S

imeon Birnbaum is accustomed to capturing headlines. Such is life as one of America’s brightest distance running stars.

As a prep harrier at Stevens High in Rapid City, SD, Birnbaum won 13 South Dakota state titles (11 in track and two in cross-country) in addition to breaking 4:00 in mile (3:57.53) and hustling to the second-fastest two-mile (8:34.10) and 1500-meter time (3:37.93) in high school history.

Birnbaum’s star has continued to shine at the University of Oregon, where he has claimed numerous All-American honors, including a 1500-meter title at last spring’s NCAA Championships, and set the NCAA men’s outdoor 1500-meter record (3:31.69).

In January, however, Birnbaum scored headlines of a different sort.

Though running at Nike’s flagship school, a university so closely aligned with Nike that a statue of company co-founder Bill Bowerman sits a short dash from the campus track’s starting line, Birnbaum signed an NIL (name, image, likeness) deal with Diadora. Birnbaum was Diadora’s second NIL athlete following the brand’s April 2025 signing of Villanova star Marco Langon. (Langon recently turned professional and signed with Diadora.)

It was an unexpected move, to say the least. If Birnbaum aligned himself with any footwear brand, it seemed a rather safe bet he would follow a path blazed by former Duck superstars – Steve Prefontaine, Galen Rupp and Matthew Centrowitz among them – and sport The Swoosh. All of which made Birnbaum’s deal with Diadora that much more shocking – and admittedly “awkward,” Birnbaum himself has said.

In a company statement announcing the deal, Birnbaum said he “chose to partner with Diadora because I believe they want to win as badly as I do.”

While Birnbaum must wear Nike while training and racing with Oregon, he donned Diadora gear when he toed the starting line this summer at marquee events like the London Diamond League and the 2026 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships in New York City.

Birnbaum recently connected with Running Insight to discuss his immediate and long-term racing goals, signing with Diadora and contributing to the Italian brand’s ascent.

On his top athletic priority at the moment: “My immediate focus is on trying to win a national title with the men of Oregon cross-country this fall. After the track season, I didn’t take much time off. I got back to grinding, got good mileage and now, I’m ready for this cross-country season.”

On his short-term and long-term racing goals: “This year, I want more NCAA titles. I’m going to try to win this cross-country national title and think I have a good chance at titles indoors and outdoors. Long-term, I’ve always said I’m chasing gold medals. I care about times, but I care about gold medals a lot more.”

On signing an NIL deal with Diadora: “It was just a personal decision. I saw alignment and I got along with the team. When you’re choosing what you want to be a part of, you want to put relationships first. And being part of a smaller team feels a little more specified. You get to know people better. They get to know your goals. I get to know their goals. When they offered me, I accepted and haven’t looked back. I love it.”

On what most impressed about Diadora: “Passion. They’re extremely passionate. They’re very involved. And they care a lot. Those are some very important characteristics I desire and appreciate.”

On contributing to Diadora’s ascent in the U.S. market: “I feel like Marco and I have had a big part in that. I don’t know how many, especially high schoolers, knew about Diadora. Really, I didn’t know about Diadora until Marco signed and I did a lot of research into the brand. But I think we’ve definitely helped them grow, especially in the U.S. high school space. And if we can keep continuing to perform and putting ourselves out there, I think it’s just going to keep on that trajectory.” 

A Lap with Simeon Birnbaum

Favorite
Diadora
running
shoe: Cellula

Typical
weekly
mileage:
70

Favorite
workout: 400-meter repeats

Favorite
race
distance:
1500 meters

Favorite
running
locale: Pre’s Trail in Eugene, OR

Socks
or
no
socks
with
spikes: No socks

Go-to
post-workout
snack: Granola

Besides
footwear,
one
piece
of
running
gear
you
wouldn’t
want
to
live
without: Sunglasses

Best
piece
of
running
advice
you
ever
received: “The more you run, the better you will become. It seems very obvious, but when I was younger, it wasn’t.”