Date of Birth: March 15, 2003
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Nationality: American
Sport: Track and field: 1500 m, Mile
Height: 5’11”
Coming from a family of runners where both of his parents ran competitively, Hobbs Kessler showed prodigious talent from a young age and broke high school records before turning 18 years old. However, his first love was actually rock climbing — and he never stopped at simply being good: By age 16, he competed nationally and even represented the United States in several international competitions.
“Before I began running, I was really into rock climbing — and still am,” Kessler says. “I started climbing when I was really little and it has always been my thing. I think one of the reasons that I took so well to running was my background in climbing. I would say that my proudest achievements are some of the routes I’ve been able to climb.”
After getting his start in rock climbing, Kessler made waves in the track and field world in 2021: He finished an indoor mile race in 3:57.66, breaking the national high school record and putting him in an elite group of high school runners to complete a mile in under four minutes. That same year, he set a national junior record for the outdoor 1500 m event, finishing in 3:34.36, and officially joined the Brand with the 3-Stripes after turning pro; in Hobbs Kessler, adidas clearly saw a world-class talent that was destined for greatness.
Over the course of his career so far, Kessler has held his own against elite runners everywhere, at one point holding the world record for the road mile with a time of 3:56.13 and earning recognition as one of the fastest indoor mile runners of all-time. In one of his greatest achievements, Kessler also represented the United States in the world’s largest sporting event, finishing respectably in its 1500 m race. Hobbs Kessler and adidas make for a perfect pairing: As far as which gear he reaches for when training or competing, he's a longtime fan of the Adizero Ambition and considers it among the best adidas running shoes.
“I think running has taught me that temporary discomfort is worth the rewards that often follow,” Kessler continues. “Being willing to be briefly uncomfortable has opened a lot of doors in my running career and I like to think that a similar principle applies to life.”
KICKSTART YOUR TRAINING WITH ADIDAS RUNNING
If you’re just starting out and want to get some miles in, adidas has several guides to set you up for success. As a first step, take a look at our guide on how to choose running shoes to see which one is best suited for you; it covers all the best adidas running shoes, including trail running shoes, to help you find a pair that precisely fits your needs and goals as a runner.
Next, try out one of our treadmill workouts for beginners to start getting familiar with different paces and gradually cooling down. This serves as a good pathway into our interval training guide, which will help condition you for more serious races and distances.
Whether it’s shoes, apparel, accessories or guides, adidas Running has resources for every runner — from those lacing up for the very first time to elite competitors on the grandest stage.