Ketchikan’s Updike finishes 5th in steeple at US nationals

Published 9:15 pm Thursday, August 7, 2025

Isaac Updike, a 33-year-old professional runner from Ketchikan, finished fifth in the finals of the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the U.S. Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday, Aug. 2.

“Hard to not be disappointed after the last few races I’ve had,” Updike wrote on Instagram.

Running in his seventh national final, the goal was to make Team USA for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.

Updike made Team USA in 2023 by running 8 minutes, 17.69 seconds, to finish third in the national final.

He came into the meet flying high after opening his season by setting a personal best of 8:13.64 to win the Portland Track Festival in June. He followed with a 8:13.68 to win the Sunset Tour in Los Angeles on July 12.

In Heat 1 on Thursday, Updike controlled the race with Under Armour teammate Matthew Wilkinson. Updike finished at 8:22.45 to qualify for the final.

A tightly packed field ran a patient final. Updike also was patient, running ninth after 1,000 meters and fifth after 2,000 meters.

The race finally broke open in the final 800 meters. Needing to finish third to automatically qualify, Updike was in fourth facing the final water barrier and then the final hurdle.

He stumbled slightly coming out of the water, then stutter-stepped the final hurdle as Benard Keter ran away for third and Wilkinson passed Updike for fourth.

Updike finished at 8:30.15, while Wilkinson was at 8:29.32 and Keter was at 8:29.00.

Kenneth Rooks, who won silver in the event last year at the Olympics, captured his third straight U.S. steeple title by running 8:26.58, while Daniel Michalski was second at 8:26.77.

The qualifying standard to get into the meet was 8:29.00, which shows just how slow the final was.

Rooks has the worlds qualifying standard of 8:15.00 and is on Team USA.

Both Michalski and Keter do not have the qualifying standard, so they are not yet officially on the team.

Both have until Aug. 24 to hit the standard, but both have PRs above the standard.

According to an article on letsrun.com, Keter does not have nearly enough points to qualify for worlds and he’ll “almost certainly” need to hit the qualifying standard before Aug. 24. If not, Wilkinson, who has the standard, could get the berth.

Letsrun.com said Michalski is in a much better position on points, but added “he still may make an attempt at the standard just to be sure.”

Other than finishing third at nationals in 2021, fifth is the best Updike has done in a nationals final, matching his effort from 2021.