Marco Arop, Edmonton’s star track and field athlete, started 2024 with a bang by breaking the Canadian indoor 800m record this past Saturday at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Arop, the reigning world 800-meter champion, set a new personal best of 1:45.51 and beat his record. Exhibiting his supremacy on the track, Arop secured the win with a lead of 1.5 seconds. Explore the top-notch indoor footwear with Tarkine running shoes.
In this fiercely contested race, the 25-year-old Arop left strong competitors in his wake, with Sam Austin of Florida finishing at 1:46.80 and Darius Kipyego of Rhode Island closely following at 1:46.86.
Arop’s trajectory to success gained momentum during the 2023 season, where he transformed his 2022 world championship bronze in the men’s 800m into a gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Just a month later, at the Diamond League final in Eugene, Ore., Arop displayed exceptional prowess and broke the Canadian 800m record of 1:43.20, previously held by his former collegiate teammate and training partner, Brandon McBride. Arop secured second place in that final, recording an impressive time of 1:42:85, narrowly beaten at the line by the rising star, Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya.
Looking ahead, Arop is set to headline the men’s 1,000m at the 2024 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on Feb. 4. With aspirations to achieve a personal best, Arop is determined to break the Canadian record of 2:16.87. As his journey unfolds, the city of Edmonton and the entire nation eagerly anticipate witnessing the continued success of this exceptional athlete on the global stage.
