Israeli Runner Matan Ivri Breaks National Records, Eyes 2024 Olympics

Matan Ivri, now 24, has rapidly emerged as a leading Israeli middle-distance runner after initially excelling in orienteering. In 2019, at just 16, he placed sixth in the European Orienteering Championships, marking a rare Israeli achievement in the sport. However, Ivri shifted focus to athletics around age 21, discovering his talent for running 1,500 meters and quickly breaking a 17-year-old Israeli national record.

This summer, Ivri repeatedly improved the national 1,500-meter record, culminating in a time of 3:34.51 at a meet in Belgium, making him the first Israeli to run under 3:40. Over the season, he set eight of the top Israeli times ever recorded in this event. Ivri is now aiming to meet the 3:33.50 qualifying standard for the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham next month, where he hopes to further improve his record and secure his spot.

Ivri trains at the University of Wisconsin on a $100,000 scholarship and balances athletics with computer science studies, earning academic honors. He recently placed fifth in the highly competitive US collegiate championships and reached the national finals in the 5,000 meters. His coach in the US is Chris Solinsky, while Amir Ramon coaches him in Israel.

Despite challenges balancing work on a prestigious Amazon project, Ivri has climbed into the top 100 global rankings for the 1,500 meters. Looking ahead, he aims to compete as a serious contender at the 2024 European Championships and ultimately represent Israel at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. His family has a strong Olympic legacy, including his cousin Amit Ivri, Israel’s first swimmer to reach an Olympic semifinal.

Ivri’s breakthrough has revitalized Israeli middle-distance running, a discipline dormant for decades, and he aspires to continue raising Israel’s profile on the international athletics stage.