Simeon Birnbaum: The Quiet Killer of NCAA Running — How a 3:52 Miler Is Rising to Greatness & An Inside Look At His Breakthrough NCAA Season

THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

Dominic Schlueter

Running, Sports

4.8 • 686 Ratings

🗓️ 11 July 2025

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

He went from Rapid City to Hayward Field.

From high school phenom to NCAA standout.

And now, toeing the line with the best in the world, Simeon Birnbaum is bridging the levels in a way few athletes do.

In his return to the show, we catch up with Simeon just 24 hours after his electric 3:56.64 mile at the Prefontaine Classic—his first real taste of pro racing on one of the sport's biggest stages.

This isn't a rehash of what you already know. We're looking ahead: what it felt like lining up against Diamond League vets, how that race taught him more than any workout ever could, and why he's hungrier than ever to chase greatness at the highest level.

The journey that brought him here is important, though: like the 3:57.53 mile he ran as a high school senior (and the 3:59.51 he clocked as a junior), the 1:47.96 800m speed he still carries, and the 3:37.02 1500m PR he dropped this spring at Oregon Twilight.

Add in his 13:31.87 5000m from Big Tens (a meet record), and you're looking at one of the most versatile young talents in U.S. distance running. He came in 7th in the 1500m at NCAA outdoors in June of 2025.

From his days winning 13 South Dakota state titles and earning 2023 HS Boys Athlete of the Year, to bouncing back from early setbacks in his freshman year and finishing 3rd at NCAAs in the 1500m, Simeon's story is just getting started.

Whether you're a high schooler dreaming big or a fan of the sport tracking the next American great, this is the kind of conversation you'll want in your earpods for your next long run.

In today's conversation, Simeon gives me a deep dive look into his Sophomore year. We dicuss the tactics, training, and races that made it successful. We walk through his first-ever NCAA Outdoor Championships, running the Pre-Classic, and his ambitions for domination in the future.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Ladies and gentlemen, before we get in today's conversation, I want to share a little bit about
0:04.2	Two Before, today's presenting sponsor of the podcast. I've worked with Two Before for over two years now,
0:10.0	and it's really cool to work with partners long term, and Two Before has been there for me for a long,
0:15.2	long time, and they make an incredible product that I'm always happy to talk to you guys about.
0:20.6	Breaking down Two Before for you, if you're unfamiliar're unfamiliar to before is made up of blackcurrant
0:24.7	powder. And if you're not familiar with black currants, they are antioxidant berries grown
0:29.1	in New Zealand. And studies have shown that consuming them regularly improves endurance by
0:33.9	increasing blood flow and removing lactic acid, and they also can manage inflammation
0:37.8	in kickstart muscle recovery, meaning you can hit your next training session just as strong
0:43.2	as you did the previous day. Today, I have a special code for you, the running effect 30,
0:47.2	which will give you 30% off of your purchase, and I'm really excited to hear the testimonials
0:52.8	of you guys trying it out because I firmly believe this stuff works and is a great asset to your training.
0:58.2	Without further ado, enjoy my conversation of the podcast today.
1:05.5	It's the like people who run like 333, 334 were saying, we're not doing the 15 this year.
1:11.6	Like, it's just, it's too good of a field, like we're going to go do a different event.
1:15.6	And then you saw them like the pre-term before you get make it to the final, like how many big names,
1:20.6	like the collegiate record holder doesn't make it in the national championship.
1:24.6	Winner doesn't make it, like, but if you have those guys missing out in the final, it's an insane year.
1:37.1	You know him, you love him.
1:38.6	He's back.
1:39.2	Simeon Burnbaum, that was just him, ladies and gentlemen.
1:41.5	Today he's back on the podcast to recap and to document his sophomore year track season,
	...

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