Photo courtesy of Citius Mag
Ethan Strand reacts after setting an NCAA record in the indoor mile. The former Vestavia Hills standout has set two NCAA marks this season.
The stretch run of a record-setting senior season is here — and Ethan Strand is right in the middle of it.
The former Vestavia Hills standout and current North Carolina star will line up this weekend at the 2025 ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, looking to add another title to a season already overflowing with milestones. The men’s 1,500-meter final is set for Saturday at 5 p.m. CDT, a spotlight moment for one of the biggest names in NCAA distance running.
Strand is coming off another eye-popping performance on May 4 at the Duke Twilight, where he ran 3:33.22 — the second-fastest 1,500 meters in NCAA history. It was just his second outdoor race of the year, and he took down Georgetown’s Abel Teffra, the reigning indoor mile national champion, in a thriller on his home track in Chapel Hill.
That effort followed a historic indoor season that saw Strand rewrite the record books:
- NCAA record in the mile (3:48.32)
- NCAA record in the 3,000 meters (7:30.15)
- National champion in the 3,000 meters
- USTFCCCA National Track Athlete of the Year
Add in multiple ACC Performer of the Week honors — most recently on May 6 — and it’s clear: the magical run isn’t slowing down.
Strand enters the ACC meet as the defending conference champion in the 1,500, and a strong favorite again. He and training partner Parker Wolfe have led a Tar Heel distance resurgence that’s put UNC at the front of the national conversation.
After this weekend in Charlotte, Strand will head to the NCAA East Preliminaries, May 28–31 in Jacksonville, Florida, where he must qualify for the national championships.
All eyes shift to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June in Eugene, Oregon — where Strand will have a chance to cap his senior season with another national title, and perhaps another record.
Until then, fans can follow along with live results and streaming coverage here:
