Cameron Myers

BIOGRAPHY

Canberra teenager Cameron Myers, has over the last few years gone on a record-breaking run which has seen him, now at the age of 19, amongst the best senior metric milers in Australia, a country which boosts some of the world’s best at the distance. Despite the comparisons at various ages to Tokyo Olympic Games 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Cam has taken it all in his stride and seems to just be setting his own pace to the top.

It was an early start in the sport for Cameron Myers, who commenced his journey at Belconnen Little Athletics Club when he was aged six. It was a gradual start to his career he recalls when aged 10.

“I did my first cross-country nationals and I just got smashed. I finished 17th or something and I went ‘argh, I don’t want this to happen again, I really hate losing.”

A three-year-older Canberra kid, Tom Palfrey was winning National titles and Cam wanted to follow his pathway, so Jo, Cam’s mother sort out Tom’s coach Lee Bobbin and joined his squad of older athletes.

“Cameron has been lucky in all his career because he has had someone better than him to chase,” recalled coach Bobbin.

By age 12, Cam won his first National title. In early 2021, now aged 14, Cam was setting fast times of 1:55.61 (800m) and 3:54.33 (1500m) to claim the National under-16 titles. At the start of the 2021/21 season, his coach Lee Bobbin, was looking at the big picture for his two rising middle-distance stars Cam and Tom Palfrey, 18, who had run 3:53 at age 15, by joining in with some of Dick Telford’s squad for training sessions. Eventually Tom would head off to the University of Oregon on an athletics scholarship and Cam would move fulltime to train under Dick Telford. Telford’s squad, regarded an a natural evolution, was similar to Lee Bobbin squad for Cam, as when he joined there were leading Australian 1500m athletes Olympian Jye Edwards and Rorey Hunter to train with.

In the summer of 2022, Cam now aged 15, dropped his PBs to 1:50.81 (800m), 3:46.30 (1500m) and 4:07.05 (mile). At the trials for the World U20 Championships he would place a close third, but miss team selection.

He went on a record shattering domestic campaign in 2023, when aged 16. His 1500m went from 3:46 to 3:38.02 domestically and 3:33.26 internationally when he had turned 17. He set National under-18 and 20 records galore, and achieved a Paris Olympic qualifier. His 3:33 1500m time was also an official World Athletics under-18 World best.

After running 3:40.60 for 1500m in January 2023 it was odds on he could break four minutes for the mile at the Maurie Plant meet. The 16-year-old delivered on that potential with a stunning time of 3:55.44 for third place. By nine days, he had become the second youngest in the world to run a sub 4-minute mile behind Jakob Ingebritsen.

However, during the year Cam did set 16-year-old World age bests at 1500m, mile and 3000m. He also set Australian under-18 and 20 3000m records of 7:52.06.

His 3:33 time in July 2023 qualified him for selection for the world championships, but he opted to by pass the championships, to return to Australia, and prepare for a tilt at selection for the Paris Olympics, where he would be up against Australia’s competitive stocks in the event.

“Yep super tough choice” is how he described to decision to miss the world championships. “I didn’t have any more to give. I’d reached a point where I was only incrementally getting better. I was in a phase of training where I was peaking for now and not six weeks down the track (for the worlds) and we recognised that. It was also the first time away from home for an extended period.”

He opened his 2024 season over 800m in Canberra in January with a three second PB time of 1:47.11. He then won over 1500m at the Adelaide Invitation in 3:34.55, just outside the Olympic standard. Then five days later at the Maurie Plant meet Melbourne, running in the mile, he was competitive with 2022 world champion Jake Wightman and winner Stewart McSweyn. Cam was third clocking 3:52.44, an Australian under-20 record and an unofficial World under-18 best time. Still chasing an Olympic qualifier in the domestic season, at the Sydney Milers meet in February, he defeated world champion Jake Wightman in a qualifying time of 3:33.30. In March there were more National records, the U18 and U20 3000m, while claiming his first National senior title in 7:46.38.

At Nationals in April, in a stacked 1500m final, he placed fifth.

Internationally in 2024 he was 11th in the mile at the Prefontaine Classic where clocking 3:50.15 he broke the National junior record. In June he clocked a quick 3:33.93 in Nice – his third sub-3:34 time of his career. He would eventually miss selection for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, but in August won silver in the 1500m at the World U20 Championships in Peru, defeated by just 0.09 seconds by Ethiopian Abdisa Fayisa.

His 2025 campaign has been brilliant and measured. He has already set PBs over all distances 1000m, 1500m, mile, 3000m and 5000m.

Over the summer of 2024/25 and up to June, Cam Myers went on a record breaking spree. His achievements included winning the national 1500m title (and second in the 5000m), a win at the Maurie Plant Meet, 3rd at Millrose mile and 2nd in the Oslo Dream Mile. His record breaking is best summarised below:

ST – is Short Track (indoors)

Dec 2024 – Zatopek 3000m 7:41.11 [AUS U20]

Jan 2025 – New York mile 3:53.12 [World ST U20]

Feb 2025 – Boston 3000m 7:33.12 [AUS ST open & U20]

Feb 2025 – New York Mile 3:47.48 [World ST U20, AUS ST open, =AUS open, AUS U20]

Feb 2025 – New York 1500m enroute 3:32.67 [World ST U20, AUS ST U20]

Mar 2025 – Melbourne 1500m (1st MP Meet) 3:34.98

Apr 2025 – Perth 1500m (1st AUS Champs) 3:34.39, 5000m (2nd) 13:49.66

Jun 2025 – France 1000m 2:17.25 [AUS U20]

Jun 2025 – Oslo Mile 3:48.87 (2nd)

Jun 2025 – Ostrava 1500m 3:29.80 [AUS U20]

Jul 2025 – Eugene Mile 3:47.50 (6th)

His Ostrava 1500m run of 3:29.80 elevated him to number three all-time behind Olie Hoare and Stewart McSweyn.

Hobbies: playing fortnite, music, eating good food and time with mates…Education: Year 7-10 Canberra High, Year 11-12 Lake Ginninderra College, Canberra (Year 12 in 2024) – Olympic marathoner Gerard Barrett is Deputy Principal there…Sporting hero: Jakob Ingebrigtsen, I love watching him win races and he looks like he does it with ease and relaxed….Goals: represent Australia at a major championship, and win a medal on the biggest stage. I would like to be a professional runner and live this lifestyle for as long as I can…Current World records (3): 1500m – World ST U20; Mile – World U20 & World ST U20…Current Australian records (8): 1000m – U20; 1500m – U20 & U18; Mile – equal open, ST open, U20; 3000m – AUS U18 & U20…World age bests (9): 1000m – 18y, 1500m – 16y, Mile – 16y, 17y, 18y, 19y; 3000m – 16y, 17y, 18y

@ 9 September 2025 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au