Daniel Rowden is the current 800m British National Champion from London, UK. At twenty three years old he is an established presence within UK, European and World 800m running with a personal best of 1.44.09, a time that ranked him 3rd fastest in the world in 2020. He has been National 800m champion at U23, U20 and U17 level aside from his 2020 senior British title.

Daniel’s first GB representation was at the European Junior Championships in Sweden in 2015 followed by the IAAF World Under 20 Championships in Poland in 2016, reaching the semi-finals in both. A silver medal at the 2017 European under 23 Championships at only the age of 19 marked him out then as one to watch. He ends the 2017 year rank 7 in the UK.

A Silver medal at the 2018 British Championships, a 1.44.97 performance at the London Diamond League and making the GB senior team at the European Championships reaching the semi-finals are key highlights of 2018. He became the youngest Briton since Ikem Billy, 34 years earlier, to run sub 1:45 for 800m in front of a roaring home crowd in London. This breakthrough year stemming from foundations laid with his first coach Richard Thurston at his club Woodford Green and Essex. He ends the 2018 year rank 3 in the UK.

Now under the coaching of Matt Yates Daniel excelled still further with a dominating display of running in a select few races in 2020 amidst the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic: wins at the British Championships, Gothenburg Grand Prix and Zagreb Continental Tour Gold where he achieved his personal best of 1.44.09. This, all the more remarkable after a whole 2019 season out after recovering from surgery for median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), a rare condition where the diaphragm muscles squeeze too tightly around an artery, restricting the flow of blood and oxygen to the gut. He ends the 2020 year rank 1 in the UK.

After training camps in Dubai and Florida Daniel’s 2021 outdoor racing year started on the biggest stage of them all – the opening Diamond League meet in Doha, Qatar. A confident front running approach rewarded him with a 3rd place podium finish against the best in the world followed closely by a successful defence of his Gothenburg title a few days later.

The pinnacle of the 2021 season was to navigate the British Athletics Trials for the Tokyo Olympic Games; 3rd place in Manchester meant that box was ticked. Then to compete on the biggest stage of them all in Tokyo in a games like no other with the context of the covid 19 pandemic. Round one; smooth running and a top 2 finish setting up an exciting semi-final. An incredibly tight run in the semi’s in 5th place in 1.44.35 and just 0.05 seconds away from a place in the final. Sport can be cruel at times. But what an experience and just the beginning of major championships particpation for Daniel.

Daniel was born and brough up in London and is currently a student at University College London studying mechanical engineering. This year he has taken a year off to have a sole focus on his athletics.