Runner Chronicles: Cooper Teare
The Runner Chronicles
A new day, a new Runner Chronicles. This time we welcomed Cooper, a professional track athlete sponsored by Nike, known for his relentless pursuit of excellence in middle and long-distance running. From his early days finding the thrill in running to winning the 5k NCAA title and competing at the highest level, his journey has been driven by passion, ambition, and an unshakable love for the sport.
A former Oregon Duck, Cooper holds a collegiate mile record and a U.S. Cross Country title, with his sights set on making future World and Olympic teams. Always evolving, he now focuses on mastering the 5K while embracing the challenges and joys of professional running. This Chronicles is full of experiences, advice, and even—yes—Gilmore Girls. Who would’ve thought? An inside scoop from an elite runner with a passion we can all share with him. Cooper delivers, and you just need to enjoy his words. We hope it will spark some of your motivation and take you to the nearest track—because we all need to start somewhere.
Cooper, let’s dive into it. Could you introduce yourself?
Hello! My name is Cooper Teare, I am currently a professional track athlete sponsored by Nike but this is only the case because of a lot of dreaming and ambition from my younger self. I began running when I was in 6th grade, chasing around my lifeline best friend who was coined as our towns best runner and from there, my passion for running and competition was sparked. I ran because I loved the thrill and unlike the other sports I participated in growing up, it was solely up to me what happened. No ball or stick involved, just guts and determination. Essentially, it left nothing to chance and for me, that was such a breath of fresh air.
From there, the addiction just grew and it turned from a hobby to my identity. I wanted to be an Oregon Duck and be part of that storied program and when that opportunity arose for me, there was no doubt in my mind that that would be my next chapter. That was the end all be all for me, I had never really considered that there was more than that and by the time I had run my course as a Duck, I found that this is something that can be a career. Little did anyone know, I would’ve done it for free. Making running my job was the best thing I ever could have thought and to me, it still feels like I haven’t worked a day in my life. How could I if I a doing what I truly love and have passion for? So that basically sums up how I got here… riding out a dream and just being as hateful for each moment that I have had in this sport while I have it.
You have participated in two Olympic Trials.
The pinnacle of the sport is obviously the Olympic Games; everyone grows up watching and dreaming of being an Olympian some day and I was no different. Having the opportunity to even be in contention has been amazing, even when being painstakingly close to making a team. My first Trials, I finished 4th place, one spot outside of qualifying for the team. I did not think I would ever be that close and for me that was such a boost of confidence. To be completely honest, I definitely did not prepare for the Trials as well as I should have.
I was coming off of wining the NCAA 5k, an all-time goal for me and I think I reveled in that moment a little bit too much. The Olympics was always something that was supposed to come later in my career, not right away. Looking back on that, I should’ve been there for blood, not just happy to have my last race of the season before a break. I’ve since changed my outlook on that. I was in the rhythm of college - summers off, hanging with friends and base training for cross-country. It was supposed to be a peaceful time and I think I was far too caught up in that. Now that this is my job and that is the expectation to a certain degree, things feel a lot more heavy going into some of these races.
I won’t sugar coat it, it’s hard. Mentally, physically, emotionally. I have become more and more desperate to find peace before my races and in a way, grown farther from it than I ever have. That is one of the things that I put in my own way this summer at the 2024 Olympic Trials. Sure, 5 races in 9 days was taxing, but that is only about 30 minutes in the 200+ hours we are in this high stakes environment. The times in between races kicked my ass, plain and simple. Anxiety and stress were ever present for basically every second besides those 30 minutes of actual racing. By the time I got to my last race, I was drained and inevitably fell short of my goals of qualifying for Paris. This said, we need these experiences. This shaped me and showed me what I lacked in the face of pressure and high stakes. I wouldn’t trade this for the world because I know by the time I am at my 3rd Olympic Trials, there is going to be no doubt in my mind what I have to do to get the job done.
Cross Country is something different and you were won the USA National Championships in 2024.
Off the track, cross country has always been a love of mine… well for the most part. It provides this different stimulus, something that is a little less quantifiable than just running laps on the track. Hills, grass, mud, wind, rain - you never know what might show up on race day and that’s the beauty of it. I think for me, it's always taken a different breed of athlete to be consistently dominant at XC. I always wanted to be that athlete but I am not sure I necessarily got there. Having an iron mind, robotic body, killer instincts. On the day, sure that could be me, but it's hard to have that everyday. I think 2021 NCAA is a good example of this. I went out there with one goal in mind, win. I eventually would crawl across the line in 247th place. This sucked, and a lot of people would see it as a huge failure, myself included for the remained of that day.
Following though, I realized the strength it took me to even get to that finish line and the amount of support I received showed me I wasn’t the only one who felt that. Running isn’t always a linear path and I think I needed that failure and hardship to shape me into what I have become these 4 years later. I swore that that was my last cross country race that day and this would be true for about 3 years. Last year, my coach thought it would be smart to run the USA cross country champs as a workout leading into some more aerobic track efforts in the weeks following. It was about 2 hours away in Richmond, Virginia and as much as I wanted to say no, it was inevitable. I had built up in my head that those 10 kilometers would cause 30 minutes of pain, maybe a bit of PTSD going through my head. What was awesome was that it ended up weirdly being one of the most fluid and fun races I have ever run. I won by 5 or so seconds and got a bit of redemption that my 21 year old self would be very pleased with.
Your time at the University of Oregon was legendary. What stands out as your most memorable race during college?
College really set the tone for me and the runner I wanted to be. I came in as a freshmen very wide eyed and curious about what could be. Prefontaine, Edward Cheserek, Galen Rupp, Centro - there were so many athletes I grew up idolizing and all I wanted was to put my name up in the same conversation as theirs. The day I felt like I accomplished that was my last track race in the NCAA as a Duck. The 2021 NCAA championships. This is my all time favorite race, the one that I feel like everything really came together for and gave me some satisfaction and closure for my 4 years as a Duck. Being in Eugene, I had felt the roar of a how crowd at Hayward Field and with the newly minted stadium done, I was anxious to get back ion that spotlight and show off the work I had done to get there. It was a loaded field in my eyes and not a handout for the title by any means.
Some guys loved to run fast, others really good kickers, so in prep I had done a bit of everything and my favorite in particular, was a simulation workout to prepare for the unavoidable start pace of Wesley Kiptoo. We were running a 2k with the first 800 in 2:00 then getting slower. Who does that? Well, we do and in that race we went out in almost exactly that then slowly began to slow down. All the pieces were falling into place, but it wasn’t until the last 800 when I thought that we could make some magic. We were on pace for a championship record, 3 guys in the front pack including myself - I was buzzing. I kind of blacked out going into the last lap but I remember with 200 to go, hearing the announcers talking about me and the crowd chanting my name, there was no way I could lose. With 120 meters to go I took off and there was no looking back. My dreams became reality, I ran over and saw all of my best friends, my family. I wish I could relive that moment 100 times over.
Breaking the collegiate indoor mile record must have been a surreal experience. Can you walk us through that race?
Second on the collegiate race tier list has to be the indoor mile. In all honesty, that race was such a surprise to me. We had gone to Arkansas before and I knew it was a fast track and we were going in there with a goal to run fast. We got on the bus on the way over and coach called myself, Cole Hocker and Charlie Hunter over to talk strategy. He gave us a sheet with paces - if you want to run 3:55 you hit these splits, 3:52 is these splits and of 3:49 would take these times. What? 3:49? Why would he even put that on the sheet, were not getting close to that. I guess our coach had some insider information that we did not because getting out there, we all just zoned out. Pacers for the first 800 or so and then just 3 friends out for a run.
We began to cut down as instructed before the race and I figured were would just get what we get. With 300 to go, I went to the lead with Cole in pursuit and next thing I know, I am running into the home straight looking at the clock click away - 3:48, 3:49, 3:50. I sat on the track next to Cole, having both just shattered the old Collegiate record, and saying to each other “was that kind of easy?”. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that was the outcome and the beauty of it is, I think that if I had, it probably wouldn’t have ended up like that. We were all so present and in it that whatever the outcome, it would’ve been our best and we would’ve been happy. That moment changed my perspective on what was possible in the future.
Do you see yourself focusing more on the 1500m or moving up to longer distances like the 10,000m or marathons in the future?
This year is going to be a bit of a change for me, I plan to focus more solely on the 5k rather than split my time between that and the 1500. I've always wanted to live in the space between the two, but its becoming harder and harder to do that these days. They do compliment each other well, but doing a double at championship meets is getting a little out of hand. For me I always just wanted to be fast. The 1500 is exciting and people know it. The 5k on the other hand, I think is my sweet spot. I ran one of the fastest times by an American ever last year , 12:54, and that opened the flood gates for what I thought my potential was in that event and this year I want to find what the boundaries are in that realm. The longer stuff, including the marathon, I think are still some years away for me, or at least I hope they are.
At the end of the day, I want to be world class and I am going to live in whatever place that is true for. Right now I feel like that is the 5k. I do love training for the 1500 though, fast 200’s, short rest, cut down 300’s. It is so much more flashy than doing 6xmile at threshold pace or a hard long run. For me, I try to do everything I can with what I have. My coach is really good at giving us variety, in regard to training and racing, so I never get too bored or overstimulated with one thing or another. In the end, with racing I am planning to stay as short as possible for as long as possible. When that switch does eventually come, I'd like to go to the roads because I feel like the atmosphere is so exciting and it definitely creates a certain type of hype for every race.
What advice would you give to young runners looking to take their performance to the next level?
For the next generation, I would say that talent and hard work are important but nothing will ever Trump having a genuine passion for the thing you’re doing. I have always been such a nerd when it comes to running, in high school I would spend hours watching old race footage and workout’s on YouTube. I cared and that’s cool, no matter what anyone might say. A little tip that has always helped me is quite literally to have distractions. It sounds backwards, but in my head, distractions keep you present and away from negative thoughts or fears of what might be coming. If you are with people you like and doing exciting things, there is no room for the negative things that can come with running, mostly on the mental side. Lastly, I forget how fast time moves, be present and enjoy every run, race and workout because it feels like just yesterday I was running with my high school friends and now I have been a professional for 4 years, life moves fast, enjoy it!
What would you be doing if you weren’t a professional athlete?
If I weren’t running, it’s hard to say where I would be. I’ve always been active and cannot sit still if my life depended on it, so I think a office job it out of the question. Recently, my teammates and I have been working on building the team we have out here in Virginia, named SOVA, and furthermore the brand side of it, so maybe I would be creating something of my own like that, although 6 year old me would tell you I’d be an astronaut by now. Long story short, I feel very lucky to have found something I am so excited about and made that my job, because outside of that, I might be kind of lost.
Any big goals for the next few years? Any specific races or records you eyeing?
My biggest goals over the next years are mostly to make teams. That’s always what I’ve wanted to do and while I know running fast is fun and important, I think the ones who compete at the biggest meets like Worlds and the Olympics are the ones who cement themselves as some of the all time greats in American distance running. Otherwise I would like to break 3:30 in the 1500 and hopefully find an American record somewhere along the way, but if I’m competing to the best of my ability for as long as I can, I’ll be very happy.
Any running guilty pleasures?
While running is probably the center of my daily life, I definitely couldn’t do it if that was all I did. My guilty pleasures mostly consist of lots of TV with my girlfriend - I just finished Gilmore Girls and that’s one of my favorite now. I am also definitely a big shopper, I do a lot of thrifting and I love to find vintage and designer stuff online; I absolutely hate being in running mode 24/7 so being able to put on an outfit and even go get coffee is a nice way to detach a little bit from running.
This kind of couples up with travel, there is something great about going somewhere new and just getting to be a version of myself that isn’t just a running, but can be fashionable and fun. My girlfriend and I like to go places and pretend that we have a different life and just live a different way, its just a fun way to take some time away from running. Off season I definitely won’t deny myself a drink, I think its really fun to just go catch up with friends or do trivia or something like that when there’s time and nothing pressing coming up. I would say overall I am a pretty simple person, I like to be stimulated and not go too long just doing the same thing, and if I can do that, I am usually pretty happy in all facets of my life.
