Kalen Walker

Kalen Walker is an American sprinter. He broke the 10-second barrier with a wind-legal personal best time of 9.94 seconds in 2025, whilst competing for the University of Iowa.

Early life

From the southeast of Iowa, Walker attended Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont High School, although he his final season at high school was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic. He attended Indian Hills Community College for a year, before attending the University of Iowa in 2021. He was a multi-sport athlete whilst at high school, and won state honours in American football and basketball, as well as athletics.

Competing for the University of Iowa, Walker was the runner-up in the 60 meters at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston, Massachusetts. In June 2024, he reached the semi-finals of the 100 metres at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. In the October of that year he was timed at 4.15 seconds for the 40-yard-dash.
In May 2025, he won the Big Ten Conference 100 metres title in a time of 10.17 seconds. Later that month he qualified for the NCAA Championships and broke the 10-second barrier with a wind-legal personal best of 9.94 seconds for the 100 metres at the West regional qualifiers in College Station, Texas. He concluded his collegiate career with the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he was a semi-finalist in the 100 metres, and ended as a three-time All-American, two-time Big Ten champion and Iowa school record holder in the 60 metres, 100 metres, and in the 4x100 metres relay.