
In 2025, Arop is competing primarily in the Grand Slam Track series, where he races both the 800m and 1500m. He recently won the 800m at the Miami Slam with a time of 1:43.69, after setting a 1500m personal best of 3:35.95 the day before. He is also expected to compete in the upcoming two-day event, in Philadelphia Slam, in early June.
Alongside the Grand Slam events, Marco Arop will race in the Wanda Diamond League circuit, which culminates in the final in Zurich on August 27-28, 2025. This final will be a key opportunity for Arop to challenge Rudisha’s record on a world-class stage.
In addition, Arop’s coach, Chris Woods, has designed intense 800m simulation workouts to prepare him for the multiple rounds and fast pace of championship racing. This training, dubbed “Project 99,” focuses on speed, endurance, and rapid recovery.
However, Arop’s main rival, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, also ranks among the fastest 800m runners this year. Thus, promising fierce competition as the record chase heats up.
In an interview dated May 27, Marco Arop said,
“It’s only a matter of time before that world record goes down. To get to 1:39, that’s the next step.” He credits watching Rudisha’s record race as a lifelong inspiration.
Who is Marco Arop?
Marco Arop
Marco Arop is a Canadian middle-distance runner specialising in the 800 metres. Born in Khartoum, Sudan, in 1998, he moved to Canada as a child. Arop rose quickly in track, winning gold at the 2019 Pan American Games and bronze at the 2022 World Championships.
In 2023, he became Canada’s first-ever 800m world champion. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he won silver with a personal best of 1:41.20, setting Canadian and North American records. However, Marco Arop ranks as the fourth-fastest 800m runner ever and continues to push toward breaking the world record.
It`s no doubt Marco Arop’s 2025 race calendar and training put him in a prime position to make a historic attempt at breaking the 800m world record.