#TheJourneytoCompete, Interview #7, Ethan Strand, SWOOSH Track Club: "Trust in Yourself" , a tip for high school cross-country runners

Ethan Strand has a great sense of humor.

On July 5, 2025, Ethan won the Prefontaine Classic International MILE in 3:48.6 PB, surprised everyone but himself. Shortly after that race, the Duke University grad signed with NIKE.

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At the US Trials for the World Champs, in August 2025, Ethan did an interview with me. He had just won his round in the Men’s 1,500 meters. Adorned in his NIKE uniform, Ethan Strand said, and I quote, ” I am undefeated in my professional career.” At the time, Ethan Strand had run two races as a professional athlete. He would go on to finish second to Jonah Koech in the USA Championships Men’s 1,500 meters in a PB 3:30.25.

Here’s the interview from his first round at US Champs!

Ethan Strand just won his heat in 1500m at USATF outdoor in 3:34.12! Hobbs Kessler right behind in 3:34.44 and Jonah Koech in 3:34.59! Ethan loves his new Nike pro kit and told me, “I’ve won all of my pro races! “ watch this guy, he is impressive! #EthanStrand, #1500meters,… pic.twitter.com/YXkjAvqrHh

— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) August 1, 2025

Ethan finished 16th in the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, held from September 13-21, 2025. Ethan Strand made the team at the Men’s 1,500 meters.

Ethan has some fine speed. At 800 meters he has run 1:51.08 indoors (Birmingham 2021. His 1,500 meters is from August 2025, with his PB of 3:30.25. In the Mile, Ethan also has run well in Eugene, with his 3:48.32 indoor/3:48.6 outdoors. Ethan Strand has the NCAA record for the 3,000 meters indoors with his fine 7:30.15 indoors! Ethan has a good 5,000m PB at 13:26.60 indoors, and for a miler, his 10,000m in 29:43.42 is respectable.

Ethan now runs for the Swoosh Track Clbu, coachd by Mike Smith.

In this video, filmed at the NXR Southwest Regional, I asked Ethan Strand, who I called Eric a dozen times (sorry, Ethan), for advice to young high schoolers about cross country.

Thanks, Ethan Strand for the interview.

Thanks to NIKE’s Rob Lotwis for putting the interviews together for me!

#TheJourneytoCompete, #EthanStrand, provides a training tip for success by high schoolers in cross-country! November 22, 2025, Mesa, Arizona, #NXRSouthwest, #swooshtrackclub, #ethanstrand, @kimbia , @nikerunning, #nike, @nikepreclassic , @DukeTFXC pic.twitter.com/kKv00qt3Zb

— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) December 11, 2025

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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