Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Michael Somers

Michael Somers
Somers in 2022
Personal information
NationalityBelgian
Born (1995-03-02) 2 March 1995 (age 29)
Sport
Country Belgium
SportTrack and Field
Event(s)1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m, Marathon
ClubAtletiekclub Lyra ( - 2022)
Royal CABW Nivelles (2022 - )
Coached byRik Didden ( - 2022)
Hamish Carson (2022 - )
Achievements and titles
Personal bests

Michael Somers (born 2 March 1995) is a Belgian long-distance runner. He won the 5000 meters at the 2019 Belgian Athletics Championships. He also won the overall title of the 2021–22 Lotto Cross Cup.[2] In December 2021, he finished 5th at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships in Dublin, Ireland in a race won by Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen.[3]

In January 2023 he made his debit in the half-marathon, finishing 4th in the half-marathon in Seville[4] In June he represented Belgium at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, Italy, finishing 25th in the men's half marathon. In September 2023 he qualified for the marathon at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France by finishing 16th in the Berlin Marathon in a time of 2h08:09, a mere 1 second within the required qualification marker of 2h08:10.[5] At those Olympics he finished 22nd in the marathon.[6] Immediately after finishing, he touched the nation by first asking a Sporza TV reporter to lend him his phone so he could call his dad who was suffering at home from a lingering illness, not getting through and then addressing in tears via live TV his dad to let him know that his name was now "forever in the record books".[7] His dad died 3 days later.[8]

Competition record

Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
Representing  Belgium
2018 European Cross Country Championships Tilburg, The Netherlands 22nd Senior race 29:49
2019 European Cross Country Championships Lisbon, Portugal 24th Senior race 31:25
2021 European Cross Country Championships Dublin, Ireland 5th Senior race 30:38
2024 European Championships Rome, Italy 25th Half marathon 1:03:20 SB
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 22nd Marathon 2:10:32

References