Eric Holt
{{Short description|American middle-distance runner (born 1995)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Eric Holt
| image = File:Eric Holt.jpg
| caption = Holt at the 2024 Penn Relays
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|5|12}}
| birth_place = Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States
| education = Binghamton University
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| sport = Track and field
| universityteam = Binghamton Bearcats
| club = Empire Elite Track Club
| pb = {{ubl
|1500 m: 3:34.05 (New York City 2024)
|Mile: 3:51.46 (Philadelphia 2024)
|Indoor
|1000 m: 2:17.25 (New York City 2024)
|1500 m: 3:36.85 (Boston 2024)
|Mile: 3:52.35 (Boston 2024)
}}
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's track and field}} {{MedalCountry|{{Flagu|United States}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|NACAC Championships}} {{MedalGold|Freeport 2022|1500 m}}
}}
Eric Holt (born 12 May 1995) is an American middle-distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres. He is a member of the Empire Elite Track Club, a training group based in New York City, and is the 2022 NACAC 1500 m champion.{{Cite web |title=Eric HOLT {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/eric-holt-14506158 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=worldathletics.org}}
Eric was born in Illinois and grew up in Carmel, New York, where he starred on the Carmel High School cross country and track and field teams.{{Cite web |date=2021-07-31 |title=Meet the 2021 Competitors: Eric Holt |url=https://sirwaltermiler.com/meet-the-2021-competitors-eric-holt/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=Sir Walter Miler |language=en}}
Athletics career
= High school =
In 2013, during his senior year of high school at Carmel High School, Holt won the New York state title in the 1600 m in 4:07.00 and ran a 3200 m personal best of 9:00.20.{{Cite web |title=Eric Holt – Stats |url=https://ny.milesplit.com/athletes/896391-eric-holt |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=MileSplit New York |language=en}}
= Binghamton and post-collegiate =
From 2013 to 2018, Holt competed for Binghamton University in cross country and track and field. He never qualified for the NCAA Championships, but ran a mile personal best of 4:00.65 during his redshirted fourth year in 2017 and won 6 America East Conference titles.{{Cite web |title=Eric Holt – Men's Cross Country |url=https://bubearcats.com/sports/mens-cross-country/roster/eric-holt/10962 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Binghamton University Athletics |language=en}}
After graduating college, Holt received no interest from professional training groups but continued to train while working as a mental health worker at a psychiatric ward in Westchester County, New York. He often ran workouts at late hours of the night after long shifts, which he claimed made him "incredibly mentally tough". Under this unorthodox training regimen, Holt broke the four-minute barrier in the mile for the first time 2019, winning the Monmouth Mile in 3:58.88.{{Cite web |last=LetsRun.com |date=2023-06-29 |title=Meet Empire Elite's Eric Holt: The Dark-Horse Contender For the U.S. 1500m Team |url=https://www.letsrun.com/news/2023/06/meet-the-empire-elites-eric-holt-the-dark-horse-contender-for-the-u-s-1500m-team/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=LetsRun.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Holtamania Is Here! |url=https://www.fleetfeet.com/blog/holtamania-is-here |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Fleet Feet |language=en}}
= Empire Elite =
In 2021, he caught the attention of coaches Tom Nohilly and John Trautmann, who invited him to join their newly formed Empire Elite Track Club, the successor to the former New Jersey New York Track Club. Later that year, Holt ran a 3:36.62 1500 m personal best at the Portland Track Festival and reached the semi-finals of the 2020 United States Olympic trials, before being eliminated.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-09 |title=Miler Eric Holt Doesn't Want to Have Any Regrets |url=https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a40849621/eric-holt-doesnt-want-to-have-any-regrets/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Runner's World |language=en-US}}
At the 2022 US Championships, Holt finished fourth, and later that summer, represented the United States at the NACAC Championships in the Bahamas, where he won gold ahead of Josh Thompson and Charles Philibert-Thiboutot in a championship record of 3:37.62.{{Cite web |title=Carmel's Eric Holt wins 1500 gold at international championship in Bahamas |url=https://bringbackthemile.com/news/detail/carmels_eric_holt_wins_1500_gold_at_international_championship_in_bahamas |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Bring Back the Mile}}
Ahead of the 2023 US Championships, Holt took first in the 1500 m at the USATF NYC Grand Prix in a seasons best of 3:37.07. At USAs in July, Holt qualified for the final, but finished last in 3:37.63. Later that month, Holt ran a 3:34.50 lifetime best to win the Under Armour Sunset Tour in Los Angeles.{{Cite web |date=23 July 2023 |title=Whittni Morgan and Eric Holt Rebound With Strong Efforts, Isaiah Harris Continues Impressive Run |url=https://www.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?event_id=14352&do=news&news_id=665809 |access-date=28 April 2024 |website=Runnerspace}}
At the 2024 NYC Grand Prix, Holt ran a personal best of 3:34.05 to earn second place.{{Cite web |title=Eric HOLT {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/eric-holt-14506158 |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=worldathletics.org}} Holt qualified for the 2024 US Olympic Trials in the 1500 m and 800 m events.{{Cite web |title=USA Track & Field {{!}} Status of Entries |url=https://usatf.org/events/2024/2024-u-s-olympic-team-trials-%E2%80%94-track-field/status-of-entries |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=usatf.org}} His coaches shared that Empire Elite is “maxing out the credit cards right now" to pay for Holt's training.{{Cite news |date=2024-06-21 |title=At 29 and living with his parents, this runner clings to an Olympic dream |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/06/21/eric-holt-olympic-track-field-trials-2024/ |access-date=2024-06-23 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en}}
On June 26, in between his 1500m and 800m races at the US Olympic Trials, Holt announced that he had signed a deal with Puma.{{Cite web |last=Lorge Butler |first=Sarah |date=June 26, 2024 |title=Journeyman Runner Eric Holt Gets a Shoe Deal, Finally! |url=https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a61415484/journeyman-runner-eric-holt-gets-a-shoe-deal-finally/ |access-date=June 27, 2024 |website=Runners World}}
Competition record
| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} |
| 2019
|USA Indoor Track and Field Championships |H3 8th |1,000 m |2:27.81 |
| 2020
|USA Indoor Track and Field Championships |9th |1,500 m |3:53.93 |
| 2021
|rowspan=1|US Olympic Trials |rowspan=1|Eugene, Oregon |SF1 8th |1,500 m |3:39.83 |
| rowspan=2|2022
|rowspan=1|2022 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships |rowspan=1|The Podium |11th |1,500 m |3:46.87 |
| USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
|Hayward Field |4th |1,500 m |3:46.15 |
| 2023
|USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships |Hayward Field |12th |1,500 m |3:37.63 |
| rowspan=3|2024
|rowspan=1|2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships |rowspan=1|Albuquerque Convention Center |11th |1,500 m |3:44.97 |
| rowspan=2|US Olympic Trials
|rowspan=2|Hayward Field |SF1 11th |1,500 m |3:39.45 |
| SF3 DQ
|800 m |N/A |