Yoann Kowal

“A weak mind gives orders; a strong body obeys!”

Yoann Kowal

Biography

Born on 28 May 1987 in Nogent-le-Rotrou (France) and later based in Périgueux, Yoann Kowal is one of France’s most versatile runners. After breaking through over 1500m and the 3000m steeplechase, he became European champion in Zürich in 2014 and won European bronze in 2016. An Olympic finalist in Rio (5th), he has since expanded onto the roads, racing from 10K to the marathon.

Discipline

Track / Road

Race distances

1,500m / 3,000m steeplechase / 10,000m (track) / 10K / Half Marathon / Marathon

Nationality

🇫🇷 France

Date of birth

28 May 1987

Hometown

Nogent-le-Rotrou

With KIPRUN since

2022

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Key highlights

European Champion – 3,000m steeplechase (Zürich 2014)

He claimed the European title over the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2014 European Championships.

Olympic finalist – 3,000m steeplechase (Rio 2016, 5th)

He finished 5th in the Olympic final in Rio, one of the best French results on the event.

European Championships bronze – 3,000m steeplechase (Amsterdam 2016)

He won bronze at the 2016 European Championships, confirming his place among Europe’s best steeplechasers.

Yoann Kowal 2025

Latest results

French 10K Championships: 2nd in 29:15 (and 1st M40) ; Lille Half Marathon: 1:03:42 ; Montréal Half Marathon: 1st in 1:04:03.

Valencia Half Marathon: 1:03:02 ; Castellón 10K: 29:02.

Paris Marathon: 2:14:56 ; Semi de Paris Half Marathon: 1:03:54 ; 10 km du Canal (Périgueux): 2nd in 29:30.

Lille Half Marathon: 1:02:17 ; European Championships (Munich): 10,000m, 15th in 28:17.39.

Course des 2 Viaducs (Le Blanc): 10K, 1st in 28:39.

Off the track, Yoann Kowal, known to many as “Yoko”, is grounded in a very real day-to-day routine. Raised in a sporty family and shaped between Nogent-le-Rotrou and Périgueux, he learned early how to build for the long run. In Paris, he leaned on the INSEP environment to balance performance with family life, with tightly structured days, two sessions, recovery, and sometimes an easy run along the Marne with his dog. A regular on altitude camps in Kenya or Potchefstroom, he keeps the same drive to improve and to test himself on the roads, from 10K to the marathon.

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