© Copyright – 2023 – Athletics Illustrated

Canadian Kieran Lumb, competing for the University of Washington Huskies, won a 3000m race at the university on Sunday in the time of 7:43.57. The performance was nearly seven seconds ahead of his closest competitor Sam Prakal who clocked a 7:50.16 finish time and a meet record.

He told DyeStat in a post-race interview, “I am really happy to open up a season like this.”

Lumb closed the final 1000m solo. “You always want a little more, but I am happy with the two-second PR.”

Speaking about the group he trains with at UW he added, “It is really great to train with these guys day in and day out. We have momentum and a great culture that everyone has bought into. Having everyone on the team working together and cohesive is fantastic.”

Assuming the culture is partially why Lumb has run so well over the past 12 months, opening the season in strong fashion, he will continue to set new personal best times during 2023.

Lumb’s previous best over the distance was 7:45.50 from Boston University three years ago. His outdoor best from the Bislett Games came in 2021 when he clocked a 7:46.28 run.

In 2022, the 24-year-old Vancouver, BC native ran six new personal best times over the outdoor 800m, mile track, mile road (1609m), 5000m, 10,000m, and indoor 5000m. It was his first year with the Huskies, where he made the NCAA Championships in the 10,000m event. He placed 17th in 28:36.31 to earn All-America honorable mention.