Luis Miguel Grijalva (born 10 April 1999) is a Guatemalan long-distance runner.[2] Born in Guatemala, he attended Armijo High School in Fairfield, California,[3] where he was a state champion in cross country and track. He competed for Northern Arizona University from 2017 to 2021, securing multiple All-American finishes in the NCAA. In 2021, Grijalva began competing professionally, sponsored by Hoka One One. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, he finished 12th in the 5000m. He also finished fourth in the 5000m at both the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships.
 Grijalva competing at the 2023 World Athletics Championships – Men's 5000 metres. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Luis Miguel Grijalva |
| Born | 10 April 1999 Guatemala City, Guatemala[1] |
| Home town | Fairfield, California, U.S. |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Events | |
| University team | Northern Arizona Lumberjacks |
| Coached by | Mike Smith |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests |
|
Running career
editHigh school and college
editGrijalva was a state champion in cross country while attending Armijo High School, winning Division 1 of the 2016 CIF State Cross Country Championships.[4] He was also an All-American at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships.[5] On the track, Grijalva won the 1600m state championship in 2017, and he recorded high school personal bests of 4:02 in the mile and 8:46 for 2 miles.[3] His senior year, Grijalva signed a letter of intent to compete for Northern Arizona University (NAU), beginning in fall 2017.[6]
While at NAU, Grijalva raced four times in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, improving from a 60th-place finish his freshman year to a 9th-place finish his senior year.[7] His efforts helped lead the school to three national titles.[8] On the track, Grijalva primarily specialized in the 5000m. In his final collegiate race, he finished second in the 2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, behind Cooper Teare.[9] His time of 13:13.14 was among the top 5 fastest times ever run by a collegian in the event,[10] and it surpassed the Olympic standard of 13:13.50.[9]
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Professional
edit2021
editIn June 2021, Grijalva turned professional after securing a sponsorship deal with shoe company HOKA ONE ONE, and he remained in Flagstaff, Arizona to continue training under his college coach, Mike Smith.[11] He was slated to represent Guatemala in the 5000m of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in August. However, his status as a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient posed challenges for his travel outside the United States, as DACA beneficiaries risk denial of reentry if they leave the country.[12][13] This situation garnered national attention. Ultimately, Grivalija received special permission from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to leave and compete.[12] He went on to finish in 12th place in the 5000m final.
2022
editGrijalva competed internationally in June over 3000m on the Diamond League, running to a time of 7:38.67 and a sixth-place finish in Stockholm, Sweden.[14] He also contested the 5000m at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, finishing eleventh.[15] In July, Grijalva represented Guatemala at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.[16] His time of 13:10.44 led him to a fourth-place finish.
2023
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Grijalva competed in several European races during June and July, including at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea meet in Italy. At that Diamond League event, the athlete ran a new personal best of 12:52.97 for 5000m, earning him third place.[17] Later that summer, Grijalva represented Guatemala at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungry. He placed 4th for the second time in the 5000m of a global championship, just 0.22 second shy of bronze medalist Jakob Krop of Kenya.[18]
On September 17, he competed in the 3000m of the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, which also served as the Diamond League Final. His time of 7:29.43, en route to a seventh-place finish, was another national record for the Guatemalan.[19]
Personal life
editGrijalva's family emigrated to the United States from Guatemala in 2000, when he was a year old.[20][12] They initially moved to New York, before setting in Fairfield, California.[12] When Grijalva was 13 years old, his two older brothers became involved in gang-related activity and were deported.[11] He credits running with helping him to stay focused on his education.
Achievements
editAll statistics from athlete's profile on World Athletics.[2]
Personal bests
edit| Surface | Event | Time | Date | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor track | 1500m | 3:35.32 | July 18, 2021 | Ogden, Utah | |
| One mile | 4:02.64 | July 29, 2017 | Mission Viejo, California | NR | |
| 3000m | 7:29.43 | September 17, 2023 | Hayward Field | ||
| Two Miles | 8:21.98 | August 21, 2021 | Hayward Field | NB | |
| 5000m | 12:50.58 | May 30, 2024 | Bislett Stadium, Oslo | NR | |
| Indoor track | 1500m | 3:41.11 | February 11, 2022 | The Podium | NR |
| One mile | 3:53.53 | January 27, 2023 | Boston University | ||
| 3000m | 7:33.86 | February 11, 2023 | The Armory | ||
| 5000m | 13:29.74 | January 24, 2020 | Boston University |
International competitions
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Guatemala
| |||||
| 2021 | Olympic Games | National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan | 12th | 5000 m | 13:10.09 |
| 2022 | World Championships | Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon, USA | 4th | 5000 m | 13:10.44 |
| 2023 | World Championships | Nemzeti Atlétikai Központ, Budapest, Hungary | 4th | 5000 m | 13:12.50 |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Stade de Paris, Paris, France | 16th (heat) | 5000 m | 13:58.81 |
References
edit- ^ David Veenstra (26 July 2022). "'We showed them what we're about': NAU's Grijalva, Nur compete in track world championships". Cronkite News. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d Luis Grijalva at World Athletics
- ^ a b "Luis Grijalva - Track & Field". NAUathletics.com. Northern Arizona University. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- ^ "CIF State Cross Country Championships 2016 - D1 Boys". California MileSplit. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ Staff, Daily Republic (2016-12-10). "Grijalva 13th at Nationals, earns All-American honors". DailyRepublic.com. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ Lomtong, Marcus (2017-04-12). "Grijalva signs letter of intent to reigning NCAA champ Northern Arizona". DailyRepublic.com. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ "TFRRS | Luis Grijalva – Track and Field Results & Statistics". www.tfrrs.org. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ Gault, Jonathan. "Conner Mantz Ends American Drought, NAU Men Reassert Themselves As Kings At 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ a b Gault, Jonathan. "5,000: Cooper Teare (13:12.27) wins a deserved NCAA title in a super fast race". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ "Collegiate Track & Field All-Time Best Marks: USTFCCCA as of 27 October 2023". Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ a b "Grijalva, a 'dreamer' full of dreams | News | Oregon 22 | World Athletics Championships". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ a b c d Browning, Kellen (2021-07-26). "A Runner's Olympic Dream Was in Doubt Because of His DACA Status". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ Gault, Jonathan. "DACA Status Could Destroy This Runner's Olympic Dream". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ LetsRun.com. "Full Results for 2022 Bauhaus Galan -- Stockholm Diamond League Results". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ LetsRun.com. "Full Results for 2022 Bislett Games -- Oslo Diamond League". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ "5000 Metres Result | World Athletics Championships, Oregon 2022". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ LetsRun.com (2023-06-02). "2023 Florence DL Recap: 13 Men Break 13:00 as Fred Kerley Keeps Rolling". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ LetsRun.com (2023-08-27). "Jakob Ingebrigtsen Leaves It Late, Repeats as 5000m World Champion". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ "Prefontaine Classic | Results | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ Forero, Nicole. "I'm an Olympic athlete and a DACA recipient. Because of my status, I never thought I would be able to leave the US to compete at the Tokyo Olympics". Insider. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
External links
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