By Chris Chavez
October 30, 2024
University of Virginia senior and 2024 NCAA 800m champion Shane Cohen has turned professional and signed a contract with Nike.
Cohen thrilled fans with his last-to-first kick to win at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and then finished 6th at the U.S. Olympic Trials final in a personal best of 1:44.65.
Cohen made major improvements in 2024 after transferring from Division II University of Tampa with a personal best of 1:48. In an episode of The CITIUS MAG Podcast earlier this summer, he shared about how he struggled to run to his potential due to a femur stress fracture, which made attracting Division I offers difficult. University of Virginia coaches Vin Lananna and Trevor Dunbar took a chance on him.
In 2024, the 23-year-old ran seven personal bests in the 800m.
Cohen’s even-paced strategy drew comparisons to 2013 World Championship silver medalist Nick Symmonds’ racing style. The most direct comparison he drew after the NCAA Championships was to fellow UVA alum Robby Andrews, who used a similar kick to win the 2011 NCAA 800m title.
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Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and on Feb. 15th, 2025 finally broke five minutes for the mile.
