Charles Hicks (runner)
British long-distance runner (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charles Hicks (born 25 July 2001)[1] is a British-American middle- and long-distance runner. He is a two-time European Cross Country under-23 champion (2021, 2022), the first British repeat Euro U23 winner. He placed seventh in the 2026 Boston Marathon.
Hicks at the 2022 European Cross Country Championships in Turin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | British/American | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 25 July 2001 London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home town | Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Stanford University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | Middle-, long-distance running | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Stanford Cardinal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers Bowerman Track Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Ricardo Santos 2019-23 Jerry Schumacher 2023-Present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 5,000 m: 13:09.38 i (Boston, 2024) Marathon: 2:04:25 (Boston, 2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Hicks won the 2022 NCAA Division I Cross Country title. In 2025 he transferred allegiance to the United States, where he had lived since the age of 12.[2]
Career
Born and raised in London, Charles Hicks moved with his family to Florida at age 12. He studied cognitive science at Stanford University.[3]
In 2021, he won the men's under-23 title at the European Cross Country Championships in Dublin.[1]
In April 2022, Hicks set a British U23 10,000 metres record with a time of 27:40.16.[4] On 19 November, the 21-year-old won the men's race at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships held in Stillwater, Oklahoma, becoming the first Stanford runner, the fourth British runner and the first British runner for over 30 years to win the NCAA XC individual title. He set a course record of 28:43.6 on a hilly 10-kilometer circuit.[5][6][4] The following month, Hicks successfully defended his European Cross Country U23 title with a commanding 8-second victory in Turin, Italy.[7][8]
On June 30, 2023, Hicks signed a professional contract with Nike to run for the Bowerman Track Club and be coached by Jerry Schumacher.[9]
On November 2, 2025, Charles Hicks made his marathon debut at the 2025 New York City Marathon, where he placed 6th in the men's race with a time of 2:09:59.[10][11]
Statistics
Personal bests
Times taken from World Athletics.[1]
- 1500 metres – 3:43.59 (Berkeley, CA 2021)
- 3000 metres – 7:43.84 (Seattle, WA 2022)
- 3000 metres indoor – 7:53.90 (Fayetteville, AR 2023)
- 5000 metres – 13:24.58 (Stanford, CA 2022)
- 5000 metres indoor – 13:09.38 (Boston, MA 2024)
- 10,000 metres – 27:40.16 (Stanford, CA 2022)
- 10 miles road – 45:14 (Washington, D.C. 2025)
- Marathon - 2:04:35 (Boston, MA 2026)
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | European Cross Country Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 5th | XC 6.3 km U20 | 19:05 |
| 1st | U20 team | 25 pts | |||
| 2021 | European Cross Country Championships | Dublin, Ireland | 1st | XC 8.0 km U23 | 24:29 |
| 2nd | U23 team | 24 pts | |||
| 2022 | European Cross Country Championships | Turin, Italy | 1st | XC 7.662 km U23 | 23:40 |
| 1st | U23 team | 11 pts | |||
| 2023 | European Athletics U23 Championships | Espoo, Finland | 1st | 5000 metres | 13.35:07 |
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025 New York City Marathon | New York, United States | 6th | Marathon | 2:09:59 |
| 2026 | 2026 Boston Marathon | Boston, United States | 7th | Marathon | 2:04:35 |
