Tim Nelson (runner)
Tim Nelson (born February 27, 1984) is a retired American distance runner. He earned All-American honors at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and ran for the United States at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships.
From California, Nelson attended Liberty Christian Academy and graduated in 2003. He won three California State CIF cross country titles and qualified for two Foot Locker National Championships in 2001 and 2002. He also won the 2002 CIF 3200 meters title, beating Kyle Alcorn.
At Wisconsin, Nelson made an immediate impact. As a freshman he performed well at conference and regional meets and finished 10th in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 10,000 meters. He earned outdoor All-American honors in 2005, 2006, and 2007, and won the Big Ten 5000 meters title in 2007. In cross country, he helped Wisconsin win the NCAA national team championship in 2006, finishing 18th overall (30:06) as the sixth man.
After college, Nelson competed professionally with Nike and the Oregon Track Club Elite under coach Jerry Schumacher. His major highlights include qualifying for the 2009 World Championships and winning the 5000 meters at the 2010 U.S. Championships, where he defeated Bernard Lagat. Nelson retired from competitive running in 2013.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:28 (CET).