Bizimana, reigning NCAA Division 1 indoor 800-meter champion, clocks 2:18.10 in Louisville to eclipse 2016 record of 2:18.26 established by Penn State’s Kidder, in addition to ascending to No. 4 all-time British competitor

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photo courtesy of Texas

Yusuf Bizimana began the year by signing a Name, Image and Likeness deal with Swiss company On.

In his first competition of the indoor season and only career race in the 1,000 meters, the Texas standout and British competitor produced a collegiate all-time mark.

Bizimana, 23, eclipsed the men’s 1,000 collegiate record by clocking 2 minutes, 18.10 seconds at the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center in Louisville, Ky.

RESULTS

Bizimana, the reigning NCAA Division 1 indoor 800-meter champion, lowered the 1,000 standard of 2:18.26 established in 2016 by former Penn State competitor Brannon Kidder at the Nittany Lion Challenge in State College, Penn.

Bizimana, who covered the final 200 in 27.75, also elevated to No. 4 in British indoor history, in addition to becoming one of the top 50 global competitors all-time in the event.

Bizimana is one of only four collegiate athletes in history to achieve a sub-2:19 effort in the 1,000 on a banked or oversized track.

His collegiate record performance is the first by an NCAA competitor in 2024, after Graham Blanks from Harvard and Parker Valby of Florida both achieved 5,000-meter all-time marks Dec. 2 at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener at Boston University.