July 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

Written by Svilen PetrovApril 5, 2025

American runner Parker Valby

Parker Valby is a distinguished American athlete specializing in track and field as well as cross-country. She has achieved the remarkable feat of being a six-time NCAA champion and currently holds the NCAA records for the indoor 5,000m, outdoor 5,000m, and outdoor 10,000m events.

Born on September 27, 2002, in East Lake, Pinellas County, Florida, Parker Alys Valby initially pursued competitive swimming before transitioning to cross-country in 2016. Although she was hesitant to take up track and field due to the need to forgo lacrosse, she ultimately embraced the challenge. During her junior year, she not only became the Florida state champion but also set the all-time state record.

Valby represented the University of Florida, where in her sophomore year, she secured a second-place finish in the 5000m at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, clocking a personal best of 15:20:10. This impressive performance contributed significantly to Florida’s team title victory.

The subsequent autumn, Valby again secured the second position behind Tuohy, this time at the NCAA Cross Country Championships held in Oklahoma. In the spring, she triumphed in the 5,000m event at the 2023 NCAA Track and Field Championships, contributing to Florida’s overall team runner-up finish.

Valby commenced her redshirt junior season with a strong performance, clinching victory at the Wisconsin Nuttycombe invite, where she outpaced her rival Katelyn Tuohy with a course time of 19:17.2.

In November 2023, she achieved victory at the NCAA Cross Country Championship in Charlottesville, Virginia, setting a new NCAA record with a time of 18:55.2 for the 6 km course, finishing 10 seconds ahead of Doris Lemngole from the University of Alabama.

On December 2, 2023, Valby established a new NCAA record in the indoor 5,000m while competing at Boston University, clocking in at 14:56.11, surpassing the previous record of 15:12.22 set by Emily Sisson in 2015.

At the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, Valby set a new collegiate record in the 5000m, achieving a time of 14:52.79 in Boston and securing another NCAA title. She executed a negative split during the race, clocking 7:33 for the first half and 7:19 for the second half. Valby won with a significant lead over second-place finisher Taylor Roe, who completed the race in 15:15. The following day, she also triumphed in the 3000m indoor national championship, recording a personal best of 8:41.50.

In April 2024, Valby achieved a time of 30:50.43 in the 10,000m at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California, setting a new American collegiate record that was previously held by Lisa Uhl. On May 11, 2024, she established a new championship record while winning the 5,000m at the SEC Championship in Gainesville, Florida.

Valby participated in the 2024 Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, where she finished fourth in the 5000m event, just missing a spot on the Olympic team. She later returned for the 10,000m event, securing second place behind Weini Kelati. After finishing among the top three in the 10,000m, Valby was selected for the Olympics based on her World Athletics ranking. She competed in the 10,000m at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in August 2024, finishing eleventh in the final with a time of 30:59.28.