# Niels Laros

Niels Laros (pronounced; born 17 April 2005) is a Dutch middle- and long-distance runner. He competes in distances from 800 metres to 5000 metres on the track, on the road, and cross country.
Laros is the world under-20 record holder in the 1000 metres with a time of 2:14.39 minutes set on 7 July 2024, the European under-20 record holder in the 1500 metres with a time of 3:29.54 minutes set on 6 August 2024, and the European under-20 record holder in the mile with a time of 3:48.93 minutes set on 16 September 2023.
He is the 2022 European Under-18 Champion in the 1500 metres and 3000 metres and the 2023 European Under-20 Champion in the 1500 metres and 5000 metres. He was European Athletics Rising Star of the Year in 2024.

## Early and personal life

Niels Laros was born on 17 April 2005. From Oosterhout, Laros' parents, Marcel Laros and Sandra Laros-Hofmans, were both runners. His brother Lars is a college athlete. He attended school at Oelbert Gymnasium in Oosterhout. He began to be coached by Tomasz Lewandowski in 2022. He divided his final high school in two parts to allow him to participate in training camps with Lewandowski.

## Career
### 2022

In 2022, Laros set new U18 European 1500m and 3000m records which had previously been held by Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

### 2023

In May 2023, he lowered the Dutch national junior record in the 5000 meters to 13.23.01. In June 2023 running in Nice, aged eighteen, he equalled the 22 year-old Dutch 1500m national record of 3:32.89 held by Gert-Jan Liefers. He was selected to represent the Netherlands in the men's 1500m at the 2023 European Athletics Team Championships. He finished third in the event, behind winner Mohamed Katir. Selected for the 1500m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, he qualified for the final, in which he ran a new national record time of 3:31.25. In September 2023, he set a new national record of 3:48.93 in the mile, at the Diamond League final in Eugene, Oregon.

### 2024

In February 2024, he set a new Dutch record and European U20 record for the 5km, running 13:26 on the road in Monaco. In July 2024, he set a world under-20 record over 1000 metres of 2:14.37 in Hengelo. He competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics over 1500 metres and ran a personal best and European U20 record to place sixth in the final.
He won the U20 race at the 2024 European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey in December 2024.

### 2025

He set a Dutch record of 7:29.49 for the 3000 metres indoor in Liévin on 13 February 2025.

## Personal bests

Information from his World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.
Personal best times :
| Event | Time | Location | Date | Record |
| 800 metres | 1:44.78 | Monaco City, Monaco | 21 July 2023 | NU20R |
| 800 metres short track | 1:47.16 | Toruń, Poland | 6 February 2024 | NU20R |
| 1000 metres | 2:14.39 | Hengelo, Netherlands | 7 July 2024 | NR WU20R |
| 1500 metres | 3:29.54 | Paris, France | 6 August 2024 | NR AU20R |
| Mile | 3:48.93 | Eugene, OR, USA | 16 September 2023 | NR AU20R |
| 2000 metres | 4:49.68 | Brussels, Belgium | 8 September 2023 | NR |
| 3000 metres | 7:29.49 | Liévin, France | 13 February 2025 | NR |
| 5000 metres | 13:23.01 | Oordegem, Belgium | 27 May 2023 | NU20R |
| 5 kilometres road | 13:26 | Monaco City, Monaco | 11 February 2024 | NR |

## International competitions

Information from his World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.
Representing the  Netherlands :
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Result | Notes |
| 2022 | European U18 Championships | Jerusalem, Israel | 1st | 1500m | 3:49.99 | CR |
| 2022 | European U18 Championships | Jerusalem, Israel | 1st | 3000m | 8:11.49 | |
| 2023 | European Team Championships First Division | Chorzów, Poland | 3rd | 1500m | 3:37.59 | |
| 2023 | European U20 Championships | Jerusalem, Israel | 1st | 1500m | 3:56.78 | |
| 2023 | European U20 Championships | Jerusalem, Israel | 1st | 5000m | 14:11.82 | |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 10th | 1500m | 3:31.25 | NR |
| 2023 | European Cross Country Championships | Brussels, Belgium | 2nd | U20 race | 16:10 | |
| 2024 | European Championships | Rome, Italy | 23rd (h) | 800m | 1:46.62 |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Paris, France | 6th | 1500m | 3:29.54 | NR |
| 2024 | European Cross Country Championships | Antalya, Turkey | 1st | U20 race | 14:07 | |
| 2025 | European Indoor Championships | Apeldoorn, Netherlands | 11th | 3000m | 7:57.18 | |