Paul Hof-Mahoney contributed reporting.

Cooper Lutkenhaus, the 16-year-old high school star who shattered his own U.S. 800m high school record and broke the 800m U18 world record with a 1:42.27 runner-up finish at last month’s U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, has opted to forego all of his remaining high school and collegiate eligibility to turn professional and sign a contract with Nike. The decision comes before he is set to race the 800m at the World Championships in Tokyo next month and makes history as the youngest American ever to represent the U.S. at a World Championship.

“I’m just super excited and blessed for the opportunity,” Lutkenhaus tells CITIUS MAG. “To be able to run professionally at such a young age is not very common, so to be represented by the best brand is very exciting.”

Lutkenhaus will remain enrolled at Northwest High School in Texas, where he’s beginning his junior year. He is represented by Ray Flynn and Flynn Sports, who have also represented top high school stars over the past 30 years, including Alan Webb and Drew Hunter. He will continue being coached by Northwest head cross country and track coach Chris Capeu. Classes started on Aug. 13th. (Capeu was a guest on The CITIUS MAG Podcast earlier this month.)

Lutkenhaus is the fourth-fastest American in U.S. history at 800m (behind American record holder Bryce Hoppel, 2019 World champion, and 2025 U.S. champion Donavan Brazier and 2025 World Indoor champion Josh Hoey) and No. 18 on the World all-time list. He is the sixth-fastest man in the world in 2025. He jokingly credited his late-kicking performance at the U.S. Championships to “middle school tactics.”

The first round of the men’s 800m will be on Wednesday, Sept. 16th. The semifinals will be on Thursday, Sept. 18th. The final is set for Saturday, Sept. 20th and if Lutkenhaus (who turns 17 years old on Dec. 19th) reaches it, he would become the youngest-ever World Championship finalist in any event.

We spoke with Lutkenhaus about his decision to turn pro on Friday afternoon.

CITIUS MAG: I'm sure the last three weeks have been an unbelievably insane time for you and your family, with so many changes happening. But could you walk us through the process of making this decision – deciding to forego your high school eligibility and NCAA eligibility to sign a pro contract?

COOPER LUTKENHAUS: After USAs, it was very crazy with people reaching out, but I've been in the Nike Elite program for two years. Nike is the running brand. They choose people who they believe can change the sport and I want to be somebody who can do that. I want to help them be able to change the sport. So it's just really exciting. With that Nike Elite group and being in there for two years, I've always been around Nike. I went up to Eugene twice. So getting to see everything they have going on, it just seemed a perfect fit.

CITIUS MAG: In the conversations you had with your parents, what made you guys realize now is the right time to make a move like this and become a professional?

CL: I just think the opportunity was given and being able to do it at such a young age. If Nike is coming to me and saying, ‘Hey, we want you to be a part of the team.’ I feel like, in a way, that means you're kind of ready to go. It was just crazy being able to be signed with them.

CITIUS MAG: Entering this new phase of your life, what's your training setup gonna look like? Are you still going to be at Northwest with Coach Chris Capeau?

CL: That’s why I think signing with Nike is awesome. I’m still going to be able to train with my high school coach, with my high school teammates still at Northwest, and still being able to be in high school. Obviously, things will be a little bit different, where I'm not racing in a high school uniform and I'll be in a Nike uniform. It’s just being able to keep things as normal as possible, just racing is a little bit different.

CITIUS MAG: How important was that: keeping that normalcy and making sure that this is what's gotten you here. You're not completely reinventing the wheel now, despite the change of title, becoming a professional.

CL: I think it was super important. I’ve said it and my coach has said it before on interviews and podcasts: Keeping things as fun as possible, but also keeping things as normal as possible. I feel like when the sport doesn't start to become fun, something's not right. This sport, especially this past year and freshman year, has just been a blast. Being able to go do that and represent Nike, having as much fun as possible, and being able to race the best athletes in the world, it'll be really cool.

CITIUS MAG: I know you had the one quote that went kind of viral, that like you made the team, so you got out of running cross country. Is there any small part of you that is going to miss running cross country with your teammates or are you like, ‘Oh, I don't have to deal with that at all anymore.’

CL: Yeah, it'll definitely be tough. Like we had a meet today, so [they] all had to get up at like 4 a.m. to head to the buses. It's always tough not getting to race. Those teammates are my best friends. But I'll still get to go to meets and everything. Just the opportunity to be with Nike, I think that was just the right decision.

CITIUS MAG: Was today the first meet that you've gone to like since USAs? What was that environment like, just attending a meet as a fan or as a teammate now, but with all of the Spotlight of the last three weeks?

CL: I went to a meet last week. It was just a two-mile on the grass. We actually have one tomorrow again, so that'll be fun to go to again, but it's cool just to get to cheer on. Obviously, it stings a little bit in the heart to not get to race with them, but it's definitely cool to kind of just get to watch it as a fan, where you can take a step back and just breathe. Whereas every week you’re going to run a 5K, which obviously isn't my favorite thing, but it's really cool to get to watch them succeed.

CITIUS MAG: Looking a bit ahead now, is potentially attending college, even though you'll be a professional, academically still something that you'd want lined up in your future?

CL: Definitely. I’ve been able to run fast at a young age but in this sport, nothing is ever guaranteed. I'm obviously going to take full advantage of what I've been able to do. Once I graduate from high school, I will still go to college. I'm not sure 100% how that will look, if it's online or going to actual classes. College is definitely important just because running can only take you so far.

CITIUS MAG: And I know you had talked about how visualizing your races is something that you're really big into. Have you started to visualize what you think Tokyo might look like for you?

CL: Whenever I'm going to bed, occasionally I'll kind of think about it. I think that's just so important. I don't think every day, that's not what I'm thinking about, just because that will kind of wear you out. But you know, every few nights, I’ll just kind of think about walking out on that track with the best athletes in the world and seeing the crowd. It kind of gives me a little bit of butterflies just because it sounds so exciting to get out there.