by Larry EderOn July 5, 2025, Niels Laros, an impressive Dutch athlete, surprised many of the 12,606 fans in the stands at Hayward Field and the millions on TV with his spectacular finish and win in the fabled Bowerman Mile! Niels Laros set the Dutch record for the mile (3:45.94) with his win. For those in North America who did not remember him at Budapest 2023 or in the Paris Olympics, Niels has some serious wheels! Check out these PBs: 1:44.78 (NU20R), for 800m (2023), 2:14.37 WU20R (2024) for the 1,000m, 3:29.54 (EU20, NU20, Paris Olympics 2024) for 1,500m, 3:45.94 for the Mile (Pre, 2025), a scary fast 2,000m in 4:49.68 (EU20B), and a 13:10.86 for 5,000m indoors (2025). Niels also has run 1:47.16 NU20 in 2024 for 800m (Torun), and the NR at 3,000m, achieved in Lieven in 2025 of 7:29.49! He is coached by Tomasz Lewandowski and runs for NIKE.
We are quite thrilled to have Niels Laros answer our Nine Questions! Thanks, Niels!
RunBlogRun, # 1. What do you remember about the Bowerman mile?
Niels Laros: I remember coming on the track. Seeing a lot of people. Standing on the line, hearing them cheer for us. That made me really excited for the race. Then, what else I remember going into the last lap? Taking the front of the following pack and just slowly accelerating. Going into the last 100m. Passing number 2. Thinking I could still win. Good memories.
RunBlogRun, #2. You have a superb finish. Do you train for such close racing?
Niels Laros: Yes we do definitely train for such close races. Having a kick is one of the most attributes to win a race, so we definitely train on this.
RunBlogRun, #3. Did you begin with a club in the Netherlands when you started athletics?
Niels Laros: Yes I started at my local club. I just started doing all disciplines. As I got older I specialised in only running.
RunBlogRun, #4. What do you recall from your first race as a junior or youth?
Niels Laros: The races I recall from my youth? It’s a bit hard. But I still remember breaking 2 minutes in the 600m for the first time. I ran 1:59. That was a nice barrier to break. I also remember the race where I raced my teammate Stefan, who also ran the Bowerman mile. I think I was 13 or 14 years old. I was running the under 18 nationals against Stefan and my brother. And I got 4th. That was really surprising, because I was still young. My brother took 3rd place and Stefan won. I was really happy with that. Overall a really fun race. Stefan and I have a lot of fun looking back at it know. Seeing some pictures racing each other a long time ago.
RunBlogRun, 5. Who is your coach, do you train with a club?
Niels Laros: I don’t train with a club. I train with a coach, Tomasz Lewandowksi. I am still part of my local group where I grew up. We sort of formed our own team, supported by Nike, with a lot of medallist from European Championships in age categories. And we have a perfect set-up and it’s good. (Editor’s note: Tomasz Lewandowski is a fine coach, who used to coach his brother, Marcin Lewandowski, European medalist extraordinaire (5 indoor, 3 outdoor) and World Indoor silver 2018, and world outdoor bronze, 2019.)
RunBlogRun, #6. What do you believe is your most significant race of your career so far?
Niels Laros: That will probably be the Pre Classic. This was just my first big win on the senior stage. That was super special moment. Of course, other races that have been important are the first World Championships in 2023 when I was 18 years old. Being in the final, that was very special. And of course the Olympic Final. But out of all races, Pre Classic was the most special so far.
RunBlogRun, #7. What shoes do you train in, and what do you race in?
Niels Laros: I train in a lot of different shoes. For my easy runs I switch between the Vomero 18 and Vomero 18 Premium. Sometimes the Pegasus Premium. For a bit faster runs I use the Pegasus Plus and Zoomfly 6. And for faster workouts I use the Vaporfly4 and the Streakfly. I normally train in the Dragonfly. For my 800 and 1500m races I use the Victory.
RunBlogRun, #8. If you were speaking to a room of young athletes, what would you tell them about why you love athletics?
Niels Laros: I think what I love about running is the fact that you improve a lot. It is very exciting, getting better is very addicting. So that’s a great thing about running. You are running.. your times are being clocked and you can improve yourself. And what I like about running is the feeling of flying, like I did at Pre the last 100m. It’s a great feeling you cannot compare with anything else. At that point you feel nothing, no fatigue. Just flying. I also love the runs in the nature, that’s really calming.
RunBlogRun, # 9. If you were not a middle-distance runner, is there a field event that intrigues you?
Niels Laros: I think I would like high jump a lot. If I look to field events I think: it would be nice to have 3 attempts. In field events you really do your own thing. It looks nice at least. I am sure it has all kind of other challenges we don’t have in distance running. I think high jump would suit me, since I am tall and skinny and it looks nice.
Special thanks to Simon Bairu, NIKE, Maaike Hofmeijer/Global Sports Communications, Jeroen Bakke/Global Sports Communications, and of course the king of the 2025 Bowerman Mile, Niels Laros, who is doubling in Bergen, Norway this weekend at 800m/5,000m.
