Seth O'Donnell (born 14 September 2001) is an Australian long-distance runner. He became Australian champion over 5000 metres and 10,000 metres in 2025, and competed for Australia at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.[1]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 September 2001 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event(s) | Long-distance running, Cross Country running |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 1500m: 3:37.82 (Kortrijk, 2025) 3000m: 7:29.49 (Shanghai, 2026) 5000m: 13:14.57 (Melbourne, 2025) 10,000m: 27:59.65 (Melbourne, 2025) Road 10km 28:42 (Melbourne, 2024) Half Marathon: 1:03:25 (Melbourne, 2024) |
Biography
editFrom Melbourne, he had a background in Australian Rules Football and came to athletics relatively late. He was Victoria state champion in the under-20 5000 metres in March 2020, one of his first races.[2][3][4]
O'Donnell won his first Australian national cross country title in Oakbank, South Australia in muddy conditions, in 2022.[5] O’Donnell won his second national cross country title in wet conditions in Launceston, Tasmania, in 2024.[6]
O'Donnell had a successful 2025, despite suffering from stress fractures throughout the year.[7] In April 2025, O'Donnell won over 5000 metres at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth, running 13:49.30 to beat Cameron Myers and Ky Robinson.[8]
in August, he ran a personal best 7:34.43 for the 3000 metres in Sweden, finishing runner-up to Andreas Almgren in Sollentuna.[9] In September 2025, he competed over 5000 metres at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, without advancing to the final.[10] On 13 November, O'Donnell broke the Victorian Milers Club record for 3000 metres.[11]
In December 2025, O'Donnell won the Australian 10,000 metres title in Melbourne in a time of 27:59.65.[12][7] That month, he was runner-up to Myers at the Australian World Championships Cross Country trials at Stromlo Forest Park, and was subsequently selected for the Australia team for the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, placing 45th overall.[13][14][15] Competing at the 2026 Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne in March, he placed second over 3000 metres in 7:41.11, behind compatriot Jackson Sharp.[16] On 11 April, he finished runner-up to Cam Myers defending his 5000 metres title at the 2026 Australian Championships.[17] Making his Diamond League debut the following month at the 2026 Shanghai Diamond League, he ran the 3000 metres in a time of 7:29.49 to become the third Australian man in history to break the 7:30 barrier after Myers and Stewart McSweyn.[18]
Personal life
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Seth O'Donnell". World Athletics. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ↑ "GETTING TO KNOW SETH O'DONNELL". One Running. July 2, 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ↑ "Victorian Championships". World Athletics. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ↑ "From the Boundary to 13:12: The Seth O'Donnell Story". Runners Tribe. 30 April 2026. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ↑ "MUD, SWEAT AND TEARS - O'DONNELL AND HANSEN TAKE TOUGH TITLES". Athletics.com.au. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ↑ "POMPEANI AND O'DONNELL CLAIM AUSTRALIAN CROSS COUNTRY TITLES IN WET AND WILD CONDITIONS". Athletics.com.au. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- 1 2 Mitchell, Miranda (December 17, 2025). "Zatopek:10 Results: Seth O'Donnell and Lauren Ryan Claim 2025 Australian 10,000m Titles". World Track. Retrieved 19 Dec 2025.
- ↑ "Australian Championships". World Athletics. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ↑ "Folksam Grand Prix Sollentuna". World Athletics. 10 August 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ↑ "World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025". World Athletics. 18 Sep 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
- ↑ Johnson, Len (17 November 2025). "We've got to talk about Seth". Runners Tribe. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ↑ "O'DONNELL AND RYAN ADD NAMES TO ZATOPEK:10 WINNER'S LIST". athletics.com.au. 11 Dec 2025. Retrieved 16 Dec 2025.
- ↑ "28 ATHLETES TO BUILD ON BATHURST BREAKTHROUGH AT WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS". athletics.com.au. 9 Dec 2025. Retrieved 16 Dec 2025.
- ↑ "SPEED OVER STRENGTH: MYERS OUT KICKS O'DONNELL TO WIN CROSS COUNTRY TRIAL". Inside Athletics. 2 December 2025. Retrieved 19 Dec 2025.
- ↑ "46th World Athletics Cross Country Championships". World Athletics. 10 Jan 2026. Retrieved 11 Jan 2026.
- ↑ "Gout Gout denied by Aussie rival Lachie Kennedy again in slippery 200m epic at Maurie Plant Meet". 7news. 28 March 2026. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ↑ "SUB-10 AGAIN IN KENNEDY'S IN CROWNING MOMENT AT AUSTRALIAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS". Athletics.com.au. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
- ↑ "CALDWELL BREAKTHROUGH LIGHTS UP SHANGHAI DIAMOND LEAGUE OPENER". Australian Athletics. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ Gates, Zachary (13 December 2025). "Unstoppable kick, pure guts: Lauren Ryan, Seth O'Donnell claim Australian 10,000m crowns". Nine.com.au. Retrieved 19 December 2025.