Lopez Lomong

Lomong captured his second consecutive USA Outdoor 1,500mm title at the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, with his time of 3:50.83.  Later that summer he lowered his 1,500m personal best in Monaco when he stopped the clocks in 3:32.20 on July 22, which was the second-fastest time in that event by an American that year.  Also in 2010, in finishing seventh in the Bowerman Mile at the Nike Prefontaine Classic, he posted a new personal best in that event of 3:53.18, which was the third-fastest time by an American that season. Lomong won his first career USA Outdoor title when he finished first in the men’s 1,500 at the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships in 3:41.68. Later that summer he finished eighth in the final at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany. He ended the 2009 season after posting personal bests in both the 1,500m (3:32.94) and mile (3:53.35. The U.S. delegation flag bearer during the opening ceremonies at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Lopez Lomong has overcome an overwhelming array of obstacles in becoming a top American middle distance runner. When he was 6 years old, in 1991, his family fled Kimotong, Sudan, on foot to avoid an attack by the militia group, the Janjaweed. Lomong and his family ran for three days in the African wilderness to avoid the attackers. After being separated from his family upon arrival at the Sudan-Kenya border, he lived in a refugee camp run by Catholic missionaries for 10 years. Despite being separated from his family as one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan”, Lomong says he is considered one of the lucky children as thousands of boys drowned, were eaten by wild animals or were shot by military forces. An essay that he wrote in 2001 about what he would strive to accomplish if he lived in America prompted officials to give him that chance. Lomong was moved to the U.S. to live with a foster family in Tully, N.Y., and became one of the 3,800 resettled youngsters known as the “Lost Boys of Sudan.”  Lomong became a U.S. citizen in July, 2007, while becoming a star middle distance runner at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.  He enjoyed his best year in 2007, winning the NCAA Indoor 3,000m title in upsetting two-time NCAA champion Chris Solinsky in 7:49.74, and taking the NCAA Outdoor men’s 1,500m crown in 3:37.07. He set a personal best and an NAU school record of 1:45.79 in placing fifth in the 800 meters at the 2007 AT&T USA Track and Field Championships, and he was named NCAA Mountain Region Male Track Athlete of the year by the USTFCCCA. Lomong, who turned pro after the 2007 NCAA Cross Country Championships, says his dream is to represent the USA in international competition, his way to thank those who have helped him. "I came to this country without expecting anything," said Lomong to USA TODAY. "Now I want to return the favor by being a good runner." Away from the track, Lomong, who enjoys hip hop music, is studying hotel management because he hopes to return to Africa to help revitalize the continent's tourism. He also wants to assist families confronted with multiple challenges in his home country.