Shane Cohen’s initial acquaintance with the last 110 meters of Hayward Field’s track occurred in the most captivating of ways.

The University of Virginia’s (UVA) new middle distance runner entered the 800 meter finals of the 2023 NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon as an underdog. To many, he had appeared to confirm the pre-race predictions as he immediately fell to the back of the group at the beginning of the race. He would continue trailing until he reached the final 110 meters, where he broke free in a thrilling charge from last to first place, and sprinted past everyone to a finishing time of 1:44.97. Raising his hands in triumph, Cohen passionately celebrated his first Division I finals win and perfect execution of his racing plan.

It was back on that same final stretch of track just a few weeks later that Cohen found himself racing toward the finish of another 800 meter final. This time, in a U.S. Olympic Trials contest that would determine his potential place on the U.S. Olympic team in Paris. Although he did not ultimately qualify, Cohen’s 6th place finish and personal best time of 1:44.65 were an amazing accomplishment and ensured that he was right where he needed to be. Cohen’s unique journey to these biggest races of his career were also influenced by his experiences as someone who feels strongly about his Jewish identity and takes pride in being a Jewish athlete, which has helped him become the successful and inspirational person he is today.

Cohen began running in seventh grade for fun, simply because his friends encouraged him to join them. His coaches saw something in him and pushed for continued training in high school. He took their advice, but was more focused on his favorite sport, basketball. “I was locked in to basketball and just running for time and mileage, so I wasn’t taking it as seriously,” Cohen said. His dream was to pursue basketball in college, but he wasn’t being recruited by the high profile schools he was hoping for. Cohen ultimately decided on the University of Tampa for its academics, “because it’s hard to play basketball when you’re 5 ‘8’,” he joked.

He quickly realized that he missed the team atmosphere of playing sports, so he decided to walk on to Tampa’s track and field team. His tryout was during the spring term of his freshman year, but Cohen hadn’t been running since high school because he was adjusting to life as a college student. “I was supposed to run the 800 in the tryout, but decided to do the 200 because I thought it’d be the easiest bet to make the team,” Cohen said. He ended up beating every sprinter on the team in his time trial, but jumped back up to his favorite 800 once he was officially on the team. The pandemic followed, and stripped away Cohen’s freshman season, but he had his sights set on his sophomore year. “I knew I would do cross country that year so I started increasing my mileage per week,” Cohen remembered. That spring, he qualified for nationals in the 800, and made it back to nationals the following year with an improved time of 1:48.00.

An injury prevented Cohen from continuing to race the following year, but he began to talk with coaches in the transfer portal to use his year of eligibility left. UVA was one of the teams to reach out to him, and although it was the only school he did an official visit with, he fell in love with the team culture instantly and committed right away.

Cohen immediately impressed in his first ACC indoor season as part of the distance medley relay team and the 800m. He continued to improve during the outdoor season, collecting multiple additional ACC wins leading up to the NCAA championships. Cohen had to first tackle the East regional round, where he finished second in the final with a new personal best time of 1:45.36. Moving on to his preliminary heat at NCAAs, he placed third in his heat with a time of 1:46.94 that automatically qualified him for the final.

When his time to race in the NCAA final arrived, Cohen took in all of the sights and sounds of Eugene’s historic Hayward Field. “It was a surreal experience,” said Cohen. “From growing up watching these guys on Youtube to being there racing with them, you have to take it in that even though you’re excited, you deserve to be there,” he said. He constantly reminded himself that he’s there for a reason, and focused on the importance of absorbing every moment. “But once you get to the line, it’s time to lock in.”

Cohen’s race plan from the beginning was the “sit and kick” technique, with a goal of staying close enough to the pack to be engaged and use his remaining energy to push to the front. “I always knew I had a shot at winning, so I just had to keep myself in the race to come out on top,” Cohen said. He executed his plan perfectly and was close enough to trust his kick and cross the finish line first. “Winning NCAAs, being at Hayward for the first time, and competing with the top collegiate athletes in the country was definitely one of the best accomplishments of my career so far,” he said. Cohen finished with another new personal best time of 1:44.97.

Prior to his NCAA races, Cohen already knew that he’d be back at Hayward Field in a few weeks for the U.S. Olympic Trials. “I knew since regionals that I had a definite shot at making the trials, and that was just a super surreal moment,” Cohen recalled. When he returned for the opening rounds of the 800m, the atmosphere around the stadium was completely different. “The racing felt similar, but the crowd was so much more involved,” he said. He continued to focus on his same mindset by taking everything in and realizing who he’s racing with, but reminding himself that he deserves to be there.

Cohen made it to the final round, but ended up just shy of the qualifying time and place he needed. “Obviously my goal was to make the team, but I did what I could and I’m really happy about it. It was a great learning experience,” Cohen said of competing at the trials. He once again set a new personal best with a time of 1:44.65.

Cohen has already set himself apart on the track in a variety of different ways, but his personal identity is another one of his unique factors. Cohen is Jewish, and finds it a very important part of himself. He has been able to find Jewish community at his various college environments through Hillel, Chabad, and other Jewish friends. One major way he’s been able to celebrate his Jewish identity was by participating in the 2022 Maccabi Games in Israel. “It was so cool to be competing with other Jewish kids from around the country and being surrounded by people who share similar beliefs,” Cohen said of being in Israel for a month and racing there. And it didn’t hurt that he walked away with a gold medal too. Although his experiences in America have been different, as he has been the only Jewish athlete on either of his collegiate teams, Cohen always recalls his Maccabi memories and takes those moments with him everywhere, on and off the track. He said he realizes the importance of sharing his story as a Jewish athlete, especially amid struggling times, and feels his duty to represent his identity.

As for his next steps, Cohen hopes to keep running, but his goal is to be a business consultant and pursue a professional career in that field. “I’m not sure where running is going to take me, but I’ll see where it lands me,” he said. Cohen is grateful for the places his Judaism and his track career have brought him, and is extremely proud of all that he’s accomplished, especially on that special 110 meter stretch of track at the historic Hayward Field.