Michael Somers

{{Short description|Belgian long-distance runner}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Michael Somers

| fullname =

| nickname =

| image = 2022-08-21 European Championships 2022 – Men's 10,000 Metres by Sandro Halank–021.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Somers in 2022

| nationality = Belgian

| sport = Track and Field

| event = 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m, Marathon

| universityteam =

| club = Atletiekclub Lyra ( - 2022)
Royal CABW Nivelles (2022 - )

| turnedpro =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|3|2|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| country = {{BEL}}

| coach = Rik Didden ( - 2022)
Hamish Carson (2022 - )

| height =

| weight =

| pb = {{ubl

|Outdoor{{iaaf name|14564246}}

|1500 m: 3:39.36 (Heusden-Zolder 2021)

|3000 m: 8:03.22 (Herentals 2018)

|5000 m: 13:29.03 (Heusden-Zolder 2022)

|10,000 m: 27:53.50 (Leiden 2022)

|Indoor

|1500 m: 3:40.61 (Kirchberg 2021)

|3000 m: 7:48.72 (Louvain-la-Neuve 2022)

|Two miles: 8:43.77 (Dortmund 2022)

}}

}}

Michael Somers (born 2 March 1995) is a Belgian long-distance runner. He won the 5000 meters at the 2019 Belgian Athletics Championships. He also won the overall title of the 2021–22 Lotto Cross Cup.{{cite web | url=https://sporza.be/nl/2022/03/06/mieke-gorissen-en-michael-somers-veroveren-belgische-driekleur-in-veldlopen~1646563506915/ | title=Mieke Gorissen en Michael Somers veroveren Belgische driekleur in veldlopen | work=sporza.be | date=6 March 2022 | access-date=5 July 2022 | language=dutch}}

In December 2021, he finished 5th at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships in Dublin, Ireland in a race won by Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen.{{cite web | url=https://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20211213_93541788 | title=Michael Somers in de wolken met vijfde plaats op EK veldlopen: "Dit is ongelooflijk" | publisher=Gazet van Antwerpen | date=13 December 2021 | access-date=23 August 2024 | language=dutch}}

In January 2023 Somers made his debut in the half-marathon, finishing 4th in the half-marathon in Seville{{cite web | url=https://www.rtl.be/sport/tous-les-sports/autres-sports/michael-somers-4e-du-semi-marathon-de-seville-pour-ses-debuts-sur-la-distance/2023-01-29/article/520457 | title=Michael Somers 4e du semi-marathon de Séville pour ses débuts sur la distance | work=RTBF | date=29 January 2023 | access-date=23 August 2024 | language=french}} In June he represented Belgium at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, Italy, finishing 25th in the men's half marathon.

In September 2023 he qualified for the marathon at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France by finishing 16th in the Berlin Marathon in a time of 2h08:09, a mere 1 second within the required qualification marker of 2h08:10.{{cite web | url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/michael-somers-rcabw-reussit-le-minimum-pour-le-marathon-des-jo-de-paris-pour-une-seconde-11261279 | title=Michael Somers (RCABW) réussit le minimum pour le marathon des JO de Paris pour... une seconde | work=RTBF | date=24 September 2023 | access-date=23 August 2024 | language=french}} At those Olympics he finished 22nd in the marathon.{{cite web | url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/michael-somers_1903110 | title=SOMERS Michael | website=www.olympics.com | access-date=23 August 2024}} Immediately after finishing, he touched the nation by first asking a Sporza TV reporter to lend him his phone so he could call his dad who was suffering at home from a lingering illness, not getting through and then addressing in tears via live TV his dad to let him know that his name was now "forever in the record books".{{cite web | url=https://sporza.be/nl/2024/08/10/prachtig-moment-na-marathon-somers-wil-voor-interview-eerst-naar-huis-bellen-papa-ik-sta-voor-altijd-in-de-boeken~1723280975438/ | title=Prachtig moment na marathon: Somers wil voor interview eerst naar huis bellen - "Papa, ik sta voor altijd in de boeken" | publisher=Sporza | date=10 August 2024 | access-date=24 August 2024 | language=dutch}} His dad died 3 days later.{{cite web | url=https://sporza.be/nl/2024/08/23/enkele-dagen-na-olympische-ode-heeft-michael-somers-afscheid-moeten-nemen-van-zijn-vader-mijn-nummer-1-fan~1724432870986/ | title=Enkele dagen na olympische ode heeft Michael Somers afscheid moeten nemen van zijn vader: "Mijn nummer 1 fan" | publisher=Sporza | date=23 August 2024 | access-date=24 August 2024 | language=dutch}}

In March 2025, Somers was suddenly forced to retire from the sport for medical reasons after a routine check-up found scar tissue on his heart muscle, which can lead to heart rhythm disorders.{{cite web | url=https://sporza.be/nl/2025/03/17/na-amper-4-marathons-moet-olympier-michael-somers-plots-stoppen-door-hartproblemen-moeilijk-te-aanvaarden~1742238134795/ | title=Na amper 4 marathons moet olympiër Michael Somers plots stoppen door hartproblemen: "Moeilijk te aanvaarden" | publisher=Sporza | date=23 August 2024 | access-date=24 August 2024 |language=dutch |trans-title=After only 4 marathons, Olympian Michael Somers suddenly has to stop due to heart problems: "Difficult to accept"}}