Michael Somers

Michael Somers (born 2 March 1995) is a Belgian long-distance runner.[2] In December 2021, he finished 5th at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships in Dublin, Ireland in a race won by Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen.[3] In January 2023 Somers made his debit in the half-marathon, finishing 4th in the half-marathon in Seville[4] In June he represented Belgium at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, Italy, finishing 25th in the men's half marathon.In September 2023 he qualified for the marathon at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France by finishing 16th in the Berlin Marathon in a time of 2h08:09, a mere 1 second within the required qualification marker of 2h08:10.[6] Immediately after finishing, he touched the nation by first asking a Sporza TV reporter to lend him his phone so he could call his dad who was suffering at home from a lingering illness, not getting through and then addressing in tears via live TV his dad to let him know that his name was now "forever in the record books".
BelgiumTrack and Field10,000mMarathonHamish Carson1500 mHeusden-Zolder3000 mHerentals5000 m10,000 mLeidenKirchbergLouvain-la-NeuveTwo milesDortmundlong-distance runner2019 Belgian Athletics ChampionshipsLotto Cross Cup2021 European Cross Country ChampionshipsDublin, IrelandJakob Ingebrigtsen2024 European Athletics ChampionshipsRome, Italymen's half marathon2024 Summer OlympicsParis, FranceBerlin MarathonSporzaEuropean Cross Country ChampionshipsTilburgLisbon, PortugalEuropean ChampionshipsHalf marathonOlympic GamesWorld AthleticsGazet van AntwerpenEuropean AthleticsTeam BelgiumBelgian