Patrick Koon On His 8:53 3200 At Bolles & Indoor Debut Next

In-depth interview with Leon junior Patrick Koon after running the sixth fastest 3200 meter time in Florida high school history with his 8:53.88 at the Bolles Bulldog Classic. The performance also is the current national leading time outdoors in the event.

Koon will be racing next in his first indoor track meet ever this weekend in Boston at the New Balance Nationals championship boys 5K. Koon earned All-American honors last June at New Balance Nationals Outdoor in Philadelphia when he finished 5th in the championship 5K with a time of 14:40. 

In the interview, Koon discusses the injury that he suffered after the state cross country meet in which he set the state meet record with 14:56 repeat victory of the 3A state title. After a dominant cross country season, Koon had to miss out on attempting to qualify for a second straight Champs (formerly Foot Locker) XC Nationals due to a sacroiliac joint pain injury discovered while training in between the state and the national regional qualifier. 

After shutting down to heal and rehabbing the injury, Koon spent the summer getting ready and stronger for the outdoor season which just in the first two weeks has blasted away PR's in the 1600 at 4:16 and 3200 at 8:53. He was certainly hungry to compete again after experience his first true setback and major disappointment as a runner having to sit on the sidelines and miss out on competing at the 2023 Champs XC Nationals in San Diego. 

In the race at Bolles last Friday night, Koon took charge from the gun and consistently split around 66-67 seconds per lap including hitting the 1600 meter mark in 4:27. Closing in 65 seconds for his final lap, Koon ran as evenly as paced race as could have run in a smooth and efficient effort. He ran the last 4 laps of the race all by himself. 

The Florida class record holder for the 3200 meters for ninth graders and tenth graders, in order for Koon to break the junior class state record then he will also need to break the overall state record of 8:47.43 set by Nease's Rheinhardt Harrison in 2021.

If he does not get the record at the FSU Relays on March 24th in what expects to be the deepest in-state field of the year in terms of 3200 meter races as witnessed last year when 5 Florida high school runners broke 9 minutes in the race including Koon, he has a backup plan. Regardless of the race outcome at FSU Relays, Koon intends on traveling out to the Arcadia Invitational in California in early April for what is annually the nation's best collection of 3200 meter runners and a PR fest of sub 9 races.

Florida High School Boys 3200m Run All-Time List