NCAA champion, record holder Ishmael Kipkurui signs pro deal, departs UNM track team

Ishmael Kipkurui has run his last race for the UNM Lobos.

The NCAA record holder, 2025 outdoor national champion in the 10,000 meters and four-time All-American has signed a professional contract with Nike and will return to his native Kenya to train, according to an initial report by TheStride- Report.com and confirmed by UNM Track & Field coach Darren Gauson.

“We’re thrilled Ishmael has secured a spot on the Kenyan team for the World Championships in Tokyo,” Gauson said in a statement released by UNM. “We’d like to express our gratitude for his contributions to Lobo Track and Field and offer our full support as he embarks on this new chapter with Nike. As one of the world’s top 10,000m talents, we can’t wait to see him shine in the future.”

His first competition as a professional runner was Saturday in Eugene, Oregon, at the Prefontaine Classic, where he finished fifth in the 10K in a personal best time of 26:47.72.

As he donned the Nike running jersey and had already signed with Nike, the personal best is not considered a new UNM record.

UNM teammate and fellow Kenyan runner Pamela Korsgei, a two-time national champion last month in Eugene, ran in a UNM jersey later in the day as she completed the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:22.66 — a little less than seven seconds slower than her personal best set this past season with the Lobos. She finished 15th in the elite field of the world’s best.

Kipkurui, a true freshman, set the NCAA outdoor record in the 10K in March at 26:50.21 and also posted the fourth fastest time in collegiate history in the 5,000 meters (13:09.24).

Both Kipkurui and Kosgei are semifinalists for the men’s and women’s Bowerman, the award given each year to track’s top athlete.

CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE: Los Alamos High School graduate Chase Jackson (formerly Chase Ealey when she was a state champion sprinter and thrower for the Hilltoppers) set a Prefontaine record in the shot put, throwing 20.94 meters (68 feet, 8.5 inches).

“I feel like I’m ready to throw 21, and I’m ready to do it at a big meet,” Jackson said. “I’m excited to get some training days with my coach ... excited to clean it up and see what we can do going into Tokyo (the 2025 World Championships).”

Ealey, a multiple time Olympic qualifier, is a two time gold medalist at the past two World Championships (2022 and 2023) and holds the U.S. record in the shot put at 20.95 meters (68 feet, 8.75 inches). In 2024, she had a pair of fouls and did not qualify for the finals in the Paris Olympics.

“I just have to have a goldfish mindset — forget about (Paris) — and that’s kind of what I’ve done,” Jackson said. “I’m using it to push harder and this season I’ve never been more driven, so I’m just taking that into Tokyo and going for my third world title in a row.”