Caleb Dean, NCAA champion and the second-fastest collegian ever over 400mH, has signed with Grand Slam Track as the fourth and final Racer in the “long hurdles” category for the league’s inaugural season.

“When it first came out, I knew Michael Johnson had big plans for this league,” Dean told CITIUS MAG. “I can’t wait to participate, I can’t wait to make my name in this league. I’m really excited to be able to compete with the best of the best.”

Here’s what you need to know:

- Dean’s signing completes the Racer group for the long hurdles. These athletes will contest both the 400m hurdles and a flat 400m over each three-day Slam. He is joined by 2022 World champion Alison Dos Santos, world junior record holder Roshawn Clarke, and Olympic 4th-place finisher Clément Ducos.

- The Slams are set to take place in Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Athletes will accrue points for their finish in both races, and the athlete in each event group with the most cumulative points will take home a $100,000 payday.

- Dean had a historic junior season competing for Texas Tech in the NCAA. He became the first male athlete at the NCAA DI level to ever win the 60mH indoors and the 400mH outdoors in the same season. He also managed a 6th-place finish in the flat 60m at NCAA Indoors and has a PB of 6.52. He possesses an incredibly rare combination of a deadly start with world-class sprint strength.

- After winning the NCAA 400mH title in 47.23 in June – a time that made Dean the second-fastest collegian ever behind only Rai Benjamin – he was looked at as a near-lock to make the U.S. team for Paris and a potential medal contender. However, he clipped the eighth hurdle in the Olympic Trials final and missed out on an Olympic bid. Despite the fact he only raced once after the Trials, his 47.23 held up as the fourth-fastest time in the world last year, behind only the Olympic podium.

- Dean does not have a 400m performance on his World Athletics page, but he split 46.17 at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships on the lead-off leg for a Texas Tech team that finished 4th.

What his signing means for the league:

- With Dean as the final signee for the long hurdles group, it means 2024 Olympic champion Rai Benjamin and 2021 Olympic champion and world record holder Karsten Warholm will not be Racers this season. They could still compete as Challengers at one or several Slams.

- Clarke and Dos Santos both have 400m PBs nearing the 45-second barrier, while Ducos’ best mark is 46.79 from March. Dean clearly has flat speed in droves as shown by his indoor times, so it’ll be fascinating to see how these hurdlers matchup this season without hurdles

Dean’s head-to-head record against Dos Santos, Clarke, and Ducos:

• 0-1 vs Dos Santos
• Dean has never raced Clarke
• 1-0 vs Ducos

This interview has been edited lightly for length and clarity. You can listen to our full interview with Caleb Dean on the CITIUS MAG Podcast.

CITIUS MAG: All right, Caleb. We're here in Orlando, Florida, a place that you now call home.

Caleb Dean: I moved out here three months ago, so it's definitely my home. I got my Florida license and everything transferred over from Maryland, so it's my home.

First off, we're here for the Bowerman ceremony, which you're a finalist for. What has 2024 been like for you? When I looked on your Instagram, you made this Instagram post about how awesome 2023 was: getting into real estate, starting your own business, the PRs and all these times that you were dropping and then you found a way to top all of that in 2024.

And I'm hoping to top 2024 in 2025. Being able to build off that 2023 year and have the momentum that I did going into 2024 is what created all those PRs and achievements.

It's like, ‘Okay, I did it this year. Why can't I do it again?’ That was my mindset going into 2024. And I'm trying to reach bigger goals in 2025.

It'll be your first full professional year, you signed with Adidas this past summer right after the Trials. And then on top of that, you're signed on as a Racer for Grand Slam Track. What’s your excitement to be a part of that?

When it first came out, I knew Michael Johnson had big plans for this league and I can't wait to participate. I can't wait to make my name in this league. I'm really excited to be able to compete with the best of the best.

One of the fun parts is that I've obtained some messages that you sent. Let's have you address these.

First message to Kyle Merber, the Director of Racing: “Sign me to Grand Slam Track. I will give anyone the work. Just let me cook.”

You took a message at Grand Slam Track’s main account. You were early! June 27th.

I was trying to get in! Based on my performance in the NCAA and not being able to compete as much as I would like – that said, enough already, especially because I didn't have a full fall training and I missed some of the outdoor season. I was doing this with injuries, so imagine what I would do with a full season.

I was definitely taking shots. I was so excited that the league was happening and I wanted to be one of the first people to join the league.

You DM'ed Grand Slam Track and said “Sign me!” on June 27th at 10:31 a.m. If I'm looking back on it, that’s right after the league was announced.

You said, “Best hurdler coming out of the collegiate circuit.” This just goes to show, if you want something, shoot your shot.

At first I was air balling. They were leaving me on read. But somehow I took that half court shot and I made it.

I love that. What have you learned in this past year? 2023 was the year you declared yourself as the best dual hurdler – both in the 60m hurdles and the 400m hurdles. And then you back that up this past year.

How have you continued to level up as an athlete in 2024? Were there any changes in training that made you faster and better year over year?

What really led to me performing the way I did this past season is because I was able to be comfortable in the environment at Texas Tech. I was able to understand the coaching.

My first year there, I was really going with the flow and going through the motions. Of course, I had dogs training with me. I had Courtney Lindsey, Terrence Jones, Antoine Andrews – all these people who pushed me to get better.

That next year I started studying film and trying to understand my technique and where I was lacking. So I think actually learning the game of track put me over the edge.

As I look at the guys you'll be racing at least four times next year – it's the next era of 400 meter hurdles, right? Karsten and Rai didn't sign on to join the league as Racers. You might see them as challengers. You're the only one of the group that's going directly from the NCAA into this in your first full professional year. This is an event where the tide could turn very quickly.

I think so, too. Definitely, respect to [Karsten, Rai, and Alison], they’re top dogs. But with this new league and everything going on, I think the tables could turn for sure.

The interesting part is that you are signed up to run the 400m and the 400m hurdles. But I'm looking at your profile and there are no 400m PRs.

I think the last time I ran an open 400m was my freshman year of high school and I went 56 seconds.

So that's your PR?

Yeah, that's my PR. Whenever somebody asks me, ‘What’s your PR in the 400m?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, 56 seconds.’ But I do 4x400m relays here and there and will split like 45 seconds.

Not to say that I'm not trying, but it's like, ‘Do I want to do this?’ My mindset is not there for the 4x400m – because who wants to run a 4x400m? But at Nationals, at Regionals, I definitely give it my all. I think I can split a pretty fast leg and also run a pretty fast open 400m. I'm excited about that.

What's the fastest you've gone in practice for 400?

I did a 45-second test two years ago when I first got to Texas Tech and I ran 399m.

I look at the 60m hurdles and the success you've had there. How does that help your 400m hurdles? You're unique in the sense that you can do both.

It helps with speed work, being able to get off the hurdle. And also technique-wise. I think I'm technically one of the best hurdlers out there.

I had this conversation with Sydney and Dalilah about how the event has changed since 2019, and Femke backed it up too. What happened to the women's 400m hurdles was that it became a sprint race. It was no longer that you get into a rhythm and pace yourself.

The interesting part about when you came up in the sport, is you never knew the other side of it being a rhythm race or anything like that. You've only known it as a sprint.

Yeah, for sure. Especially the 2021 Olympics. I was watching it as a sophomore in college. I was like no way they just ran 45 seconds over hurdles. It was baffling to me, I couldn't understand it. It was crazy.

That was one of those races where I got out of my seat. It was the biggest “holy shit” moment I think I've ever had watching a track race.

But then 2024 has been really fast. On the world list this year you ended up finishing fourth with the only three guys ahead of you being the three guys who medaled at the Olympics. And it sucks because of the Trials, right? You didn't get the chance to see what you could have done at the Olympics.

What are you hoping happens the next time you get your shot with those guys?

Falling at the Trials was very upsetting. I think it gives me more motivation, a chip on my shoulder. Especially in Monaco where I got cooked and came in last. Being uncomfortable. Not making the USA team when I knew I was supposed to make it.

It’s like, ’You still got work to do, you're not the best yet.’ So it gives me a lot of motivation, a lot of drive.

Every time I'm at practice and I don't feel like doing another rep, I just think of that moment when I was on the floor and looking up at the times at Trias or coming in last at Monaco. And I’m like, ’Do you ever want to experience that feeling again? Yes or no?’

How long did it take to get over the Trials?

It didn't take me that long. I was definitely in my feelings for a couple of days after that. My support and my friends, my family, the people on my Instagram – they showed me a lot of love and that definitely helped a lot.

I keep coming back to the talent that you have in the 60m hurdles and you know what that means for your flat 400m speed, your 400m hurdles speed. Get technical with me – what is it that you think you're really good at that benefits you?

I started my career as a sprinter, a 100m-200m guy.

What were the PRs there?

I stopped in high school. My PR then was 10.8 which wasn't the best, but that's when I started taking the hurdles seriously. I guess that's where it came from, I used to get specialized sprint training. Maybe I still have some of that in me.

Thinking about next year now. You've got four Grand Slams that you're signed up for, and then beyond that it's a long year until September. But you're used to that from the NCAA system. And then on top of that, you've got the coaching switch and you’re working with coach Lance Brauman. What led to that move?

He wanted to work with me and I was like, ‘I see you. You train the best of the best. I'm eager to work with you.’

We set that up and made it happen.

Is it interesting showing it to practice and seeing the excellence of all these other athletes who have gone on to have great success on the world stages?

Coming in I was a little intimidated. I'm the rookie and these guys are legit. But they're really good people, like a big brother to me. They help me whenever I'm struggling or if they see anything I'm doing wrong, they’ll correct me. Just being around them is great.

What I’ve really enjoyed following in your career progression over the last two years is the confidence you've built for yourself. It's shooting the DMs to Grand Slam Track. It's the way you throw yourself into the fire in Monaco after a disappointing Trials. Where did this all come from?

Coming to Texas Tech really built my confidence. When I was at the University of Maryland, I didn't really have confidence like that. I knew I was fast, but every time I got in a race with the big dogs, my mental would be messed up.

So being able to go to Texas Tech, really trust myself and understand that what I'm doing in practice is going to pay off. That helped take my confidence level from here to here.

How much did the team title mean to you then?

Coming in, we knew we could win, but the way we did it was so crazy. It was just a rush of joy and excitement. All we needed to do was get the stick around and that's what we did. It was a blessing.

Is there a part of you that's going to miss that?

Being a part of a team is an amazing feeling, I definitely didn't take it for granted. Transitioning to professional life, not having a team, not having a conference meet – those are the things that I'm going to miss about collegiate or high school track. I won a national title or championship title at every level, high school or college. So if we win a 4x400m, that's like my conference or national title as a team.

Do you want to throw out any sort of hard goals for next year? I know you've been good at manifesting these things. When you're fourth in the world at the end of the year when looking at the time standings, that's right there for a medal once you get the opportunity.

I'm really just trying to stay healthy and dominate, compete, win. That's pretty much it.

For the 400m hurdles, I'm trying to run 46. I just want to compete with the big dogs. I want my name in that conversation. They always say “The Big Three” – Dos Santos, Warholm and Benjamin. I want my name to be in that conversation as well.

We've seen the success with Rai at the flat 400m and in the relay – do you think that with enough of these flat 400m’s you’ll be running with Grand Slam that you might be able to throw something down that gets you a call to be a part of the relay pool?

I think having opportunities to run the open 400m will definitely put me in that pool to run the 400m as well.

I appreciate you taking the time to do this. It's been so cool to see the success you've had within the past year. And now you have to top 2024!

Listen to our full interview with Caleb Dean on the CITIUS MAG Podcast.

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