Yaseen Abdalla (born August 13, 2001) is a Sudanese-American long-distance runner. He is a NCAA national champion, anchoring the distance medley relay with a 3:55.59 through 1600 meters at the 2022 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. He holds the Sudanese record in the marathon and the indoor mile, 3000-meter, and 5000-meter runs. Abdalla competes for the Arkansas Razorbacks and previously the Tennessee Volunteers and Texas Longhorns.

Athletic career

High school

Abdalla attended Lyndon B. Johnson High School in Austin, Texas. He began running sophomore year and ran a 24:24 5k. By senior year he placed 3rd in the Texas State meet and placed sixth in the Nike South Regional Championships with a time of 15:45.64.

Collegiate career

2019–2020

Following his high school career, Abdalla walked onto the track and field and cross country team at the University of Texas at Austin.

He did not compete in the 2019 cross country season.

The 2020 indoor and outdoor track seasons were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020–2021

Abdalla competed for the Longhorns in the 2020 cross country season, debuting in the 8k with a time of 24:06.20. He ran a 24:38.80 in the Big 12 Championships where the Texas Longhorns placed third as a team.

He ran the 3000 meter and 5000 meter run at the 2021 indoor Big 12 championships, running 8:13.51 and 14:36.26 respectively. These times earned him top ten finishes in both events. Earlier in the season he recorded a personal best 14:11.48 in the 5k.

At the 2021 outdoor Big 12 championships, Abdalla placed 10th in the 10k running a 29:51.53.

2021–2022

In the 2021 cross country season, Abdalla logged an 8k personal best at 23:28.20. He recorded a 20th-place finish at the Big 12 championships in the 8k helping the Longhorns to a third-place team finish. He finished 4th in the NCAA regional meet with a 30:18.60 10k. He became a cross country All-American running 29:28.10 in the 10k at the 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

At the 2022 Indoor National Championships, he split a 3:55.59 1600-meter run in the anchor leg of the distance medley relay to help Texas win the event. The Longhorns finished the meet with a first ever team championship. Abdalla won his first ever Big-12 title in the 5k with a time of 13:33.26, setting a school record in the process. He also ran a 7:56.29 in the 3k to capture a bronze medal in the Big-12 Indoor Championships.

At the 2022 Outdoor Big-12 Championships, he placed second in the 5k, running a 14:07.60. He also represented Sudan at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in the 5k.

2022–2023

Ahead of the 2022 season, Abdalla transferred from Texas to the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

In the 2022 SEC Cross Country Championships, he placed third running a 22:45.57 8k. He placed second at the NCAA Regional Championship, leading the Volunteers to a first-place finish. His 29:29.70 placed him 33rd at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, giving him his second All-American title.

He placed 12th in the 2023 Indoor NCAA Championships, running an 8:06.72 3k. His 14:10.19 5k at the SEC Championships won a silver medal. In the 2023 indoor season, his 7:42.23 3k moved him into the NCAA top-10 times while also setting a Sudanese national record, and a school record.

At the 2023 SEC Outdoor Championships, he added another silver medal with a 30:00.18 10k. At the NCAA Championships, he competed in the 5k, running 14:14.16, and finishing in 12th place.

2023–2024

Abdalla placed 4th in the SEC Championships, with a time of 22:47.50 in the 8k. He also helped the Longhorns to a first place NCAA Regional Championship with a third-place finish.

At the 2024 Indoor SEC Championships, he ran a 7:52.32 in the 3,000m to collect another silver medal in the event. He concluded the season with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

At the 2024 Outdoor SEC Championships, he ran the 10k in 29:58.93, placing third. He also competed in the 5k at the NCAA Championships.

In July, after joining the transfer portal, Abdalla announced his commitment to the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.

In July 2024, the Sudan Olympic Committee announced that Abdalla would be representing the country in the 2024 Olympic Marathon. This is notable, as he had no official time on record, meaning the Olympic marathon was his debut at the distance. At the Olympic Games, Abdalla placed 33rd with a time of 2:11:41, setting a new Sudanese National Record.

Award:

Flagbearer for the Olympic Games Closing Ceremony (2024).

USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete (2023).

All-SEC First Team (2023, 2022).

First-Team All-American (2022).

USTFCCCA Cross Country All-American (2022).

Academic All-Big 12 First Team (2021, 2020).

USTFCCCA All-Region (2021).

Ambition:

To finish in the top 20 at Paris 2024. “People say the first Olympics you learn, the second you compete. But I’m definitely training hard and hoping to compete this time. I’m going to give it my all, and it’s going to be a good race. I’m going to represent as well as I can.”

Education:

Attended the University of Texas (Austin, USA) and the University of Tennessee (Knoxville, USA). He will transfer to the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, USA) in autumn 2024.

Injuries:

2019: Suffered from stress reactions in his knees and hips in his first cross-country season at the University of Texas.

Start:

Took up athletics at age 15.

Reason:

“My parents thought I’d be good at [athletics] for some reason." (runnersworld.com, 25 Mar 2022)

Philosophy:

“There have been so many people who are more talented than me, faster, with better endurance or better support systems. The only difference between me and them is at some point, they stopped coming to practice and I didn’t.” (runnersworld.com, 25 Mar 2022)

General Interest

REPRESENTING SUDAN

Abdalla's parents were born in Sudan, but he grew up in Texas, Maryland and Utah in the United States. “My parents are very proud to be Sudanese. I felt really good to give them pride and represent their country. It's a big deal for me. I love the country, and before the war started, we’d go every other year. I like being able to represent a country that is more passionate about my representation than the US [is].” (okayafrica.com, 22 Jul 2024)

Milestones

First-time Olympian. He will be racing in his first marathon at Paris 2024, the only competitor in the field without a previous finish in the distance.

Competed in the heats of the 5000m at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, OR, USA.