Kalen Walker Brings Track to the Masses

PHOTO: Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com This past fall, Kalen Walker ran the 40-yard dash at halftime of Iowa's football game against Northwestern. His time of 4.15 seconds proved to be the second-fastest unofficial time ever recorded.

Kalen Walker was spending a lot of time at Kinnick Stadium working with event staff as part of his sports and recreation management degree requirements. Those experiences during Hawkeye football game days gave his father, Ian Walker (96BBA), an idea.

“My dad thought I should run the 40-yard dash at a football game to get some attention and publicity for the track team,” says Walker. “I pitched it to one of my field experience contacts—who connected me with marketing—and they all loved the idea.”

Walker knew it would be the largest crowd he had competed in front of during his career.

“When I got out there on the field, I felt great,” says Walker. “Seeing all the fans in the stands and everyone cheering, I was amped.”

A wardrobe change leads to sprinting success

To prepare for running at Kinnick Stadium, though, Walker had to make a few adjustments.

“Running on turf feels completely different than a track, where track spikes help you push off with each step,” says Walker. “Turf is just so soft it’s hard to get traction, so I used the long spikes high jumpers use to get some traction, and I just tore right through that turf.”

That change in footwear proved to be successful for the fifth-year senior, who delivered a 40-yard dash time of 4.15 seconds—the second fastest unofficial time ever recorded.

According to current records, Olympic sprinter Christian Coleman ran an unofficial time of 4.12 seconds on turf in 2017. The fastest official time of 4.21 seconds belongs to former Texas Longhorn Xavier Woody—now with the Kansas City Chiefs—at the NFL Combine in 2024.

An All-American overcomes one major hurdle

Walker, who was named a second-team All-American in his 2022 and 2023 seasons, has continued to be a rising star on the Iowa men’s track and field team. But after undergoing minimally invasive surgery for a knee injury in 2023, Walker wasn’t sure how his 2024 season would shape up.

“I wasn’t able to run until a couple of weeks before the season started,” says Walker. “I had been out for several months, and I was so frustrated with rehab.”

Through hard work and dedication guided by the Iowa coaching staff, Walker rebounded to take second in the 60-meter dash at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

“I worked hard to get back, and I got second place behind the national record holder,” says Walker. “Coming off an injury made it much more special.”

Not bad for a sprinter who walked on at Iowa after not being recruited by any Division I or Division II schools. Now, in his final season at Iowa, Walker wants to keep improving.

“When I first started running, I worked hard, and I saw my times dropping,” says Walker. “I got addicted to that, and I loved it. That’s my goal this season—to keep working hard, keep improving, and keep my times dropping.”