Luke Houser

Road to Atlanta Track Club Elite

At Woodinville High School in suburban Seattle, Luke finished on the Class 4A state championships podium at both 1,600 and 3,200 as a senior in 2019. His time of 8:57.38 gave him the #2 ranking in the state that year at 3,200m, while his 4:08.17 put him at #3 for 1,600m. Born in Bellevue, about 10 miles from the University of Washington campus, it was only natural for Houser to become a Husky. There, he led the team to its first NCAA podium finish since 1930 when he won the 2023 indoor mile. The next year, he repeated as NCAA champion at the distance. Luke (along with Atlanta Track Club Elite's Aidan Ryan) is also known for being part of an eight-man Husky contingent that all ran sub-4 in the same meet indoors at the UW Invitational in January 2023.

Following in His Father's Footsteps

Luke remembers running the last stretch to the finish line of the Seattle Marathon with his father, Chris, when he was only 5 or 6 years old. "That might have had something to do with my deciding to run," said Luke, who started running on his own in an after-school cross country program when he was in the third grade. In November 2024, Chris ran his 30th consecutive Seattle Marathon, winning his age 60-64 age group in 3:04:18 - 16 minutes ahead of the runner-up. He still serves as a volunteer coach at Luke's high school.

High School Breakthrough

The Shoreline Invitational, just north of Seattle, was the scene of two important races in Luke's high school career. As a freshman, he ran 9:23.55 there for 3,200m in 2016, finishing 10th. "I didn't know how good that was at the time," he says. Two years later, he won the same meet in 9:02.48 - the third- fastest time in the state that season - in what he calls his breakout race, after which colleges started really taking notice.

From Rivals to Teammates

In that 2016 Shoreline Invitational, only one freshman finished in front of Luke: Joe Waskom, in 9th and less than a second ahead. They would go on to become two of the fastest, most dominant middle- distance runners in the state for the next three years. "It was definitely a rivalry," recalls Luke. "We pushed each other to greater heights." The rivalry took a new turn when they became Husky teammates, with Waskom winning two NCAA outdoor 1,500m titles to Houser's pair of indoor mile championships. In that memorably deep mile in 2023, Waskom won in 3:51.90, with Luke crossing the line as the sixth Husky in the parade and thinking he had a bad race until he saw the time of 3:55.98 - a personal best. "Joe's my training partner; I'll be there soon," was Luke's next reaction. Three weeks later, Luke ran 3:52.87, a personal best by more than three seconds.

Back-to-Back Talk

When Luke won his second NCAA indoor mile title, in 2024, he became the first man to repeat since Josh Kerr in 2017-2018. In 2023, his first title was a surprise; his season had started out, as he puts it, "horribly." But the next year, things were going more smoothly and, he said, "I knew what I had to do."

Why Atlanta Track Club Elite?

"I had great conversations with Coach Tommy [Nohilly], and then when, I visited the team, I really liked all the guys. What Atlanta Track Club does is pretty unique, putting on so many events, and seeing everyone so invested in making the Club a success was cool."

Life in the ATL

This is the first time Luke has lived away from the Seattle area. After being told by everyone that he would need a car to get anywhere, he's been pleased to discover that he can walk to stores, restaurants and the popular Beltline. "I'm surprised how active that is," he said. "When I go out for my double, it's always packed with people."

How He Knows He's Ready to Race

"When I've had consistent training and then have a good workout during practice, I know I'm ready to race."