Evan Jager

Evan Reese Jager (born March 8, 1989) is an American distance runner.

He won the silver medal in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics.

Jager is the current NACAC area record holder in the event with a time of 8:00.45, which makes him the 16th fastest performer in its history.

He is sponsored by Nike and is coached by Jerry Schumacher in the Bowerman Track Club.

Jager attended Harry D. Jacobs High School in Algonquin, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago.

His high school coach was named Kevin Christian, and was a D1 runner at Eastern Illinois University.

In 2005, as a junior, he placed 9th at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in San Diego.

In the same year, he lowered his personal best in the mile run to 4:08.15, winning the Midwest Distance Gala.

At the same meet, he ran 4:05.68 in the mile, placing 3rd although he competed in the "B" heat.

During his high school career, he won three individual state championship titles and one relay title.

In 2006, as a junior, he won the 1600 m with a time of 4:11.22 and was a part of the winning 4 × 800 m relay with a time of 7:40.02.

In 2006, as a senior, he won the cross country state championships with a time of 14:07.

In 2007, as a senior, he ran 8:47.59 in the 2 mile, placing 4th at the Nike Outdoor Nationals.

In 2007, as a senior, he won the 3200 m with a time of 8:52:33.

Jager used to run up a hill now known as "Jager Hill" in Algonquin.

This infamous hill has been used for running by the Jacobs High School Cross Country team.

Jager attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he competed for the Wisconsin Badgers and was coached by Schumacher.

He did not compete as a freshman at the 2007 NCAA Championships for Cross Country, and was NCAA Division 1 All-American in the DMR at 2008 Indoor Track, but in 2008, Jager placed 8th in the 1500 metres at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track Championships.

In the summer after his freshman year, Jager qualified to represent the United States in the 2008 IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships by winning the 1500 m in 3:47.43 at 2008 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships June 20–22, 2008 in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

He made the finals of the 1500 metres and placed 8th with 3:49.59.

That fall, Jager signed a professional contract with Nike, forfeiting his remaining NCAA eligibility.

He left the University of Wisconsin and moved to Portland to continue training with Schumacher, who had been hired by Nike to be a full-time coach to professional Nike-sponsored runners.

Jager enrolled in Portland State University to continue his studies.

Jager competed at his first USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 5000 m, where he took the lead with 200 m to go before placing third behind his teammates Matt Tegenkamp and Chris Solinsky.

By placing third, Jager earned the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin.

At the World Championships, Jager placed 11th in his heat of the 5000 m and did not advance to the final.

Much of Jager's first professional season was documented in the Runner's World web series "Wisconsin to Worlds," which followed the teammates' historic sweep at the USATF Championships and their European season as they prepared for the 2009 IAAF World Championships.

In early 2010, Jager experienced pain in his foot during training runs.

After taking some time off, he returned to competition, but the pain persisted and culminated in a stress fracture that he received in the 1500 m final at the USATF Championships on June 25.

On July 28, 2010 he had surgery to repair a fracture in the Navicular bone of his foot.

Recuperation from his surgery took time, with pool and bike workouts substituting for running.

He did not do any serious running workouts until March 2011, with the remainder of that track season being an essential, gradual return to high level training rather than a season of competitive racing.

In the spring of 2012, guided by coach Jerry Schumacher and former U.S. steeplechase champion Pascal Dobert, Jager switched to the 3000 m steeplechase.

He made his debut at the Mt. SAC Relays in April 2012.

He won that race in 8:26.14, a stunning time for a neophyte and close to the 8:23.1 Olympic A standard necessary for participation in the London Games.

During this race, he also beat America's best steeplechaser at the time, Daniel Huling, now one of his training partners.

Jager followed through on this auspicious performance by comfortably winning the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials 3000 m steeplechase in 8:17.40.

On July 20, 2012, Jager broke the American record in the 3000 m steeplechase, running 8:06.81.

On August 5, Jager competed in the Olympics, finishing 6th in the final.

After the Olympics, on August 17, Jager ran a new personal best of 7:35 in the 3000 m at the Stockholm Diamond League meet, finishing 5th.