Ferenc Soma Kovács
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Hungarian | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 14 June 2004 | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Steeplechase, cross-country | ||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 800m: 1:47.92 (New Haven, 2025) 1500m: 3:37.47 (Budapest, 2024) Mile:3:58.92 (Boston, 2024) 5000m: 14:08.24 (Philadelphia, 2022) 3000m Steeplechase: 8:43.98 (Philadelphia, 2024) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Ferenc Soma Kovács (born 14 June 2004) is a Hungarian runner. He competed at the 2023 World Athletics Championships over 5000 metres. He was a bronze medalist at the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He became Hungarian national champion over 1500 metres in 2024.[1]
Early life
[edit]He attended Illyés Gyula High School and Vocational High School in Budaörs. He won a national high school geography academic competition. He attended Woodberry Forest School in Virginia in the United States in 2021. In 2022, he earned a scholarship to Harvard University, also in the United States.[2]
Career
[edit]He trained as a member of Veszprém Sportolj Velünk Sports Association in Hungary. In 2023, he signed a sponsorship contract with Nike. That year, he set new Hungarian national under-20 records for the 1500 metres both indoors and outdoors, and the 3000 metres indoors.[3] He was a bronze medalist at the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships in Jerusalem, Israel, in the 3000 metres steeplechase.[4] He competed at the 2023 World Athletics Championships over 5000 metres in Budapest, but did not qualify for the final.[5][6][7]
In 2024, he broke the Hungarian U23 national record in the mile run, running 3:58.09 seconds in Boston, Massachusetts.[8] He won the Hungarian Athletics Championships over 1500 metres in June 2024 in 3:47.17.[9] That month, competing at the Honved Cup, he broke the Hungarian U23 record for the 1500 metres with a time of 3:37.47.[10]
Competing for Harvard University, he won the Ivy League 800 metres title before finishing third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon in the 1500 metres in June 2025.[11][12]
Personal life
[edit]He is multi-lingual, speaking German, English, and Spanish as well as Hungarian. He has a keen interest in fine art.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Ferenc Soma Kovács". World Athletics. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Hungarian Boy Wins Harvard Scholarship". Hungary Today. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "High school student preparing for Harvard gets fabulous sponsorship deal". Index.hu. 10 March 2003. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- ^ "European Athletics U20 Championships". World Athletics. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023". World Athletics. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Record-breaking 63 athletes will represent Hungary at the World Championships". World Athletics. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Ferenc Soma Kovács bid farewell to the 5000 meters with a season best". 168.hu. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Harvard-bound Ferenc Soma Kovács breaks Hungarian record". vg.hu. 5 Feb 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Hungarian Championships". World Athletics. 29 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "ATHLETICS: FERENC SOMA KOVÁCS BREAKS 40-YEAR-OLD U23 RECORD". Nemzeti Sport. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Ferenc Kovács Soma won the bronze medal". magyarhirlap.hu. 14 June 2025. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ Gault, Jonathan; Johnson, Robert; Johnson, Weldon (June 14, 2025). "NCAA Men: Nathan Green Golden, Corrigan & Whitmarsh Get Crowns, Musau Repeats". LetsRun. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
